Text & Translation Series Home Page

Mettasutta (Khp 9)

The Discourse on Friendliness Meditation
(An Analysis)

 Edited & Translated by ânandajoti Bhikkhu

 

 

Karaõãyam-atthakusalena
yan-taü santaü padaü abhisamecca

What should be done by one skilful in good,
who has comprehended the state of peace:

Karaõãyam what should be done
attha (= atthe) in good
kusalena by one skilful
yan-taü (the one) who
santaü of peace
padaü the state
abhisamecca has comprehended

sakko ujå ca såjå ca
suvaco c' assa mudu anatimànã

he ought to be able, straight, and upright,
easy to speak to, meek, without conceit,

sakko able
ujå straight
ca and
såjå upright
ca and
suvaco easy to speak to
c' (= ca) and
assa he ought to be
mudu meek
anatimànã without conceit

santussako ca subharo ca
appa-kicco ca sallahuka-vutti

satisfied (with little), easy to support,
with few duties, and light in living,

santussako satisfied
ca and
subharo easy to support
ca and
appa- few
kicco duties
ca and
sallahuka- (= sa+lahuka) (with) light
vutti living

sant' indriyo ca nipako ca
appagabbho kulesu ananugiddho

with faculties at peace, prudent,
not forward, and greedless among the families,

sant' (= santa) peace
indriyo faculties
ca and
nipako prudent
ca and
appagabbho (= a+pagabbho) not forward
kulesu among the families
ananugiddho (= an+anugiddho) greedless

na ca khuddaü samàcare ki¤ci
yena vi¤¤å pare upavadeyyuü

he should not do the slightest thing
whereby others who are wise might find fault (with him).

na not
ca (connective particle)
khuddaü slightest
samàcare he should do
ki¤ci thing
yena whereby
vi¤¤å wise
pare others
upavadeyyuü might find fault

"Sukhino và khemino hontu
sabbe sattà bhavantu sukhitattà

"(May all beings) be happy and secure,
may all beings in their hearts be happy!

Sukhino happy
và (= va) emphatic
khemino secure
hontu be
sabbe all
sattà beings
bhavantu may (they) be
sukhitattà (= sukhita+attà) happy in heart

Ye keci pàõa-bhåt' atthi
tasà và thàvarà và anavasesà

Whatsoever breathing beings there are -
trembling, firm, or any other (beings),

Ye keci Whatsoever
pàõa- breathing
bhåt' (= bhåtà) beings
atthi there are
tasà trembling
và or
thàvarà firm
và or
anavasesà any other (lit: what remains)

dãghà và ye mahantà và
majjhimà rassakàõuka-thålà

whether they be long or great,
of middle size, short, tiny, or of compact (body),

dãghà long
và or
ye they (who)
mahantà great
và or
majjhimà middle (size)
rassak(a)- short
(a)õuka tiny
thålà compact (body)

diññhà và ye ca addiññhà
ye ca dåre vasanti avidåre

those who are seen, and those who are unseen,
those who live far away, those who are near,

diññhà seen
và (or)
ye those who
ca and
addiññhà (= a+diññhà) unseen
ye those who
ca and
dåre far (away)
vasanti live
avidåre near

bhåtà và sambhavesã và
sabbe sattà bhavantu sukhitattà

those who are born, and those who still seek birth -
may all beings in their hearts be happy!"

bhåtà those who are born
và or
sambhavesã those who seek birth
và or
sabbe all
sattà beings
bhavantu may (they) be
sukhitattà (= sukhita+attà) happy in heart

Na paro paraü nikubbetha
nàtima¤¤etha katthaci naü ka¤ci

No one should cheat another,
nor should he despise anyone wherever they be,

Na no
paro one (lit: other)
paraü another
nikubbetha should cheat
nàtima¤¤etha (= na+atima¤¤etha) nor should he despise
katthaci wherever
naü ka¤ci anyone

byàrosanà pañigha-sa¤¤à
nतam-a¤¤assa dukkham-iccheyya

he should not long for suffering for another
because of anger or resentment.

byàrosanà because of anger
pañigha-sa¤¤à because of (an idea of) resentment
n(a) not
(a)¤¤am-a¤¤assa for another
dukkham suffering
iccheyya he should long

Màtà yathà niyaü puttaü
àyusà eka-puttam anurakkhe

in the same way as a mother would protect
her son, her only son, with her life,

Màtà a mother
yathà in the same way as
niyaü her (lit: one's own)
puttaü son
àyusà life
eka- only (lit: one)
puttam son
anurakkhe would protect

evam-pi sabba-bhåtesu
mànasaü bhàvaye aparimàõaü

so toward all beings
he should develop the measureless thought (of friendliness).

evam so
pi (emphatic)
sabba- all
bhåtesu toward beings
mànasaü thought
bhàvaye he should develop
aparimàõaü measureless

Metta¤-ca sabba-lokasmiü
mànasaü bhàvaye aparimàõaü

Towards the whole wide world he should develop
the measureless thought of friendliness,

Metta¤ friendliness
ca (connective particle)
sabba- whole
lokasmiü towards the world
mànasaü thought
bhàvaye he should develop
aparimàõaü measureless

uddhaü adho ca tiriya¤-ca
asambàdhaü averaü asapattaü

above, below, and across (the middle),
without barriers, hate, or enemy.

uddhaü above
adho below
ca and
tiriya¤ across
ca and
asambàdhaü (= a+sambàdhaü) without barriers
averaü (= a+veraü) hate
asapattaü (= a+sapattaü) without enemy

Tiññhaü caraü nisinno và
sayàno và yàvat' assa vigatamiddho

Standing, walking, sitting,
lying, for as long as he is without torpor,

Tiññhaü Standing
caraü walking
nisinno sitting
và (or)
sayàno lying
và (or)
yàvat' (= yàvatà) for as long as
assa he is
vigata without
middho torpor

etaü satiü adiññheyya
brahmam-etaü vihàraü idha-m-àhu

he should be resolved on this mindfulness,
for this, they say here, is the (true) spiritual life.

etaü this
satiü mindfulness
adiññheyya should be resolved on
brahmam spiritual
etaü this
vihàraü life
idha here
m (euphonic particle)
àhu they say

kàmesu vineyya gedhaü
na hi jàtu gabbha seyyaü puna-r-etã ti

having removed (all) greed for sense pleasures,
he will never come to lie in a womb again.

kàmesu for sense pleasures
vineyya having removed
gedhaü greed
na not
hi emphatic
jàtu (lit: be born)
gabbha womb
seyyaü lie
puna again
r (euphonic particle)
eti will come
ti (quotation marker)