Leigh Brasington
/ 
/ Revised 23 Oct 25
Be able, straight, and upright;
easy to speak to;
mild, flexible, and humble;
contented and low maintenance;
not overly busy and living lightly;
calm, and wise, and unassuming;
not greedy with one's supporters.
One would not do the slightest thing
that wise people would criticize.
May all be at ease and safe,
may all beings be happy!
Whatever living beings there are,
moving or stationary, omitting none,
whatever long or large,
medium, short or small,
seen or just unseen,
living far away or near,
those born and to-be-born,
may all beings be happy!
One would not defraud another,
or despise any being anywhere.
one would not wish suffering on another
because of anger or ill-will.
As a mother would protect with her life
her own child, her only child,
so too, for all beings
one would cultivate a boundless heart.
With love for the whole world,
one would cultivate a boundless heart,
above, below, and across,
unrestricted and friendly, without hostility.
Whether standing, walking, seated,
or lying down free from drowsiness,
one should sustain this mindfulness.
This, they say, is divine abiding here.
Avoiding views,
virtuous, and endowed with insight,
one would dispel greed for sense desires,
never again returning to a womb.[2]
-- Translated by Leigh Brasington
This translation was created from both Palī and English using Bhukkhu Sujato's translation of Snp 1.8 interleaved with the Palī, DPD & PED dictionaries, and the 24 translations of the Metta Sutta side-by-side found on my website.
1. See Gombrich, page 7, for the details for why "seeks" and not "knows." [Go Back]
2 The last verse appears to be a later addition. See Sujato, 1st paragraph, last sentence. Also the word gabbhaseyyaṃ ("returns to a womb") does not occur in any other suttas. [Go Back]
Dating the Metta Sutta
Back to Metta Meditation
Back to Suttas
| Back to Leigh's Home Page | Site Map | Site Search |
Leigh Brasington
/
/ Revised 23 Oct 25