Text and Translations Home Page
Mettasuttaü (Khp 9)
The Discourse on Friendliness (An Analysis)
(PDF)
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
caand
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 kiÿci yena viÿÿå 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
kiÿci thing
yena whereby
viÿÿå 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 nàtimaÿÿetha katthaci naü kaÿci
No one should cheat another, nor should he despise anyone wherever they be,
Na no
paro one (lit.: other)
paraü another
nikubbetha should cheat
nàtimaÿÿetha (= na+atimaÿÿetha) nor should he despise
katthaci wherever
naü kaÿci anyone
byàrosanà pañigha-saÿÿà nàÿÿam-aÿÿassa dukkham-iccheyya
he should not long for suffering for another
because of anger or resentment.
byàrosanà because of anger
pañigha-saÿÿà because of (an idea of) resentment
n(a) not
(a)ÿÿam-aÿÿassa for another
dukkhamsuffering
iccheyya he should long
Màtà yathà niyaü puttaü àyusà eka-puttam anurakkhe
in the same way as a mother would protect her child, her only child, 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 child
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
Mettaÿ-ca sabba-lokasmiü mànasaü bhàvaye aparimàõaü
Towards the whole wide world he should develop the measureless thought of friendliness,
Mettaÿ friendliness
ca (connective particle)
sabba- whole
lokasmiü towards the world
mànasaü thought
bhàvaye he should develop
aparimàõaü measureless
uddhaü adho ca tiriyaÿ-ca asambàdhaü averaü asapattaü
above, below, and across (the middle), without barriers, hate, or enemy.
uddhaü above
adho below
ca and
tiriyaÿ 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 emphatic
gabbha womb
seyyaülie
puna again
r (euphonic particle)
eti will come
ti (quotation marker)