- The Discourse on Loving-kindness

The Discourse on Loving-kindness (Karaniya Metta Sutta):

While the Buddha was staying at Savatthi, a band of monks, having received subjects of meditation from the master, proceeded to a forest to spend the rainy season (vassana).The tree deities inhabiting this forest were worried by their arrival, as they had to descend from tree abodes and dwell on the ground. They hoped, however, the monks would leave soon; but finding that the monks would stay the vassana period of three months, harassed them in diverse ways, during the night with the intention of scaring them away.

Living under such conditions being impossible, the monks went to the Master and informed him of their difficulties. Thereon the Buddha instructed them in the Metta sutta and advised their return equipped with this sutta for their protection.

The monks went back to the forest, and practicing the instruction conveyed, permeated the whole atmosphere with their radiant thoughts of metta or loving-kindness. The deities so affected by this power of love, henceforth allowed them to meditate in peace.

The discourse gets divided into two parts. The first detailing the standard of moral conduct required by one who wishes to attain Purity and Peace, and the second the method of practice of metta.

1. "He who is skilled in (working out his own) well being, and who wishes to attain that state of Calm (Nibbana) should act thus: he should be dexterous, upright, exceedingly upright, obedient, gentle, and humble.

2. "Contented, easily supportable, with but few responsibilities, of simple livelihood, controlled in the senses, prudent, courteous, and not hanker after association with families.

3. "Let him not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men may rebuke him. (Let him think:) 'May all beings be happy and safe. May they have happy minds.'

4.& 5. "Whatever living beings there may be — feeble or strong (or the seekers and the attained) long, stout, or of medium size, short, small, large, those seen or those unseen, those dwelling far or near, those who are born as well as those yet to be born — may all beings have happy minds.

6. "Let him not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. In anger or ill will let him not wish another ill.

7. "Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

8. "Let him radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above, below, and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.

9. "Standing, walking, sitting or reclining, as long as he is awake, let him develop this mindfulness. This, they say, is 'Noble Living' here.

10. "Not falling into wrong views — being virtuous, endowed with insight, lust in the senses discarded — verily never again will he return to conceive in a womb."

The Motherly Love

If I am a person with great undertakings but lack loving kindness, then there is nothing that I can be proud of. If I can move the hills and shake the rivers but lack loving kindness, then I have not accomplished anything great!

As the saying goes: ‘The world is built by hearts of loving kindness.’

Look at our society and we will see lots of lonely and helpless people with poor and pitiful backgrounds. They can hardly survive! They need our kind concern and loving care to help them. And the force pushing us to help them is our ‘loving kindness’.

We should know that the numerous orphanages, old age homes and welfare centres are set up by people with loving kindness. However, to have a roof over their heads is not enough as these people need our constant support and care. We need to understand that ‘Love is giving, not sacrificing. Love is giving, not almsgiving.’

Surely, not everybody has experienced the lack of love because from the moment we are born, we are showered with love, especially from one very special person, our mother.

Mother’s love is the world’s greatest and most sincere love! When a child is born, she cherishes him, loves him and takes care of him till he grows up strong, firm and successful. She gives and gives but does not expect any returns.

We should not suspect our mother’s love. Instead, we should thank and respect them. If possible, repay them.

The Universal Love

The words ‘loving kindness’ gives one a warm feeling. But why? Well, it is because loving kindness is a type of benevolent love that comes straight from the heart!

We are living in a rapidly advancing society. This progress and advancement have cause so much fighting and struggling among people that one would question the presence of loving kindness. In the past agricultural society, there was concern because everybody had a loving heart. Look at our society now and we will see how different they are. 

Although there are a lot of kind and loving people in our society helping the poor, their combined efforts are still not great enough to influence a lot of people

Our society is not limited by these two kinds of love. It comprised of may other kinds of love expressed in various ways. If everybody can give their loving kindness to help others, then our society would surely be a comfortable, happy, more peaceful and meaningful place to live in!

Today, all over the world, there is sufficient material wealth. There are intellectuals, brilliant writers, talented speakers, philosophers, psychologists, scientists, religious advisors and wonderful poets. In spite of this, peace and security gradually wither away. What we have lost is loving kindness or goodwill amongst mankind.

Man should learn how to practise selfless love to maintain real peace and earn his own salvation. Just as suicide kills the body and mind, selfishness kills the good spirit of mankind. It is loving kindness that radiates through the purified mind and eradicating hatred, jealousy, cruelty, enmity and grudges.

According to the Lord Buddha, Metta – Loving kindness is the most effective method to attain purity of mind. The word ‘love’ is used to cover a very wide range of emotions human beings experience.

According to Buddhism, there are many types of emotions, all of which come under the general form ‘love’. There is selfish love that is limited to particular people like our parents, children, brothers, and sisters or someone we know. Selfless love, on the other hand, is felt when one person surrenders his whole being for the good of another.

On a scale far higher than these, is universal love – Metta, is the great virtue expressed by the Lord Buddha. The Buddha’s boundless love extended not only to human beings but all living creatures. It was not emotional or selfish, but a love without frontiers, without discrimination. Unlike the other kinds of love, universal love can never end in disappointment or frustration because it expects no reward. It creates more happiness and satisfaction. One who cultivates loving kindness will also cultivate sympathetic joy and equanimity.

The way to develop loving kindness is through thinking of the evils of hatred, and the advantages of non-hatred.

Hatred restricts, love releases.

Hates struggles, love enfranchises.

Hatred brings remorse, love brings peace.

Hated divides, love unites.

Hate hinders, love helps.

In Metta Sutta, the Buddha has expounded the nature of love in Buddhism. ‘Just as a mother would protect her only child even at the risk of her own life, even so, let him cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Let his thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world, above, below and across without any obstruction, without any hatred, without any enmity.’

  

Life is hard because we focus on the obstacles, not the goals.

Love is full of pain because we see the tears and not the smiles..

People are rejected because we see their faults and not their goodness…

It’s the way we look at things that makes our world worthwhile and not our judgement.