Be able and upright, truly upright;
easy to speak to;
humble and not conceited;
contented and low maintenance;
not overly busy and living lightly;
with senses calmed, intelligent & discerning;
unassuming, and not greedy with one's supporters.
Do not do the slightest thing
that wise people would criticize.

Let all beings live at ease and be safe,
May all beings be happy!

Whatever living beings there may be,
moving or stationary, omitting none,
be they long or large,
medium, short or small,
the seen and the unseen,
those living near and far away,
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.

Just 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, all round,
unrestricted and free of ill-will.

Whether standing, walking, seated,
or lying down free from drowsiness,
one should sustain this mindfulness.
This, they say, is divine abiding here.

Avoiding [fixed] views,
the virtuous one, endowed with insight,
and with greed for sense desires dispelled,
surely never again returns to a womb.

-- Translated by Leigh Brasington

This translation was created from both Palī and English using Bhukkhu Sujato's translation of Snp 8.1 interleaved with the Palī and the 21 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]

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Leigh Brasington / / Revised 20 Aug 25