1.1Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

2.1“Yāni kānici, bhikkhave, opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.“Mendicants, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love.2.2Mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles.

3.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candiyā pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candapabhāyeva tā adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;It’s like how the radiance of all the stars is not worth a sixteenth part of the moon’s radiance. Surpassing them, the moon’s radiance shines and glows and dazzles.3.2evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles.

4.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;It’s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and dazzles.4.2evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles.

5.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ osadhitārakā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;It’s like how, at the crack of dawn, the morning star shines and glows and dazzles.5.2evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati cā”ti.In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles.”

5.3Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.The Buddha spoke this matter.5.4Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:On this it is said:

6.1“Yo ca mettaṁ bhāvayati,“A mindful one who develops6.2appamāṇaṁ paṭissato;limitless love6.3Tanū saṁyojanā honti,weakens the fetters,6.4passato upadhikkhayaṁ.seeing the ending of attachments.

7.1Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto,Loving just one creature with a hateless heart7.2Mettāyati kusalo tena hoti;makes you a good person.7.3Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampaṁ,Sympathetic for all creatures,7.4Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.a noble one creates abundant merit.

8.1Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijitvā,The royal potentates conquered this land8.2Rājisayo yajamānānupariyagā;and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—8.3Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,8.4Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ.the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, <j>the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’.

9.1Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa,These are not worth a sixteenth part9.2Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ;of the mind developed with love,9.3Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe.as starlight cannot rival the moon.

10.1Yo na hanti na ghāteti,Don’t kill or cause others to kill,10.2na jināti na jāpaye;don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer,10.3Mettaṁso sabbabhūtesu,with love for all living creatures—10.4veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti.you’ll have no enmity for anyone.”

11.1Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

11.2Sattamaṁ.

11.3Tatiyo vaggo.

12.0Tassuddānaṁ

12.1Cittaṁ mettaṁ ubho atthe,12.2puñjaṁ vepullapabbataṁ;12.3Sampajānamusāvādo,12.4dānañca mettabhāvanā.

13.1Sattimāni ca suttāni,13.2purimāni ca vīsati;13.3Ekadhammesu suttantā,13.4sattavīsatisaṅgahāti.

13.5Ekakanipāto niṭṭhito.