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ps.2.4 Patisambhidamagga

Treatise on Loving Kindness

1. “Bhikkhus, when the deliverance of will by loving kindness is cultivated, developed and made much of, made the vehicle, made the foundation, established, consolidated, and properly undertaken, then eleven blessings can be expected. What eleven? A man sleeps in comfort, wakes in comfort, and dreams no evil dreams; he is dear to human beings, he is dear to non-human beings, deities guard him, fire and poison do not harm him; his mind is easily concentrated, the expression on his face is serene; he dies undeluded, and if he does not penetrate the supreme state he will be reborn in the Brahmā world. When the deliverance of will by loving kindness is cultivated, developed and made much of, made the vehicle, made the foundation, established, consolidated and properly undertaken, then these eleven blessings can be expected”.

2. There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with unspecified intentness, there is deliverance of will by loving kindness with specified intentness, there is deliverance of will by loving kindness with directional intentness.

3. In how many aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with unspecified intentness? In how many aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with specified intentness? In how many aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with directional intentness?

There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with unspecified intentness in five aspects. There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with specified intentness in seven aspects. There is deliverance of will by loving-kindness with directional intentness in ten aspects.

4. In what five aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with unspecified intentness?

May all beings be free from enmity, distress and affliction (ill-will), and may they live happily.

May all breathing things …

May all who are …

May all persons …

May all who have a personality be free from enmity, distress and affliction, and may they live happily.

There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with unspecified intentness in these five aspects.

5. In what seven aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with specified intentness?

May all women be free from enmity, distress and affliction, and may they live happily.

May all men …

May all Noble Ones …

May all who are not Noble Ones …

May all deities …

May all human beings …

May all in the states of deprivation be free from enmity, distress and affliction, and may they live happily.

There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with specified intentness in these seven aspects.

6. In what ten aspects is there deliverance of will by loving kindness with directional intentness?

(1) May all beings in the eastern direction be free from enmity, distress and affliction and may they live happily.

(2) May all beings in the western direction …

(3) May all beings in the northern direction …

(4) May all beings in the southern direction …

(5) May all beings in the eastern intermediate direction …

(6) May all beings in the western intermediate direction …

(7) May all beings in the northern intermediate direction …

(8) May all beings in the southern intermediate direction …

(9) May all beings in the lower direction …

(10) May all beings in the upper direction be free from enmity, distress and affliction, and may they live happily.

(1)–(10) May all breathing things in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all in the eastern direction who are …

(1)–(10) May all persons in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all who have a personality in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all women in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all men in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all Noble Ones in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all who are not Noble Ones in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all deities in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all human beings in the eastern direction …

(1)–(10) May all in the states of deprivation in the eastern direction … in the upper direction be free from enmity, distress, and affliction, and may they live happily.

There is deliverance of will by loving kindness with directional intentness in these ten aspects.

7. It is loving kindness (mettā) since it treats kindly (mettayati) in these eight aspects, namely: by rejecting in the case of all beings their oppression for their non-oppression, by rejecting their injury for their non-injury, by rejecting their disappointment for their non-disappointment, by rejecting their deprivation for their non-deprivation, by rejecting their harassment for their non-harassment [with the thought] “Let all beings be free from enmity and not inimical, have pleasure and not pain, have bliss in their hearts and not pain in their hearts”. It is will (ceto) since it wills that (cetayati). It is deliverance (vimutti) since it is delivered (vimuccati) from all obsession by ill-will. Loving-kindness (mettā) and will (ceto) and deliverance (vimutti): these are deliverance of will by loving kindness.

8. When he resolves with faith thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified with the faith faculty. When he exerts energy thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified with the energy faculty. When he establishes mindfulness thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then the deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified with the mindfulness faculty. When he concentrates cognizance thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified with the concentration faculty. When he understands with understanding thus: “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified with understanding.

9. These five faculties are the repetition (cultivation) of deliverance of will by loving kindness: the deliverance of will by loving kindness is repeated (cultivated) by means of these five faculties. These five faculties are the development of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is developed by means of these five faculties. These five faculties are the making much of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is made much of by means of these five faculties. These five faculties are the adornment of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is well adorned by means of these five faculties. These five faculties are the safeguarding requisite of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is well safeguarded by these five faculties. These five faculties are the equipment of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is well equipped by means of these five faculties.

10. These five faculties are deliverance of will by loving kindness's repetition (cultivation), development, adornment, safeguarding requisite, equipment, perfection; they accompany it, are conascent, conjoined, and associated with it; they are the entering into (launching out into) it, the acquisition of confidence in it, the steadying of it, and its delivering; they are the seeing of it that “This is peaceful”; they are made its vehicle, made its foundation, established; consolidate it, properly undertake it (bring it to very sameness), well develop it; well steady it, well set it up, and well deliver it; they generate it, illumine it, light it up.

11. When [thinking] “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful” he is unshaken by non-faith, then deliverance of will by loving-kindness is fortified by the faith power. When [thinking] “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful” he is unshaken by idleness, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by the energy power. When [thinking] “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful” he is unshaken by negligence, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by the mindfulness power. When [thinking] “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful” he is unshaken by agitation, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by the concentration power. When [thinking] “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful” he is unshaken by ignorance, then deliverance of will by loving-kindness is fortified by the understanding power.

12. These five powers are the repetition (cultivation) of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is repeated (cultivated) by means of these five powers. These five powers … [and so on as in § 9 up to] … These five powers are the equipment of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is well equipped by means of these five powers.

13. These five powers are deliverance of will by loving kindness's repetition (cultivation), development, … [and so on as in § 10] … light it up.

14. When he establishes mindfulness thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by the mindfulness enlightenment factor. When he investigates with understanding thus … by the investigation-of-ideas enlightenment factor. When he exerts energy thus … by the energy enlightenment factor. When he tranquillizes anguish thus … by the happiness enlightenment factor. When he tranquillizes depravity thus … by the tranquillity enlightenment factor. When he concentrates cognizance thus … by the concentration enlightenment factor. When he reflects on defilements with knowledge thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by the equanimity enlightenment factor.

15. These seven enlightenment factors are the repetition (cultivation) of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is repeated (cultivated) by means of these seven enlightenment factors. These seven enlightenment factors … [and so on as in § 9] … well equipped by means of these seven enlightenment factors.

16. These seven enlightenment factors are deliverance of will by loving-kindness's repetition (cultivation), development … [and so on as in § 10] … light it up.

17. When he sees rightly thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by right view. When he rightly directs [thought] onto [its object] thus … by right thought. When he rightly embraces thus … by right speaking. When he rightly originates thus … by right acting. When he rightly cleanses thus … by right living. When he rightly exerts thus … by right effort. When he rightly establishes thus … by right mindfulness. When he rightly concentrates thus “Let all beings be free from enmity, safe and blissful”, then deliverance of will by loving kindness is fortified by right concentration.

18. These eight path factors are the repetition (cultivation) of deliverance of will by loving kindness: deliverance of will by loving kindness is repeated (cultivated) by means of these eight path factors. These eight path factors … [and so on as in § 9] … well equipped by means of these eight path factors.

19. These eight path factors are deliverance of will by loving kindness's repetition (cultivation), development … [and so on as in § 10] … light it up.

20.–32. [It is loving kindness (mettā) since it treats kindly (mettayati) in these eight aspects, namely: by rejecting] in the case of all breathing things … [and so on as in §§ 7–19, substituting breathing things for beings]

33.–45. … in the case of all who are …

46.–68. … in the case of all persons …

59.–71. … in the case of all who have a personality …

72.–84. … in the case of all women …

85.–97. … in the case of all men …

98.–110. … in the case of all Noble Ones …

111.–123. … in the case of all who are not Noble Ones …

124.–136. … in the case of all deities …

137.–149. … in the case of all human beings …

150.–163. … in the case of all in states of deprivation …

164.–176. … in the case of (1) all beings in the eastern direction …

177.–289. … in the case of (2) all beings in the western direction … (3) the northern direction … (4)–(10) the upper direction …

290.–302. … in the case of (1) all breathing things in the eastern direction … (2)–(10) in the upper direction …

303.–432. … in the case of (1) all in the eastern direction who are … (2)–(10) in the upper direction …

433.–562. … in the case of (1)–(10) all persons in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

563.–692. … in the case of (1)–(10) all with a personality in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

693.–822. … in the case of (1)–(10) all women in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

823.–952. … in the case of (1)–(10) all men in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

953.–1082. … in the case of (1)–(10) all Noble Ones in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

1083.–1212. … in the case of (1)–(10) all not Noble Ones in the eastern direction … in the upper direction.

1213.–1342. … in the case of (1)–(10) all deities in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

1343.–1472. … in the case of (1)–(10) all human beings in the eastern direction … in the upper direction …

1473.–1602. … in the case of (1)–(10) all in the states of deprivation in the eastern direction … in the upper direction ….

End of Treatise on Loving Kindness

- Translator: Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli

- Editor: Manfred Wierich