SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 46 Linked Discourses on the Awakening Factors – Bojjhaṅgasaṁyutta > SN 46.54 Full of Love

Linked Discourses 46.54 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 46.54

6. Discussion – 6. Sākacchavagga

SN 46.54 Full of Love – Mettāsahagatasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town called Haliddavasana.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā koliyesu viharati haliddavasanaṁ nāma koliyānaṁ nigamo.

Then several bhikkhū robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Haliddavasana for alms.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya haliddavasanaṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu.

Then it occurred to him,

Atha kho tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi:

“It’s too early to wander for alms in Haliddavasana.

“atippago kho tāva haliddavasane piṇḍāya carituṁ.

Why don’t we go to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths?”

Yannūna mayaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyāmā”ti.

Then they went to the monastery of the wanderers who follow other paths, and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.

Atha kho te bhikkhū yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. The wanderers said to them:

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū aññatitthiyā paribbājakā etadavocuṁ:

“Reverends, the ascetic Gotama teaches his disciples like this:

“Samaṇo, āvuso, gotamo sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

‘Come, bhikkhū, give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom, and meditate spreading a heart full of love to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of love to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

‘etha tumhe, bhikkhave, pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharatha.

Meditate spreading a heart full of compassion to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of compassion to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

Karuṇāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ karuṇāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharatha.

Meditate spreading a heart full of rejoicing to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, spread a heart full of rejoicing to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.

Muditāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ muditāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharatha.

Meditate spreading a heart full of equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will.’

Upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharathā’ti.

We too teach our disciples in just the same way.

Mayampi kho, āvuso, sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desema:

‘etha tumhe, āvuso, pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha …pe…

karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …

muditāsahagatena cetasā …

upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ;

iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharathā’ti.

What, then, is the difference between the ascetic Gotama’s teaching and instruction and ours?”

Idha no, āvuso, ko viseso, ko adhippayāso, kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ samaṇassa vā gotamassa amhākaṁ vā, yadidaṁ—dhammadesanāya vā dhammadesanaṁ, anusāsaniyā vā anusāsanin”ti?

Those bhikkhū neither approved nor dismissed that statement of the wanderers who follow other paths.

Atha kho te bhikkhū tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁsu nappaṭikkosiṁsu.

They got up from their seat, thinking:

Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu:

“We will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmā”ti.

Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Atha kho te bhikkhū haliddavasane piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya haliddavasane piṇḍāya pavisimha.

Tesaṁ no, bhante, amhākaṁ etadahosi:

‘atippago kho tāva haliddavasane piṇḍāya carituṁ.

Yannūna mayaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyāmā’ti. Atha kho mayaṁ, bhante, yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamimha, upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodimha.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdimha. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho amhe, bhante, te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā etadavocuṁ:

‘Samaṇo, āvuso, gotamo sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

“etha tumhe, bhikkhave, pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha …pe…

karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …pe…

muditāsahagatena cetasā …pe…

upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjena pharitvā viharathā’ti.

Mayampi kho, āvuso, sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desema:

‘etha tumhe, āvuso, pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā viharatha …pe…

karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …pe…

muditāsahagatena cetasā …pe…

Idha no, āvuso, ko viseso, ko adhippayāso, kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ samaṇassa vā gotamassa amhākaṁ vā, yadidaṁ, dhammadesanāya vā dhammadesanaṁ, anusāsaniyā vā anusāsaninti?

Atha kho mayaṁ, bhante, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandimha nappaṭikkosimha, anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamimha:

‘bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmā’”ti.

“Bhikkhū, when wanderers who follow other paths say this, you should say to them:

“Evaṁvādino, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evamassu vacanīyā:

‘But reverends, how is the heart’s release by love developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

‘kathaṁ bhāvitā panāvuso, mettācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

How is the heart’s release by compassion developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā panāvuso, karuṇācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

How is the heart’s release by rejoicing developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā panāvuso, muditācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

How is the heart’s release by equanimity developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?’

Kathaṁ bhāvitā panāvuso, upekkhācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā’ti?

Questioned like this, the wanderers who follow other paths would be stumped, and, in addition, would get frustrated.

Evaṁ puṭṭhā, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā na ceva sampāyissanti, uttariñca vighātaṁ āpajjissanti.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Because they’re out of their element.

Yathā taṁ, bhikkhave, avisayasmiṁ.

I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who could provide a satisfying answer to these questions except for the Realized One or his disciple or someone who has heard it from them.

Nāhaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya, yo imesaṁ pañhānaṁ veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ ārādheyya, aññatra tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā ito vā pana sutvā.

And how is the heart’s release by love developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, mettācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

It’s when a bhikkhu develops the heart’s release by love together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, samādhi,

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mettāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …pe…

and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

mettāsahagataṁ upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

So sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.

Sace ākaṅkhati ‘paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and the repulsive,’ that’s what they do.

Sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

Sace ākaṅkhati ‘paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, appaṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

Sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako ca tattha viharati sato sampajāno, subhaṁ vā kho pana vimokkhaṁ upasampajja viharati.

The apex of the heart’s release by love is the beautiful, I say, for a bhikkhu who has not penetrated to a higher freedom.

Subhaparamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, mettācetovimuttiṁ vadāmi, idhapaññassa bhikkhuno uttarivimuttiṁ appaṭivijjhato.

And how is the heart’s release by compassion developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, karuṇācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

It’s when a bhikkhu develops the heart’s release by compassion together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, samādhi,

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu karuṇāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …pe…

and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

karuṇāsahagataṁ upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do. …

So sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati …pe…

If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.

Or else, going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.

Sabbaso vā pana rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

The apex of the heart’s release by compassion is the dimension of infinite space, I say, for a bhikkhu who has not penetrated to a higher freedom.

Ākāsānañcāyatanaparamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, karuṇācetovimuttiṁ vadāmi, idhapaññassa bhikkhuno uttarivimuttiṁ appaṭivijjhato.

And how is the heart’s release by rejoicing developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, muditācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

It’s when a bhikkhu develops the heart’s release by rejoicing together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, samādhi,

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu muditāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …pe…

and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

muditāsahagataṁ upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.

If they wish: ‘May I meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do. …

So sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyyan’ti, paṭikūlasaññī tattha viharati …pe…

If they wish: ‘May I meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive,’ that’s what they do.

sace ākaṅkhati ‘appaṭikūlañca paṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyyaṁ sato sampajāno’ti, upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajāno.

Or else, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness.

Sabbaso vā pana ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

The apex of the heart’s release by rejoicing is the dimension of infinite consciousness, I say, for a bhikkhu who has not penetrated to a higher freedom.

Viññāṇañcāyatanaparamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, muditācetovimuttiṁ vadāmi, idhapaññassa bhikkhuno uttarivimuttiṁ appaṭivijjhato.

And how is the heart’s release by equanimity developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end?

Kathaṁ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, upekkhācetovimutti, kiṅgatikā hoti, kiṁparamā, kiṁphalā, kiṁpariyosānā?

It’s when a bhikkhu develops the heart’s release by equanimity together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, samādhi,

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu upekkhāsahagataṁ satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ …pe…

and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

upekkhāsahagataṁ upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.