Cultivate A Boundless Heart

About Buddha’s Teaching in Khuddaka Patha, Metta Sutta [Longer Commentary]

The Metta Sutta teaches that we can cultivate this boundless heart through the practice of metta bhavana. This practice involves developing four qualities of mind: loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha).

Loving-kindness is the wish for the happiness of all beings. Compassion is the wish to relieve the suffering of all beings. Sympathetic joy is the feeling of happiness when others are happy. Equanimity is the ability to remain calm and balanced in the face of both pleasure and pain.

The practice of metta bhavana can be done in a variety of ways, such as through meditation, visualization, and chanting. It is a powerful practice that can help us to develop a more loving and compassionate heart, and to live a more peaceful and harmonious life.

The passage is not attributed to any one person. It is believed to have been spoken by the Buddha himself.

The theme of love is central to the Metta Sutta. The Buddha teaches that love is the foundation of happiness and peace. When we cultivate love, we not only benefit ourselves, but we also benefit others. Love is the force that can transform the world into a more peaceful and loving place.

Were the Words of the Metta Sutta Spoken By the Buddha?

The Metta Sutta is considered to be words spoken by the Buddha by the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. However, the Pali Canon, the collection of texts that form the basis of Theravada Buddhism, does not explicitly attribute the Metta Sutta to Gautama Buddha. The text itself does not identify its own speaker.

There is some evidence that suggests that the Metta Sutta may have been composed by a later Buddhist teacher. For example, the text uses a poetic meter that is not found in other suttas that are attributed to the Buddha. Additionally, the text contains some philosophical ideas that are not found in the earliest Buddhist teachings.

However, there is also evidence that suggests that the Metta Sutta may have been spoken by the Buddha. For example, the text is consistent with the Buddha’s teachings on metta, or loving-kindness. Additionally, the text is found in two different collections of suttas in the Pali Canon, which suggests that it was an important text in early Buddhism.

Ultimately, the question of whether or not the Metta Sutta was spoken by the Buddha is a matter of debate. There is no definitive answer, and both sides of the argument have valid points.