Let your love flow outward through the universe, To its height, its depth, its broad extent, A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Gautama Buddha
Discourse on Good Will
Topic: Love, Compassion, & Kindness
May all beings be filled with joy and peace.
May all beings everywhere,
The strong and the weak,
The great and the small,
The mean and the powerful,
The short and the long,
The subtle and the gross:May all beings everywhere,
Seen and unseen,
Dwelling far off or nearby,
Being or waiting to become:
May all be filled with lasting joy.Let no one deceive another,
Let no one anywhere despise another,
Let no one out of anger or resentment
Wish suffering on anyone at all.Just as a mother with her own life
Protects her child, her only child, from harm,
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.Then, as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual teacher and the founder of Buddhism. Born in the 6th century BCE in Lumbini, now modern-day Nepal, he was destined for greatness. At the age of 29, he renounced his luxurious life as a prince and embarked on a spiritual quest to find the ultimate truth about human suffering and the nature of existence.
After years of intense meditation and self-discipline, Gautama attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, at the age of 35. He became the Buddha, which means "the awakened one" or "the enlightened one." Gautama Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which formed the core principles of Buddhism. His teachings emphasized the importance of overcoming desire and attachment to achieve liberation from suffering. Known for his compassion and wisdom, Gautama Buddha's teachings have had a profound impact on millions of people worldwide, inspiring them to seek inner peace and spiritual enlightenment. His legacy as a spiritual leader and philosopher continues to resonate and guide individuals on their spiritual journeys to this day.
Sutta Nipata
Ruppenthal, Stephen H., translator. The Path of Direct Awakening: Passages for Meditation. Berkeley Hills, 2004, [Sutta Nipata 1:143-152 "Discourse on Good Will"].
Gautama Buddha
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Sutta Nipata 1:143-152 “Discourse on Good Will”
The Sutta Nipata (like the Dhammapada) is part of the Theravada Buddhist scriptures that preserve the direct teachings of the Buddha and his main disciples.
Commentary by Eknath Easwaran