10/10/2025
At its heart, mettā is the intentional, steady wish for the well-being and safety of all beings, without exception, grounded in non-harming and guarded from slipping into attachment. The Karaniya Metta Sutta [Sn 1.8] sets the tone: one cultivates a boundless attitude of mind—“as a mother would protect her only child”—and radiates it to all directions, near and far, seen and unseen, without hostility & ill will. In practice, this means training the mind to repeatedly incline toward goodwill, beginning with oneself to stabilize & steady the heart, then extending to those who are dear & beloved, neutral-ones, and difficult persons, widening until the bias of preference softens -- emphasizing that true mettā is expansive. Its purpose is both immediate and transformative: it counters ill will & agitation, nourishes tranquility & concentration, and expresses itself outwardly as gentle & kind speech and harmless conduct. The vital understanding, then, is that mettā is a disciplined wholesome intention, one of the aspects of Right Intention. It is willed goodwill maintained with mindfulness and wisdom—rather than an emotion dependent on liking or affiliation.
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