Metta: loving-kindness

Metta is the Pali word usually translated as “loving-kindness” or “goodwill” (mettā; Sanskrit maitrī). It is the simple, warm wish that beings be well and happy. It is the first of the four sublime states, and one of the most widely practised meditations in every Buddhist tradition.

What metta is and is not

Metta is friendliness without conditions. It does not depend on whether someone is pleasant, useful or close to us. In this way it differs from attachment, which wants something back and turns easily into jealousy or disappointment. Teachers describe the “near enemy” of metta as sentimental affection, and its “far enemy” as ill will.

Metta also is not the same as approval. You can wish someone well and still disagree with what they do, or set firm limits on their behaviour.

Metta in the early texts

The best-known teaching is the Metta Sutta, a short text on loving-kindness chanted daily in many Theravada monasteries. It asks us to cherish all living beings, near and far, seen and unseen, as a mother protects her only child. In another sutta, the Simile of the Saw, the Buddha tells his monks that even if bandits were cutting them limb from limb, anyone who gave way to hatred would not be following his teaching. Instead they should keep a mind of goodwill. It is a deliberately extreme image, meant to show how far metta can reach.

How to practise

A common method is to repeat a few phrases silently, such as “May I be well. May I be happy. May I be peaceful.” After a while you extend the same wish to others in stages:

• someone you respect or feel grateful to
• a close friend
• a neutral person you barely know
• someone you find difficult
• all beings everywhere, without exception

The words are only a support. What matters is the attitude behind them. If no warm feeling arises, that is normal; you can simply keep the intention steady. Some people prefer to picture the person smiling, or to recall a kind act they did.

Metta in daily life

Metta is not only for the meditation cushion. You can bring it to small moments: a stranger on the train, a colleague under pressure, a driver who cuts in. Over time, practitioners often notice that irritation passes more quickly and that they judge others less harshly. The Buddha described metta as a protection, and many people find that it also makes the mind easier to settle in other kinds of meditation.