Aṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
I: Mettā Vagga

VIII. The Book of the Eights

I. On Amity

Sutta 1

Mettā-Nisaṃsa Suttaṃ

Amity

[103]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, by the release of the heart through amity,
practised,
made become,
made much of,
made a vehicle
and a basis,
exercised,
augmented
and set going,¹
eight advantages are to be expected.

■

What eight?

Happy one sleeps;
happy one awakes;
one sees no bad dreams;
one is dear to humans;
one is dear to non-humans;²
devas guard one;
neither fire, nor poison, nor sword affects one;
and though one penetrate not the beyond,
one reaches the Brahmā-world.³

■

Monks, by the release of the heart through amity,
practised,
made become,
made much of,
made a vehicle⁴
and a basis,
exercised,
augmented
and set going,
these eight advantages are to be expected.

⁵Who makes unbounded amity become,
Mindful, he sees th'attachments all destroyed,
The fetters wear away. If, pure in heart,
[104] He but one being love⁶ good⁷ follows thence.
The Ariyan, with heart compassionate
For all mankind, abounding merit makes.
Those royal sages, having overcome
The teeming earth, made ample sacrifice⁸;
But, like the starry host beside the moon,⁹
The sacrifice of Horse,¹⁰ of Man, the Drink
Of Victory, the Throwing of the Peg,
The Bolts Withdrawn - are not a sixteenth part
The worth of heart by amity enriched.¹¹
Who kills not, nor aught causes to be killed,
Who robs not, nor makes others rob, for all
Within his heart hath share,¹² he hateth none.'

¹ This stock phrase recurs at D. ii, 103; M. iii, 97; S. i, 116; below, p. 206, and passim.

² Amanussānaṃ.

³ Eleven advantages are given at A. v, 342; see Vism. 311 (trsl. 358); cf. also J. ii, 61; Mil. 198. Comy. here refers to A., loc. cit.

⁴ Yānikatāya. Comy. Yuttayānasadisāya katāya.

⁵ These verses recur at It. 21. On the sacrifices see Mrs. Rhys Davids at K.S. i, 102; see also Q. of M. ii, 16. The list recurs at A. ii, 42 and Sn. 303.

⁶ Lit. befriend.

⁷ Kusalī; this form is not noticed by P.E.D., but see Childers. It is a reading at It. and S. i, 35 (S.e.); see S.A. i, 91. Here our Comy. kusalo.

⁸ See v.l. at It. Comy. here reads anupariyagā-ti vicariṅsu.

⁹ For the simile see A. iii, 34, 365; v, 22; J. v, 63.

¹⁰ Cf. K.S. i, 102.

¹¹ Subhāvita.