Mettā
| Translations of Mettā |
|
|---|---|
| English | loving-kindness, benevolence |
| Pali | मेत्ता ( Mettā) |
| Sanskrit | मैत्री (Maitrī) |
| Burmese | ေမတၱာ |
| Chinese |
慈 (Pinyin: Cí) |
| Japanese |
慈悲 (rōmaji: Jihi) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
| Mettā | |||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 慈 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | benevolence | ||||||||
|
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | từ | ||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||
| Hangul | 자 | ||||||||
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | cí |
| Wade–Giles | Tz'u2 |
Mettā (Pali) or maitrī (Sanskrit) means benevolence,loving-kindness,friendliness,amity, good will, and active interest in others. It is the first of the four sublime states (Brahmavihāras) and one of the ten pāramīs of the Theravāda school of Buddhism.
The cultivation of benevolence (mettā bhāvanā) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism in the Theravadin Buddhist tradition. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it is part of the Brahmavihara meditation (four immeasurables). Metta as 'compassion meditation' is often practiced in Asia by broadcast chanting, wherein monks chant for the laity.
The compassion and universal loving-kindness concept of Metta is discussed in the Metta Sutta of Buddhism, and is also found in the ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism and Jainism as Metta or Maitri.
Small sample studies on the potential of loving-kindness meditation approach on patients suggest potential benefits. However, peer reviews question the quality and sample size of these studies, then suggest caution.
Mettā is a Pali word, from maitrī itself derived from mitra which, states Monier-Williams, means "friendly, amicable, benevolent, affectionate, kind, good-will", as well as a form of "love, amity, sympathy". The term is found in this sense in the Vedic literature, such as the Shatapatha Brahmana and various early Upanishads, and Vedanga literature such as Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī 5.4.36. The term appears in Buddhist texts as an important concept and practice.
Buswell and Lopez, as well as Harvey, translate metta as "loving-kindness". In Buddhist belief, this is a Brahma-vihara (divine abode) or an immeasurable that leads to a meditative state by being a counter to ill-will. It removes clinging to negative state of mind, by cultivating kindness unto all beings.
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