2. “For one who is moral, monks, endowed with morality, there is nought to do regarding : ‘Let non-remorse arise in me.’ It is only natural, monks, for one who is moral, endowed with morality that non-remorse arises.

“For one with non-remorse, monks there is nought to do regarding: ‘Let delight (pāmojjaṃ) arise in me.’ It is only natural, monks, in one with non-remorse that delight is born.

“For one with delight, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘Let joy (pīti) arise in me.’ It is only natural, monks, that in one who is delighted that joy arises.

“For one who is joyful, monks, there is nought to do: ‘Let my body be calm.’ It is only natural, monks, that in one who is joyful that the body is calm.

“For one whose body is calm, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘May I experience bliss.’ It is only natural, monks, that one whose body is calm experiences bliss (sukhaṃ).

“For one who blissful, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘May my mind be concentrated.’ It is only natural, monks, for one who is blissful that the mind is concentrated.

“For one is concentrated, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘May I see things as they really are.’ It is only natural, monks, [313] for one who is concentrated to see things as they really are.

“For one who sees things as they really are, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘May I be disgusted.’ It is only natural, monks, that one who sees things as they really are becomes disgusted (nibbinassa).

For one who is disgusted, monks, there is nought to do regarding: May I become dispassionate.’ It is only natural, monks, that one who is disgusted becomes dispassionate.

For one who is dispassionate, monks, there is nought to do regarding: ‘May I realise the knowledge and vision of liberation.’ It is only natural, monks, that one who is disenchanted and detached realises the knowledge and vision of liberation.

“Thus, monks, the purpose of dispassion is for the benefit of knowledge and vision of liberation. the purpose of disgust is for the benefit of dispassion. The purpose of seeing things as they really are is for the benefit of becoming disgusted. The purpose of concentration is for the benefit of seeing things as they really are. The purpose of bliss is for the benefit of concentration. The purpose of bodily calm is for the benefit of bliss. The purpose of joy is for the benefit of bodily calm. The purpose of delight is for the benefit of joy. The purpose of non-remorse is for the benefit of delight. The purpose of skilful morality is for the benefit of non-remorse. Thus, monks, one thing leads to another, when one thing is fulfilled it leads to the next, thus going to the other shore.”

Disasters

(A.v.317)

6. “Monks, a monk who scolds and abuses his fellow monks, who insults the Noble Ones, it is certain and inevitable that he will incur one or another of these misfortunes. What eleven? 1) He does not attain what he has not yet attained. 2) He falls away from what he has attained. 3) The true Dhamma does not become clear. 4) He over-estimates his virtues. 5) He lives the celibate life dissatisfied. [318] 6) He commits one or another defiled offence. 7) He gives up the training and reverts to the lower life. 8) He contracts a severe illness. 9) He goes mad or becomes deranged. 10) He dies confused. 11) On the break-up of the body after death he arises in a realm of misery, in a state of loss, in hell. Monks, a monk who scolds and abuses his fellow monks, who insults the Noble Ones, it is certain and inevitable that he will incur one or another of these misfortunes.”

The Benefits of Loving-kindness

(A.v.342)

15. “If the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, monks, is practised, developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, maintained and augmented, and properly undertaken, these eleven benefits are to be expected. What eleven?

One sleeps happily,
One awakens happily,
One dreams no evil dreams,
One is pleasing to human beings,
One is pleasing to non-human beings,
Deities protect one,
Neither fire, nor poison, nor weapons harm one,
The mind is quickly concentrated,
One’s complexion is radiant,
One dies unconfused,
If one attains no higher state,⁴ one is reborn in the Brahma realm.

“If the liberation of the mind by loving-kindness, monks, is practised, developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, maintained and augmented, and properly undertaken, these eleven benefits are to be expected.

Notes:

1. The important point to understand is that effects arise dependent on conditions, not because of one’s volition or wish. They are not-self (anatta). One should not misunderstand that no effort is needed to observe morality or to practise meditation. If the cause is not present, no effect will result. See “Absence of Striving” (avyāpāra) in “A Discourse on Dependent Origination” by Venerable Mahāsi Sayādaw.

2. See the (Karaṇīya) Metta Sutta: “This is what should be done who wishes to attain nibbāna.”

3. This spelling cannot be found in the PTS Dictionary. Nibbiṇṇa is found as the past participle of nibbindati. The Sihala text reading is nibbindassa. The same discourse is found in the Book of Tens, (A.v.2), where disgust and dispassion are grouped together.

4. If there is a lapse in concentration it may lose its protective power. See the Dilemma on Protection by Loving-kindness in the Debate of King Milinda. The Commentary to this Sutta cites the example of Saṅkicca Sāmaṇera, q.v.

5. This benefit and the following two are omitted from the version in the Book of Eights (A.iv.150).

6. That is, if one fails to attain Arahantship in this very life, one will be reborn in the Brahma realm.

7. The Pāḷi text calls it the Mettā Suttaṃ, but the Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tripitaka Series calls it the Mettānisaṃsā Suttaṃ. A similar discourse in the Book of Eights lists eight of these eleven benefits.