Metta เมตตา

Metta เมตตา

Loving-Kindness and Selfless Love

(Pali/Thai/Buddhist)

Standard Definition:

Metta (เมตตา) is a selfless, unconditional love rooted in compassion and goodwill. It is a love that extends beyond personal relationships to embrace all beings.

Poetic Meaning:

A love that flows without boundary, without name. It is the warmth of the sun, the stillness of a temple bell, the quiet wish for another’s peace.

Storytelling Etymology:

Derived from the Sanskrit Maitrī, Metta is one of the Four Brahmaviharas in Buddhist teachings, representing the highest form of benevolent love—one that expects nothing in return. It is the love that monks cultivate through meditation, radiating kindness to the world.

Cultural Context & Symbolism:

Metta is foundational in Buddhism, often practiced in Metta Bhavana (Loving-Kindness Meditation). It encourages love that is limitless, extending beyond friends and family to strangers, adversaries, and even the entire cosmos.

Poem:

A love that gives, that does not ask,

A river flowing, a gentle task.

No claim, no weight, no chain, no call,

Metta, a love that belongs to all.

Reflection:

Metta reminds us that love is not just a bond—it is a force that can be shared with the world, turning even the smallest act of kindness into something sacred.