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8.
This is what should be done by one skilled in the good,
who has fully understood that state of peace (santaṃ padaṃ):
he should be able, upright, truly upright,
easy to admonish, gentle, not conceited;
contented and easy to support,
with few duties, living lightly,
with faculties (indriya) at peace, prudent,
not impudent, without greed among families.
He should not do even the slightest thing
for which other wise ones might reproach him.
May they be happy and secure;
may all beings be happy at heart!
Whatever living beings there are,
whether frail or firm, omitting none,
those that are long or great,
middling, short, minute, or stout,
those seen and those unseen,
those dwelling far away and those near,
those that have come to be and those seeking birth —
may all beings be happy at heart!
Let no one deceive another,
nor despise anyone anywhere in any way;
through anger or perceptions of repulsion (paṭigha)
let them not wish suffering (dukkha) upon one another.
Just as a mother would protect with her life
her own child, her only child,
so too toward all beings
one should develop a boundless mind.
And loving-kindness (mettā) toward the entire world
one should develop as a boundless mind —
above, below, and across —
unconfined, without enmity, without foes.
Standing, walking, seated,
or lying down, for as long as one is free from drowsiness (middha),
one should resolve upon this mindfulness (sati):
this, they say, is a divine abiding (brahmavihāra) here.
Not taking up views (diṭṭhi), virtuous,
endowed with vision,
having removed greed for sensual pleasures,
one assuredly comes never again to lie in a womb.
The Mettā Sutta, the eighth.
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In the Suttanipāta, the ninth discourse of the Uragavagga: the Hemavata Sutta.
[Variant readings noted in the Siam edition apparatus: Yu. (European ed.) "sūjū ca" for "suhujū ca"; Ma. (Burmese ed.) "sukhino va" for "sukhino vā"; Ma. "sabbasattā" for "sabbe sattā"; Ma. "thāvarā anavasesā" (omitting "vā"); Ma. "yeva mahantā"; Ma. "yeva adiṭṭhā," Yu. "ye vā adiṭṭhā"; Ma. "yeva [ca dūre]"; Ma. "bhūtā va sambhavesī va"; Ma. "na kañci" for "naṃ kiñci"; Ma. "mānasaṃ [bhāvaye]"; Ma. "nisinno va".]
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.