[751] Therein, what is loving-kindness (mettā)?
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path (magga) for rebirth in the form sphere (rūpūpapatti), quite secluded from sensual pleasures (kāma), … attains and dwells in the first jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness (metti), act of friendliness (mettāyanā), state of friendliness (mettāyitatta), loving-kindness as deliverance of mind (mettā cetovimutti) there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena (dhammā) are associated with loving-kindness.
Therein, what is loving-kindness?
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, with the stilling of applied thought (vitakka) and sustained thought (vicāra), … attains and dwells in the second jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
Therein, what is loving-kindness?
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, and with the fading away of rapture (pīti), … attains and dwells in the third jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, … attains and dwells in the first jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, attains and dwells in the second jhāna — without applied thought, with sustained thought only, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion — accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, with the stilling of applied thought and sustained thought, … attains and dwells in the third jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
Here a bhikkhu, at the time when he develops the path for rebirth in the form sphere, and with the fading away of rapture, … attains and dwells in the fourth jhāna accompanied by loving-kindness: whatever friendliness, act of friendliness, state of friendliness, loving-kindness as deliverance of mind there is at that time — this is called loving-kindness. The remaining phenomena are associated with loving-kindness.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.