Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

THE PATH OF FREEDOMFASCICLE THE EIGHTHWRITTENBYTHE ARAHANT UPATISSAWHO WAS CALLEDGREAT LIGHT IN RYOTRANSLATED IN RYOBYTIPITAKA SANGHAPALA OF FUNANCHAPTER THE EIGHTHSection FiveTHE IMMEASURABLE THOUGHT OF LOVING-KINDNESSQ. What is loving-kindness? 1 What is the practising of it? What areits salient characteristic, function and manifestation? What are its benefits?What is the procedure?A. As parents, on seeing their dear and only child, arouse thoughts ofloving-kindness and benevolence towards that child, so one arouses thoughtsof loving-kindness and benevolence towards all beings. Thus is lovingkindnessto be known. The undisturbed dwelling of the mind in this practiceis called the practising of it. To cause the arising of benevolence is its salientcharacteristic. The thought of loving-kindness is its function. Non-hatredis its manifestation. If a man practises loving-kindness, he is benefitted ineleven ways thus: Happily he sleeps; happily he awakes; he does not see baddreams; he is dear to humans; he is dear to non-humans; deities protect him;fire, poison, sword and stick come not near him; he concentrates his mindquickly; the colour of his face is pleasingly bright; at the time of death heis not bewildered; if he attains not the sublime state, he is reborn in theworld of Brahma. 21. Metta.2. A. V, 342; Pis. IJ, 130: Mettaya blrikkhave cetovimuttiya dsevitdya bhavitdya bahuiikatdyaydnikatdya vatthukataya anutthitdya paricitdya susamdraddhaya ekddasdnisarhsd pdtikankhd.Katame ekddasa ? Sukharh supati, sukham patibujjhati, na pdpakam supinarh passati,manussanarh piyo hoti, amanussanarii piyo hoti, devatd rakkhanti ndssa aggi vd visam vdsattham vd kamati, tuvatarh cittam samddhiyati, mukkhavanno vippasidati, asammufho kdlariikaroti, uttarim appativijjhanto brahmalokupago hoti.181