One skilled in good wishing to attain that state of peace Nibbāna should act thus: he should be clever upright, exceedingly upright, obedient, gentle and humble.
He should be content, easy to support, with few duties, living lightly, controlled in senses, discerning, courteous and unattached to families.
One should not do any slight wrong which the wise might censure. May all beings be happy and secure! May all beings have happy minds!
Whatever living beings there may be without exception: timid or fearless; long or large, medium, short, subtle or gross,
Visible or invisible, living near or far, born or coming to birth, may all beings have happy minds!
Let no one deceive another, nor despise anyone anywhere. Neither from anger nor ill will should anyone wish harm to another.
As a mother would risk her own life to protect her only child, even so towards all living beings, one should cultivate boundless loving-kindness.
One should cultivate for all the world a heart of boundless loving-kindness, above, below, and all around, unobstructed, without hatred or resentment.
Whether standing, walking or sitting, lying down or whenever awake, one should develop this mindfulness. This is called “divinely dwelling here.”
Not falling into wrong views, but virtuous and possessing right view, removing desire for sensual pleasures, one comes never again to birth in the womb.
This sutta is also known as the Karaṇīyamettā Sutta. It can be found in two places in the canon: Khuddakapāṭha 9 and Sutta Nipāta 1.8.
Read this translation of Kh 9 Metta Sutta: Discourse on Loving-Kindness by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, DhammaTalks.org, Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net or AccessToInsight.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.