This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard. Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

“Mendicants, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. “Yāni kānici, bhikkhave, opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates. Mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.

It’s like how the radiance of all the stars is not worth a sixteenth part of the moon’s radiance. Surpassing them, the moon’s radiance shines and glows and radiates. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candiyā pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candapabhāyeva tā adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates. evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.

It’s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and radiates. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates. evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca.

It’s like how, at the crack of dawn, the Morning Star shines and glows and radiates. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ osadhitārakā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and radiates.” evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati cā”ti.

The Buddha spoke this matter. Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. On this it is said: Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“A mindful one who develops “Yo ca mettaṁ bhāvayati, limitless love appamāṇaṁ paṭissato; weakens the fetters, Tanū saṁyojanā honti, seeing the ending of attachments. passato upadhikkhayaṁ.

Loving just one creature with a hateless heart Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto, makes you a good person. Mettāyati kusalo tena hoti; Sympathetic for all creatures, Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampaṁ, a noble one creates abundant merit. Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ.

The royal potentates conquered this land Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijitvā, and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—Rājisayo yajamānānupariyagā; horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ, the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, <j>the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’. Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ.

These are not worth a sixteenth part Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa, of the mind developed with love, Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ; as starlight cannot rival the moon. Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe.

Don’t kill or cause others to kill, Yo na hanti na ghāteti, don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer, na jināti na jāpaye; with love for all living creatures—Mettaṁso sabbabhūtesu, you’ll have no enmity for anyone.” veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti.

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard. Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

Sattamaṁ.

Tatiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cittaṁ mettaṁ ubho atthe, puñjaṁ vepullapabbataṁ; Sampajānamusāvādo, dānañca mettabhāvanā.

Sattimāni ca suttāni, purimāni ca vīsati; Ekadhammesu suttantā, sattavīsatisaṅgahāti.

Ekakanipāto niṭṭhito.