i have a copy of this sutta posted on the wall of my cubicle at work so i can look at it often (from this site)
The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)
This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.
one thing i notice is there is no mention of the word 'love' and as this word is so frequently used on the internet i wonder why it is not in this sutta ... maybe because of the translation? ... but i do notice the words 'wise' and 'skillful' which make me ponder maybe wise and skillful are necessary factors in order for the love to be rightly practiced and wisdom is even more important ... in Buddhism, the Buddha seems to stress that we should stay away from worldly desire and attachment so i wonder if 'love' was not done right it might be desire, obsession, attachment in disguise? ... can't help thinking about the Eight Fold Path in Buddhism which to me is the path to find the truth:
1. Right Understanding (Samma ditti)
2. Right Thought (Samma sankappa)
3. Right Speech (Samma vacha)
4. Right Action (Samma kammanta)
5. Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva)
6. Right Effort (Samma vayama)
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma sati)
8. Right Concentration (Samma samadhi)
http://www.beyondthenet.net/dhamma/nobleEight.htm (short)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html (long)