Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthi, in Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, when release of mind by |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [mettā]| is practiced, |cultivated::developed [bhāvita]|, practiced often, made a vehicle, made a basis, firmly established, nurtured, and |resolutely undertaken::fully engaged with, energetically taken up [susamāraddha]|, eight benefits can be expected.
Which eight?
1) One sleeps with ease,
2) One wakes up with ease,
3) One does not see evil dreams,
4) One is dear to human beings,
5) One is dear to non-human beings,
6) Deities protect one,
7) Fire, poison, and weapons cannot harm one,
8) If one does not penetrate further, one goes to the Brahma world.
Bhikkhus, when release of mind by loving-kindness is practiced, cultivated, practiced often, made a vehicle, made a basis, firmly established, nurtured, and resolutely undertaken, these eight benefits can be expected.
”One who develops loving-kindness,
|boundless::limitless, immeasurable [appamāṇa]|, and cultivated |with mindfulness::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, felt experience in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of themselves [patissata]|;
Their fetters become weak,
and they see the |wearing away of attachment::exhaustion of appropriation, ending of identification [upadhikkhaya]|.
Even if one harbors no ill-will towards a single being,
and develops loving-kindness, that is |wholesome::healthy, beneficial, useful [kusala]|;
|Intent on::inclining towards [manasā]| compassion towards all beings,
the noble one generates abundant merit.
Having conquered the land teeming with beings,
those royal seers who went on to perform sacrifices;
The horse sacrifice, the human sacrifice,
the sacrifices of the ‘good throw’, ‘soma sacrifice’, and the ‘unimpeded’.
They do not amount to even a sixteenth part,
of a mind well-developed in loving-kindness;
Just as all the hosts of stars,
do not amount to a sixteenth part of the moonlight.
One who does not |kill::beat, strike, thrash, stab, execute [hanati]| or cause others to kill,
one who does not conquer or cause others to conquer;
With benevolence towards all beings,
for such a one, there is no |hostility::hatred, ill-will, animosity, enmity [vera]| towards anyone.”