Maitrī
Buddhist term meaning "loving-kindness" / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maitrī (Sanskrit; Pali: mettā) means benevolence,[1] loving-kindness,[2][3] friendliness,[3][4] amity,[4] good will,[5] and active interest in others.[4] It is the first of the four sublime states (Brahmaviharas) and one of the ten pāramīs of the Theravāda school of Buddhism.
Translations of Mettā | |
---|---|
English | Loving-kindness, benevolence |
Sanskrit | मैत्री (IAST: maitrī) |
Pali | mettā |
Burmese | မေတ္တာ (MLCTS: mjɪʔ tà) |
Chinese | 慈 (Pinyin: cí) |
Japanese | 慈 (Rōmaji: ji) |
Khmer | មេត្តា (UNGEGN: métta) |
Korean | 자 (RR: ja) |
Sinhala | මෛත්රිය |
Tagalog | Maitli |
Thai | เมตตา (RTGS: metta) |
Vietnamese | từ |
Glossary of Buddhism |
The cultivation of benevolence (mettā bhāvanā) is a popular form of Buddhist meditation.[6]: 318–319 It is a part of the four immeasurables in Brahmavihara (divine abidings) meditation.[6]: 278–279 Metta as "compassion meditation" is often practiced in Asia by broadcast chanting, wherein monks chant for the laity.[6]: 318–319
The compassion and universal loving-kindness concept of metta is discussed in the Metta Sutta of Buddhism, and is also found in the ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism and Jainism as metta or maitri.[7]
Small sample studies on the potential of loving-kindness meditation approach on patients[clarification needed] suggest potential benefits.[8][9] However, peer reviews question the quality and sample size of these studies.[10][11]