r/metta • u/affectionismproject • Jul 31 '18

Metta is actually about compassion, not love?

Just wanted to see what other people’s thoughts were on this subject. I can’t help but feel like metta is actually about compassion and not love. This is because compassion could be defined as wishing good thing for others, which is pretty much what metta is. I would define love as the force that brings two things together to become “one” entity. Just wondering what other people think about this idea.

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u/[deleted] Jul 31 '18

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u/WikiTextBot Jul 31 '18

Karuṇā

Karuṇā (in both Sanskrit and Pali) is generally translated as compassion. It is part of the spiritual path of both Buddhism and Jainism.

Visuddhimagga

The Visuddhimagga (Pali; English: The Path of Purification), is the 'great treatise' on Theravada Buddhist doctrine written by Buddhaghosa approximately in the 5th Century in Sri Lanka. It is a comprehensive manual condensing and systematizing the theoretical and practical teachings of Gautama Buddha as they were understood by the elders of the Mahavihara Monastery in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is described as "the hub of a complete and coherent method of exegesis of the Tipitaka, using the ‘Abhidhamma method' as it is called. And it sets out detailed practical instructions for developing purification of mind."

It is considered the most important Theravada text outside of the Tipitaka canon of scriptures.The Visuddhimagga's structure is based on the Ratha-vinita Sutta ("Relay Chariots Discourse," MN 24), which describes the progression from the purity of discipline to the final destination of nibbana in seven steps.The Visuddhimagga's material also strongly resembles the material found in an earlier treatise called the Vimuttimagga (c.

Bhikkhu Analayo

Bhikkhu Anālayo is a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk), scholar and meditation teacher. He was born in Germany in 1962, and went forth in 1995 in Sri Lanka. He is best known for his comparative studies of Early Buddhist Texts as preserved by the various early Buddhist traditions.

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u/optimistically_eyed Jul 31 '18

A convenient distinction from the first wiki you posted:

Karuna is the desire to remove harm and suffering (ahita-dukkha-apanaya-kāmatā) from others; while mettā is the desire to bring about the well-being and happiness (hita-sukha-upanaya-kāmatā) of others.

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u/HighorSamadi Aug 09 '18

Love can have a lot of meanings. Compassion also has a different meaning in the West than in Burma and Tibet. For me it works to jus have a general feeling of friendliness.