maitrī-bhāvana-sūtra
The Sutra of Cultivating Love
With faith I praise the Three Noble Jewels!
Thus I heard once.
The Blessed One was in the garden of Anathapindada in the Jethavana Grove in Shravasti.
Then the Blessed One called out, saying:
Bhikshus!
The bhikshus came up, having been invited by the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:
To realize complete liberation of the mind, cultivate love. Make it steady, carry it out [it] repeatedly, manifest appeasement, form it as a foundation, abide in it in the following [time], act through it, act as especially noble.
I explain separately the eleven kinds of goodness and benefit. What are the eleven? There will be good sleep, there will be happy awakening, you will not see harmful dreams, you will be glad-pleasant to people, glad-pleasant to nonpeople, you will be guarded by the gods, there will be no harm from fire, poisons and weapons. The mind will constantly abide in peculiar joy. The corresponding radiance [of mind] will be especially clear, will die with a clear mind. As he manifests moral conduct in the most expansive way, he will be born in the world of Brahma.
Bhikshus! Do not deviate from the loving mind! Be steadfast through intention!
Carry out nurturing, repeatedly carry out, manifest appeasement, form as a foundation, abide in it afterwards, act by asking, be especially diligent. Adhere to the individual explanations of goodness and benefit in the eleven points.
Bhikshus! Explain individually the good and the benefit to others. If you don't discard love in every way, you won't need to take food and drink, you will abide in your own country, the support [of life] will be numerous, if you don't discard love in every way.
If you do not discard love in every way, you will walk in small villages, cities, royal palaces, everywhere will give gifts.
If you do not reject love in every way, then there will be no thieves and robbers, there will be no harm from the ruler, all living beings will be friendly.
If you do not discard love in every way, then without anger and discontent will abide in most [places] of your own country, you will abide without scandal in the society of [great] beings, you will have the benevolence of the highest.
If you do not discard love in every way, you will receive offerings as [worthy of] offerings, you will receive veneration as [worthy of] veneration, you will gain friends and relatives.
If you do not discard love in every way, you will gain reverence, if you are revered, faith will arise, if you believe, [the countenance] will possess a splendid color.
The [corporeal form] shall become like the body of the gods that blaze like fire. Thou shalt not be free from glory, thou shalt have many [flocks of cattle], thou shalt be born in a land of many fruits, there shall be many sons and daughters. Thou shalt reach a level where thou shalt not fall from the mountain, thou shalt not fall from the tree, thou shalt not fall [and on the earth]. Just as the wind cannot shake a nurtured phat tree, enemies cannot do anything.
The Blessed one said so. The Blessed one said so to the bhikshus. The bhikshus praised what the Blessed One said. This concludes the sutra of nurturing love.
In the presence of the great sage Anandashri, a translator who has heard many things, bhikshu Shakya Nyima Gyaltshen Palzangpo translated and corrected what was said in two languages at the great temple of Paltharpa Ling.
May the Sun and the Moon be above the earth accordingly.
Translated by lama Karma Paljor (O. Filippov).