In
this course
This course is both:
- a commmentary on the Buddha's sutta on loving-kindness
- a toolkit with which you can investigate for yourself the meanings
and significance of this teaching
After an introduction to the Metta Sutta and an opportunity to listen
to the sutta as it is chanted, you will be able to explore the Metta
Sutta from different perspectives and to drill down and examine the
Buddha's words at various levels of detail:
- The major themes of the sutta
- Commentary on the most important words and phrases
- A word list and glossary with which to examine the meaning of
each word
- Ten translations
of the sutta to study and compare
You can proceed sequentially through the course's lessons.
Or you can also use the menu on the left of the screen to use
the various course tools as you explore the sutta.
The Buddha gave the teachings of the Metta Sutta to his
monks to help them overcome fear and
to render them harmless to all creatures, both human and non-human. By reading
the various translations of the Metta Sutta and studying the meanings
and references of the Buddha's words, you have an opportunity to
integrate the Metta Sutta into your life and practice. The intent
of this course is not to feed you the meaning of this teaching;
rather it offers you
the means to investigate the original language of the poem carefully and to understand
its message directly.
Translating the
Metta Sutta for yourself |
In order to bring
home and nurture the understanding you gather during this process
of exploration, you are encouraged to use the commentary,
the various translations and the study tools to create your
own translation of the Buddha's poem on loving-kindness.
As you explore the sutta, use your Ashoka journal — 
— to develop your own translation and understanding of the metta
sutta. As you will see in the next lesson, the metta sutta is a
tool the Buddha offered us to use.
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