AN 7.62

Mettasutta

“Mā, bhikkhave, puññānaṁ bhāyittha. Sukhassetaṁ, bhikkhave, adhivacanaṁ yadidaṁ puññāni. Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ dīgharattaṁ iṭṭhaṁ kantaṁ manāpaṁ vipākaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ. Satta vassāni mettacittaṁ bhāvesiṁ. Satta vassāni mettacittaṁ bhāvetvā satta saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe nayimaṁ lokaṁ punāgamāsiṁ. Saṁvaṭṭamāne sudāhaṁ, bhikkhave, loke ābhassarūpago homi, vivaṭṭamāne loke suññaṁ brahmavimānaṁ upapajjāmi.

Don’t Fear Good Deeds

“Mendicants, don’t fear good deeds. For ‘good deeds’ is a term for happiness. I recall undergoing for a long time the likable, desirable, and agreeable results of good deeds performed over a long time. I developed a mind of love for seven years. As a result, for seven eons of the cosmos contracting and expanding I didn’t return to this world again. As the cosmos contracted I went to the realm of sublime luminosity. As it expanded I was reborn in an empty mansion of divinity.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā homi mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī. Chattiṁsakkhattuṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko ahosiṁ devānamindo; anekasatakkhattuṁ rājā ahosiṁ cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāni satta ratanāni ahesuṁ, seyyathidaṁ— cakkaratanaṁ, hatthiratanaṁ, assaratanaṁ, maṇiratanaṁ, itthiratanaṁ, gahapatiratanaṁ, pariṇāyakaratanameva sattamaṁ. Parosahassaṁ kho pana me, bhikkhave, puttā ahesuṁ sūrā vīraṅgarūpā parasenappamaddanā. So imaṁ pathaviṁ sāgarapariyantaṁ adaṇḍena asatthena dhammena abhivijiya ajjhāvasinti.

There I was the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of power. I was Sakka, lord of gods, thirty-six times. Many hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. My dominion extended to all four sides, I achieved stability in the country, and I possessed the seven treasures. These were my seven treasures: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the woman, the householder, and the commander as the seventh treasure. I had over a thousand sons who were valiant and heroic, crushing the armies of my enemies. After conquering this land girt by sea, I reigned by principle, without rod or sword.

Passa puññānaṁ vipākaṁ, Kusalānaṁ sukhesino; Mettaṁ cittaṁ vibhāvetvā, Satta vassāni bhikkhavo; Sattasaṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe, Nayimaṁ lokaṁ punāgamiṁ.

See the result of good deeds, of skillful deeds, for one seeking happiness. I developed a mind of love for seven years, mendicants. For seven eons of expansion and contraction I didn’t return to this world again.

Saṁvaṭṭamāne lokamhi, homi ābhassarūpago; Vivaṭṭamāne lokasmiṁ, suññabrahmūpago ahuṁ.

As the world contracted I went to the realm of sublime luminosity. And when it expanded I went to an empty mansion of divinity.

Sattakkhattuṁ mahābrahmā, vasavattī tadā ahuṁ; Chattiṁsakkhattuṁ devindo, devarajjamakārayiṁ.

Seven times I was a Great Divinity, and at that time I was the wielder of power. Thirty-six times I was lord of gods, acting as ruler of the gods.

Cakkavattī ahuṁ rājā, jambumaṇḍassa issaro; Muddhāvasitto khattiyo, manussādhipatī ahuṁ.

Then I was king, a wheel-turning monarch, lord of the Black Plum Tree Land. An anointed aristocrat, I was sovereign of all humans.

Adaṇḍena asatthena, vijeyya pathaviṁ imaṁ; Asāhasena kammena, samena manusāsi taṁ.

Without rod or sword, I conquered this land. Through non-violent action I guided it justly.

Dhammena rajjaṁ kāretvā, asmiṁ pathavimaṇḍale; Mahaddhane mahābhoge, aḍḍhe ajāyihaṁ kule.

After ruling this vast territory by means of principle, I was born in a rich family, affluent and wealthy.

Sabbakāmehi sampanne, ratanehi ca sattahi; Buddhā saṅgāhakā loke, tehi etaṁ sudesitaṁ.

It was replete with all sense pleasures, and the seven treasures. This was well taught by the Buddhas, who bring the world together.

Eso hetu mahantassa, pathabyo me na vipajjati; Pahūtavittūpakaraṇo, rājā hoti patāpavā.

This is the cause of greatness by which one is called a lord of the land. I was a majestic king, with lots of property and assets;

Iddhimā yasavā hoti, jambumaṇḍassa issaro; Ko sutvā nappasīdeyya, api kaṇhābhijātiyo.

successful and glorious, lord of the Black Plum Tree Land. Who would not be inspired by this, even someone of dark birth.

Tasmā hi attakāmena, mahattamabhikaṅkhatā; Saddhammo garukātabbo, saraṁ buddhānasāsanan”ti.

Therefore someone who desires self-knowledge, and aspires to greatness themselves, should respect the true teaching, remembering the instructions of the Buddhas.”