Piyasutta
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘kesaṁ nu kho piyo attā, kesaṁ appiyo attā’ti? Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘ye ca kho keci kāyena duccaritaṁ caranti, vācāya duccaritaṁ caranti, manasā duccaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ appiyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: “piyo no attā”ti, atha kho tesaṁ appiyo attā’. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi appiyo appiyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ appiyo attā. Ye ca kho keci kāyena sucaritaṁ caranti, vācāya sucaritaṁ caranti, manasā sucaritaṁ caranti; tesaṁ piyo attā. Kiñcāpi te evaṁ vadeyyuṁ: ‘appiyo no attā’ti; atha kho tesaṁ piyo attā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi piyo piyassa kareyya, taṁ te attanāva attano karonti; tasmā tesaṁ piyo attā”ti.
Loved
At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘Who are those who love themselves? And who are those who don’t love themselves?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind don’t love themselves. Even though they may say: “I love myself”, they don’t really. Why is that? It’s because they treat themselves like an enemy. That’s why they don’t love themselves. Those who do good things by way of body, speech, and mind do love themselves. Even though they may say: “I don’t love myself”, they do really. Why is that? It’s because they treat themselves like a loved one. That’s why they do love themselves.’”