1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, suppose there was a sharp-pointed spear, and a man would come along thinking: ‘I will bend back this sharp-pointed spear with my hand or fist, twist it out of shape, and twirl it around.’ [n.364] Spk explains the three verbs thus: paṭileṇeti, having struck the top, bending it like a cotton wick, one makes it fuse together as if it were a strand of resin; paṭikoṭṭeti, having struck it in the middle and bent it back, or having struck it along the blade, one makes the two blades fuse together; paṭivaṭṭeti, turning it around as if making a cotton wick (?), one twirls it around for a long time, unravels it, and again twirls it around. What do you think bhikkhus, would it be possible for that man to do so?"

"No, venerable sir. For what reason? Because it is not easy to bend back that sharp-pointed spear with one's hand or fist, to twist it out of shape, or to twirl it around. That man would only experience fatigue and vexation."

2"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has developed and cultivated the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, made it a vehicle, made it a basis, stabilized it, exercised himself in it, and fully perfected it, if a nonhuman being thinks he can overthrow his mind, that nonhuman being would only experience fatigue and vexation.

"Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.’ Thus should you train yourselves."

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, satti tiṇhaphalā. Atha puriso āgaccheyya: ‘Ahaṁ imaṁ sattiṁ tiṇhaphalaṁ pāṇinā vā muṭṭhinā vā paṭileṇissāmi paṭikoṭṭissāmi paṭivaṭṭessāmī’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, bhabbo nu kho so puriso amuṁ sattiṁ tiṇhaphalaṁ pāṇinā vā muṭṭhinā vā paṭileṇetuṁ paṭikoṭṭetuṁ paṭivaṭṭetun"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante". "Taṁ kissa hetu"? "Asu hi, bhante, satti tiṇhaphalā na sukarā pāṇinā vā muṭṭhinā vā paṭileṇetuṁ paṭikoṭṭetuṁ paṭivaṭṭetuṁ. Yāvadeva ca pana so puriso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā"ti.

2"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhuno mettācetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā, tassa ce amanusso cittaṁ khipitabbaṁ maññeyya; atha kho sveva amanusso kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘mettā no cetovimutti bhāvitā bhavissati bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.