<p>There's a practice called "<em>metta</em> meditation" or "<em>metta bhavana</em>" (see also <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavana" rel="nofollow noreferrer">bhavana</a></em>).</p>

<p>There's a text (or a chant) associated with that meditation, <a href="http://www.meditationthailand.com/mettachant.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">for example</a>,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Aham sukhito homi
  (May I be happy),<br>
  Niddukkho homi
  (may I be from from suffering),<br>
  Avero homi
  (may I be free from enmity),<br>
  Aroko homi
  (may I be free from illness),<br>
  Abyapajjho homi
  (may I be free from malice),<br>
  Anigho homi
  (may I be free from suffering of body and mind),<br>
  Sukhi attanam pariharami
  (may I protect my own well-being).<br>
  Sabbe Satta
  (Whatever beings there are),<br>
  Sukita hontu
  (may they be happy),<br>
  Niddukkha hontu
  (may they be free from suffering),<br>
  Avera hontu
  (may they be free from enmity),<br>
  Aroka hontu
  (may they be free from illness),<br>
  Abyapajjha hontu
  (may they be free from malice),<br>
  Anigha hontu
  (may they be free from suffering of body and mind),<br>
  Sukhi attanam pariharantu
  (may they protect their own well-being).  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Even if a few words (details) of that translation are debatable, the overall message seems to be clear -- <em>metta</em> seems to mean "wishing well" (e.g. "I wish you well"), also known as "good will" or "benevolence" ("good will" and "benevolence" are the same word, one with Germanic etymology and the other with Latin), especially in a negative sense ("<em>absence</em> of harm" and "absense of malice", and not e.g. "<em>given</em> wealth"), though it may be active (<em>intentionally</em> not causing harm).</p>

<p>I'm not sure why but there's some other version[s] of the text, <a href="http://satipatthana.ca/articles/06the_chant_metta.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">for example</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Aham Avero homi<br>
  abyapajjho homi<br>
  anigho homi<br>
  sukhi‐attanam pariharami</p>
  
  <p>May I be free from enmity and danger<br>
  May I be free from mental suffering<br>
  May I be free from physical suffering<br>
  May I be able to take care of myself happily  </p>
  
  <p>Mama matapitu, acariya ca, natimitta ca ...<br>
  May my parents, teachers, relatives and friends ...</p>
  
  <p>Imasmim arame sabbe yogina ...<br>
  May all yogis in this compound ...</p>
  
  <p>etc</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The's a similar statement in a sutta called the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.piya.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">metta sutta</a>, which starts with:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>May all beings be happy and safe. May they have happy minds ...</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>So are there any single word?</strong></p>

<p>In summary I agree with "goodwill" or "benevolence" as the best single-word translation.</p>

<p><strong>If there is not single word, what the reason?</strong></p>

<p>I think there are two reasons:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>There's a range of social activities or attitudes that <em>metta</em> applies to, ranging from (at the low end, i.e. at a minimum) non-violence and non-emnity, to (more positively) security and friendship.</p></li>
<li><p>Each English word might have a different range of meaning; for example "benevolent" (whose literal/original meaning is "intending good") often implies some kind of charity (e.g. donating wealth or services) in English ... that sense of money-related charity, which is present in the English word, might be absent in the original: so translators look for a different English word (like "friendship").</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T15:37:15.270Z
2017-11-22T15:37:15.270Z
ChrisW
<p><em>Mettā</em>:</p>

<p>Commonly translated as Loving Kindness which is simply because a group at PTS chose that over a century ago and that just stuck. The problem with that is that sometimes people already have associations with the English words “loving” and “kindness”, put them together and think “well, now I know exactly what <em>mettā</em> means.”</p>

<p>Some other translations:</p>

<p>Amity</p>

<p>Kindliness</p>

<p><strong>Goodwill</strong> </p>

<p>Benevolence</p>

<p>Friendliness</p>

<p>Friendliness can mean different things to different people in English.  Here it doesn’t mean niceness but a sincere well-wishing for the other person.  Like the goodwill a true friend has.  Note that the corresponding Sanskrit word is <em>maitri</em>.  Both words are derived from the word for ‘Friend’ which is <em>mitta</em> in Pāli and <em>Mitra</em> in Sanskrit. </p>

<p>To be distinguished from Friendship, which is <em>mittatā / mitratā</em>. </p>

<p>As to why there isn’t a single word, that’s a common problem in translation between any two languages.  Some concepts are prominent in debate and discussion in some cultures, but are not in others. So while translating, one has to find ways to adapt them, often having to use multiple words. Consider <em>zeitgeist</em> and <em>schadenfreude</em> from German, for example. How many words would be needed to express them in English if we hadn’t adopted these words directly. </p>

<p>The fact that words like <em>karma</em> and <em>mettā</em> are kept intact in English is a sign that those who tried before us found it hard or impossible to find a single pre-existing good word in English for that idea.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T12:13:14.663Z
2017-11-24T07:28:25.733Z
2017-11-24T07:28:25.733Z
Gotamist
<p>I have been struggling to find a single English word for "metta".Think I have failed. Once I read "what Buddha thought"by Walpola Rahula Thero mentioned as Universal Love which I don't agree as universe is man made theory. Also love is an attachment. so if someone mention a single word for "metta" please. So are there any single word? If there is not single word,what the reason?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T11:46:39.257Z
Maximum I can reached is "endless love" are there any interpreter to suggest any better single word in English
danuka shewantha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T11:58:49.323Z
Universal as an English word doesn’t depend on what your views about the universe are.
Gotamist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T13:27:47.077Z
Whatever means "wish you happy".
Bonn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T23:42:11.937Z
I like 'good-will' but 'universal love' is also good and does not imply attachment or the planets.
Dhamma Dhatu
<abhidhamma>
single word for metta in English language
# single word for metta in English language

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-22)

I have been struggling to find a single English word for "metta".Think I have failed. Once I read "what Buddha thought"by Walpola Rahula Thero mentioned as Universal Love which I don't agree as universe is man made theory. Also love is an attachment. so if someone mention a single word for "metta" please. So are there any single word? If there is not single word,what the reason?

**Tags:** abhidhamma

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Maximum I can reached is "endless love" are there any interpreter to suggest any better single word in English  
> **username_1**: Universal as an English word doesn’t depend on what your views about the universe are.  
> **username_2**: Whatever means "wish you happy".  
> **username_3**: I like 'good-will' but 'universal love' is also good and does not imply attachment or the planets.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-22. Score: 4

*Mettā*:

Commonly translated as Loving Kindness which is simply because a group at PTS chose that over a century ago and that just stuck. The problem with that is that sometimes people already have associations with the English words “loving” and “kindness”, put them together and think “well, now I know exactly what *mettā* means.”

Some other translations:

Amity

Kindliness

**Goodwill**

Benevolence

Friendliness

Friendliness can mean different things to different people in English. Here it doesn’t mean niceness but a sincere well-wishing for the other person. Like the goodwill a true friend has. Note that the corresponding Sanskrit word is *maitri*. Both words are derived from the word for ‘Friend’ which is *mitta* in Pāli and *Mitra* in Sanskrit.

To be distinguished from Friendship, which is *mittatā / mitratā*.

As to why there isn’t a single word, that’s a common problem in translation between any two languages. Some concepts are prominent in debate and discussion in some cultures, but are not in others. So while translating, one has to find ways to adapt them, often having to use multiple words. Consider *zeitgeist* and *schadenfreude* from German, for example. How many words would be needed to express them in English if we hadn’t adopted these words directly.

The fact that words like *karma* and *mettā* are kept intact in English is a sign that those who tried before us found it hard or impossible to find a single pre-existing good word in English for that idea.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-11-22. Score: 1

There's a practice called "*metta* meditation" or "*metta bhavana*" (see also *[bhavana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavana)*).

There's a text (or a chant) associated with that meditation, [for example](http://www.meditationthailand.com/mettachant.htm),

> Aham sukhito homi
> (May I be happy),  
> Niddukkho homi
> (may I be from from suffering),  
> Avero homi
> (may I be free from enmity),  
> Aroko homi
> (may I be free from illness),  
> Abyapajjho homi
> (may I be free from malice),  
> Anigho homi
> (may I be free from suffering of body and mind),  
> Sukhi attanam pariharami
> (may I protect my own well-being).  
> Sabbe Satta
> (Whatever beings there are),  
> Sukita hontu
> (may they be happy),  
> Niddukkha hontu
> (may they be free from suffering),  
> Avera hontu
> (may they be free from enmity),  
> Aroka hontu
> (may they be free from illness),  
> Abyapajjha hontu
> (may they be free from malice),  
> Anigha hontu
> (may they be free from suffering of body and mind),  
> Sukhi attanam pariharantu
> (may they protect their own well-being).

Even if a few words (details) of that translation are debatable, the overall message seems to be clear -- *metta* seems to mean "wishing well" (e.g. "I wish you well"), also known as "good will" or "benevolence" ("good will" and "benevolence" are the same word, one with Germanic etymology and the other with Latin), especially in a negative sense ("*absence* of harm" and "absense of malice", and not e.g. "*given* wealth"), though it may be active (*intentionally* not causing harm).

I'm not sure why but there's some other version[s] of the text, [for example](http://satipatthana.ca/articles/06the_chant_metta.pdf):

> Aham Avero homi  
> abyapajjho homi  
> anigho homi  
> sukhi‐attanam pariharami
>
> May I be free from enmity and danger  
> May I be free from mental suffering  
> May I be free from physical suffering  
> May I be able to take care of myself happily
>
> Mama matapitu, acariya ca, natimitta ca ...  
> May my parents, teachers, relatives and friends ...
>
> Imasmim arame sabbe yogina ...  
> May all yogis in this compound ...
>
> etc

The's a similar statement in a sutta called the [metta sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.1.08.piya.html), which starts with:

> May all beings be happy and safe. May they have happy minds ...

**So are there any single word?**

In summary I agree with "goodwill" or "benevolence" as the best single-word translation.

**If there is not single word, what the reason?**

I think there are two reasons:

* There's a range of social activities or attitudes that *metta* applies to, ranging from (at the low end, i.e. at a minimum) non-violence and non-emnity, to (more positively) security and friendship.
* Each English word might have a different range of meaning; for example "benevolent" (whose literal/original meaning is "intending good") often implies some kind of charity (e.g. donating wealth or services) in English ... that sense of money-related charity, which is present in the English word, might be absent in the original: so translators look for a different English word (like "friendship").


---

