Sahassampi ce vācā Anatthapadasaṃhitā Ekaṃ atthapadaṃ seyyo Yaṃ sutvā upasammati. Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace Dhammapada Verse 100
Synopsis
A monk was bitten by a snake, And he died on the spot. Having heard the news Buddha said: “O Monks, that monk did not practise loving-kindness. If that monk practised loving-kindness, he would not have died being bitten by a snake”. What is Mettā? Why should we practise Mettā? Buddha said: “Just as in the last month of the rainy season in autumn, when the sky is clear and free of clouds, the sun, on ascending, dispels the darkness of space and shines forth, bright and brilliant. Even so, whatever grounds there are for making merit productive of a future birth, all these do not equal a sixteenth part of the liberation of mind by loving-kindness”.
There are eleven great benefits that one can enjoy by practicing Mettā. The benefits are immediate and visible. Mettā technique is such that there is no special posture, place or time. It is flexible and available at your wish. It does not require a fixed duration of time. So for those who have time or otherwise, you can still meditate.
Think not lightly of evil, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little, fills himself with evil. Dhammapada Verse 121
We chant Metta Sutta almost every day. And in most Dhamma talks, we start with Mettā Meditation. Am I correct? Mettā is so common and popular that people misunderstand and misinterpret it to be a very simple type of meditation. Sometimes we underestimate the power and benefits of Mettā Meditation. Last week, I overheard a conversation between two devotees in the temple under the Bodhi tree. One of them was practicing Mettā Meditation and the other was practising the meditation technique relating to the Five Aggregates.
Then the one who practised the meditation technique relating to the Five Aggregates said, “Mettā Meditation is so simple, that it is only for beginners or those at kindergarten level. You should practise the higher type of meditation.” This misinterpretation is probably due to the lack of understanding of the Dhamma. Friends, all meditation techniques that are taught in Buddhism are equally important. They serve a purpose. We should neither discriminate against any of the Buddhist meditation techniques, nor argue about the good and bad, as they are all equally important and just as beneficial. These meditation techniques allow people of various characters and temperaments to achieve different purposes. First of all, it is very important for you to understand Mettā before you can radiate Mettā.
The word “Mettā” comes from the Pāḷi language, which simply means love. However, this is not the kind of ordinary love defined in the English dictionary. Mettā is translated into English by some scholars as ‘lovingkindness’. So, what is the difference between ‘love’ and “loving-kindness”?
The love that we commonly speak about has greed, hatred and delusion as hidden tendencies. The love between a man and woman, husband and wife, brother and sister, friends, parents and children – such love comes together with greed, lust, hatred, ill-will, jealousy, anger, ignorance and delusion. These are considered defilements. Buddhism recognises greed, hatred and delusion as the 3 main roots of defilements.
That is why there are instances where people in relationships, such as that between a husband and wife or two lovers, can go to the extent of harming or killing each other when they break up, as these actions arise from hatred. Hence Buddhism does not recognise this commonly spoken love as “Mettā”. What about the purest love that we recognise, like mother’s love? Mother’s love is the purest love we all know and Buddha talked of this highly appreciative love, but Buddhism does not recognise it as the purest love. The love of a mother is still tainted with greed, hatred and delusion.
A mother can love her son so much, but may not love her neighbour’s son in the same way. This is due to the mother’s attachment to the child. When the child does not behave in the manner that pleases his/her mother or follow instruction properly, the disappointed mother gets angry. There are even parents who would say extremely hurting remarks such as “I do not want to see you anymore!” or “You are no longer my son/daughter!”
Such love between mother and child is not to be called Mettā. So, what does “Mettā” mean? Mettā is love which does not contain any greed, hatred, delusion, lust or other defilements, and is cultivated based on wisdom, compassion, goodwill and beneficial thoughts. Every person is born in this world with the ability to love. However, Mettā is not the ordinary type of love which has emotional, sentimental or sensual elements but rather; it is a sublime type of thoughts which has to be cultivated. Mettā together with Karuṇā (compassion), Muditā (appreciative joy) and Upekkhā (equanimity) form the four sublime qualities of the human mind.
What is Mettā bhāvanā or Mettā Meditation then? We all have the seeds to develop Mettā. But if you do not plant the seed by giving it soil, water, sunlight and manure, it is not possible for this seed to grow. On the other hand, if you plant this seed well and take care of it, it will grow into a plant. So friends, all of us have the seeds to develop the four sublime qualities of the human mind. At the beginning of the widely chanted Metta Sutta, the Buddha described the qualities that you should cultivate to develop Mettā. How should we prepare ourselves to cultivate Mettā?
Sakkō ujū ca sūjū ca1 Suvaco cassa mudu anatimānī Santussakō ca subharō ca
In cultivating Mettā, one has to be honest, sincere, humble, upright and uphold righteous principles in your life. One should not be extremely busy to such an extent that one has no time for spiritual development. Lastly, he or she should be someone who has little demands for material needs.
These are the qualities required to prepare the ground in developing Mettā.
Why should we cultivate and practise Mettā?
The Buddha said very clearly, “Mettā is the foundation for all merits.” There is nothing comparable to Mettā. Today, I have given you some notes on three discourses. In the first discourse, the Buddha emphasised on the importance of meritorious deeds. He said, “Monks, whatever grounds there are for making merits which are productive towards a future birth, all these do not equal to a sixteenth part of the liberation of mind by loving-kindness. The liberation of mind by practising loving-kindness surpasses them and shines forth, bright and brilliant.”
And He gave an example: “Just as the radiance of all the stars does not equal to a sixteenth part of the moon’s radiance, the moon’s radiance surpasses them and shines forth, bright and brilliant. Likewise, making all merits which are productive for future birth does not equal to a sixteenth part of the liberation of the mind by practicing loving kindness.” The Buddha explained here how important Mettā is for those who need merits. Therefore, one cannot make merits without Mettā. Merit is described as the wholesome karmic energy which arises in one’s mind through wholesome actions.
Through Mettā meditation, the mind becomes wholesome, full of love with compassionate thoughts and loving-kindness. Based on these wholesome positive thoughts, words and actions become wholesome. When one does a good deed or a wholesome action with a positive mind, he or she will generate a positive energy known as merit. Merit is required for all sentient beings within the cycle of existence.
Puññāni paralokasmin pātiṭṭha honti paninam
Merits naturally yield happiness to all beings. In the process of wandering from one realm to another, it is the merits that will pave the way for one to be born in a pleasurable and favourable realm. From the Buddhists’ perspective, all of us have generated merits in our past lives, which explain why we are born as human beings today. Pubbe ca kata-puññatā3 - ‘to have done merits in the past’ is a blessing.
So long as enlightenment is not achieved, merits will always be required. After enlightenment, merits are not required anymore because there will be no rebirth. The Buddha said, “Pabbajitassapi upakārāni puññānīti4 ”. Even the monks and nuns need merits. Whether for monks, nuns or lay people, merits are required. Hence, Mettā is constantly practised as it is the ground for all merits. And the Buddha said, “Manopubbaṅgamā dhammā manoseṭṭhā manomayā5 ” The mind is the forerunner for everything.
Mettā is also practised because it can weaken hatred. Hatred has a very powerful destructing power on our minds. It is out of hatred that all evil, wicked, immoral, unwholesome and violent actions come forth. Jealousy, ill-will, anger – though with different meanings, they share the same root of hatred. One could easily destroy themselves and others due to hatred, producing considerable negative karmic energies. Therefore Mettā is a very powerful tool to effectively weaken and suppress the power of this destructive, negative energy linked to hatred.
Mettā is best for people who lose their temper easily. When one looks for monks for meditation instructions especially in meditation centres, meditation techniques are not taught immediately. The meditation master will give certain techniques of meditation to practise and then make observations on the person’s character through actions such as walking, talking, behaviour and attitude to assess the kind of meditation suitable for the particular individual.
Mettā is a powerful force for one’s own protection. And there are four types of protective meditation in Buddhism. 1. Buddhānusati - contemplation on the virtues of the Buddha 2. Mettānusati - loving-kindness for all worldly beings 3. Asubbanusati - recollection on the repulsiveness of the body 4. Maranānusati - mindfulness of death
They are called “Caturārakkā-kammaṭhāna” - the four kinds of protective meditation. Buddhānusati refers to the recollection of the Buddha.
Why is Buddhānusati Meditation protective? Buddhānusati Meditation leads to the development of right vision and right understanding in the Buddha’s nature. With the mind focused in becoming a Buddha - the Enlightened One, one’s thoughts, words, actions are directed to becoming enlightened and hence is protected against evil, wicked, unwholesome thoughts, words and behaviour.
Mettā Meditation is also a protective meditation as it helps to reduce the negative power of hatred in the human mind. It helps to protect one from hatred and many other dangers from unseen beings, living beings, human beings and unseen danger.
Asubba Meditation is the recollection on the repulsiveness of the body, but I will not go into details here. It helps to reduce lust, greed and attachment in one’s mind. These three evil defilements are the root causes of suffering.
Meditation on death enables one to become energetic, diligent in work and protects one against all defilements and achieves freedom from the cycle of existence.
You may refer to Khanda Paritta which described what took place during the Buddha’s stay in Jetavana Monastery in the city of Sāvatthi. One day, a monk was bitten by a very poisonous snake and died on the spot. All the other monks came to the Buddha and reported, “Venerable Sir, so and so died because of a snake bite.”
Then the Buddha said, “Monks, that monk did not practise loving-kindness. He did not radiate Mettā towards the snakes and the other living beings. If he had practised Mettā, he would not have died as he would not have been bitten by the snake. From today onwards, all of you must practise Mettā.” Thus, after this incident, the Buddha made it compulsory for all Buddhist monks and nuns to practise Mettā. Lay people should also practise Mettā regardless of where they live, especially for those living in the forest. It is their principal defence since they do not carry guns and any other weapons for their own protection while they live among poisonous snakes and dangerous animals like leopards and lions. They will not be harmed because they cultivated Mettā for their own protection.
Perhaps all of you know why the Buddha taught the Metta Sutta? This is a very well-known story of why the Buddha taught Metta Sutta to the monks. A group of monks wanted to practise meditation and went to the Buddha who advised them to go to the forest for their practice. But when they were practicing meditation, they were constantly disturbed by some unseen beings and could not concentrate well. The moment they achieved serenity and concentration, the beings would appear in their mind to disturb and frighten them. These monks found it very difficult to practise meditation and went back to the Buddha. They asked, “Venerable Sir, we cannot practise over there because we faced this very unusual type of difficulty. We do not understand who they are, why they come to disturb us in many ways throughout day and night.”
The Buddha said, “Well, learn this Karaniya Metta Sutta (which is now widely known as Metta Sutta).” The Buddha taught this discourse to the monks and instructed them, “Go there and first practise Mettā Meditation. After that, all of you must practise Vipassanā Meditation (Insight Meditation).” These monks then returned to the same place to practise Mettā Meditation. While practicing, the loving thoughts and radiation of loving kindness surrounded and permeated all around, and these unseen beings became friendly and stopped disturbing them. Instead, these unseen beings gave all possible assistance they could to help the monks. From then on, Metta Sutta is chanted for one’s own protection.
In the Mettānisaṃa Sutta6 , the Buddha explained the advantages of practising Mettā. He gave 11 benefits that one can achieve and enjoy in this lifetime by practising Mettā. They are: 1. Sukhaṃ supati 2. Sukhaṃ paṭibujjhati 3. Na pāpakaṃ supinaṃ passati 4. Manussānaṃ piyo hoti 5. Amanussānaṃ piyo hoti 6. Devatā rakkhanti 7. Nāssa aggī vā visaṃ vā satthaṃ vā kamati 8. Tuvaṭaṃ cittaṃ samādhiyati 9. Mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati 10. Asammūḷho kālaṃ karoti 11. Uttariṃ appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti
1. Sukhaṃ supati
The Buddha explained that one who practises Mettā sleeps peacefully. Friends, don’t you think it is a benefit? There are hundreds of thousands of people who cannot sleep every night. Some go to the doctor asking for sleeping pills and tablets. Some visit pubs and drink alcohol to make themselves sleepy. Not many can have peaceful sleep every day due to stress and other problems. The Buddha guaranteed that one can sleep peacefully if Mettā Meditation is being practised.
2. Sukhaṃ paṭibujjhati
If Mettā meditation is practised every morning and at bedtime, one’s mind is full of Mettā thoughts. This leads to one waking up in comfort and feeling refreshed mentally and physically. It is because when one has slept well, the body and mind is fully rested.
3. Na pāpakaṃ supinaṃ passati
The third benefit – there will be no evil dreams. Friends, dreams are mental creation. While we are living, we also dream. Daydream! Sometimes we speculate about our future. Am I correct? We have lots of dreams about our future. So what happen when you are asleep? The same thing will appear as dreams. One very famous psychologist named Dr Sigmund Freud said dreams come as emotional roots and are released in dreams. Buddhism also speaks of the same thing. What we call a dream is nothing more than our mental creation. There are no doubts there are certain dreams which are related to special sense perception, but most dreams are created by the human mind. When the mind is free from hatred, ill-will, jealousy and anger, there is no way for evil or unwholesome dreams to appear in one’s sleep. If there is any possibility for dreams to arise, then it should only be sweet dreams because the mind is full of sweet thoughts - a lot of Mettā.
4. Manussānaṃ piyo hoti
One is dear to human beings. Due to a lack of Mettā, it is difficult to be among fellow human beings as one gets angry and quarrel easily with others. With Mettā, one becomes a peace-loving and kind person. Friends, because minds are so powerful, people can feel and sense it. This explains why a person is being well-liked by others due to that individual’s mind being devoid of evil and unwholesome thoughts, while filling it with compassion, goodwill and friendship. Words are also spoken with friendliness, without lies and harshness. When one’s actions become agreeable with others, he or she becomes a noble human being in society whom everyone likes.
5. Amanussānaṃ piyo hoti
One is dear to non-human beings and unseen beings. Who are these non-human beings and unseen beings? The unseen beings must not be mistaken as hungry ghosts, and non-human beings include animals. When one gets angry, even pet dogs and cats run away because they sense it. But when one emits kind and friendly energies, they will come close and want you to touch them. This is nature. When we were young, after our daily breakfast or lunch, we would bring some bananas or fruit for squirrels and birds when they came by. While they were eating, we talked to them in good words. They heard our voice and very quickly they became our friends. They would come near us for feeding and were no longer afraid of us. Monks who live in the forest do not have any weapon. They have only Mettā as protection. There is rarely any report on monks or nuns or a lay person who lives in the forest practising Mettā and was attacked by animals.
Perhaps you have heard about the incident which happened during the Buddha’s time. Have you heard about Devadatta, the Buddha’s cousin? He tried to kill the Buddha many times by sending professional killers. What happened to these professional killers? The moment they came across the Buddha, they were tamed, threw away their weapons, listened to the Buddha and became his disciples. Some of them even became monks. One day Devadatta, with the support of King Ajātasattu, used an elephant named Nālāgiri which was well known for its violent behaviour in the kingdom, to attack the Buddha.
This type of elephant was used in battlefields against enemies and was the most violent kind amongst those in the kingdom of King Ajatasattu. The caretakers of this elephant used to make it drink toddy (a type of palm wine) so it became more violent. Devadatta took the opportunity to make this elephant Nālāgiri drank toddy and sent it to kill the Buddha while he was making his alms round in the city of Sāvatthi. So, what happened? Everyone started screaming and running for their lives. The elephant was coming to kill the Buddha and Venerable Ānanda tried to protect the Buddha. But knowing the nature of Nālāgiri, the Buddha prevented him from doing so.
How did the Buddha protect himself? He radiated His loving-kindness. Instantly, this wild elephant kneeled down in front of the Buddha and became tamed. This incident came to be known as Nālāgiridamana (taming the elephant Nālāgiri). Do you think it is a miracle? Yes, it is a miracle because we do not have this power. The Buddha developed the great power of Mettā so he could use it to change the violent thoughts of the elephant which were linked to hatred. Nālāgiri’s mind was motivated by hatred and the Buddha used Mettā to weaken that negative energy to subdue it. So friends, the benefit for practising Mettā— non-human beings will like you. If you study the Buddha’s life story, you will learn that in the sixth week after His enlightenment, there was a heavy rain while He was sitting under the ajaplan tree.
One enormous (it was said) snake coiled around and protected Him against the elements. This again tells us the power of Mettā which one can generate by cultivating diligently. So friends, when we develop Mettā, those unseen beings as well as those non-human beings become friendly towards us and not disturb us. This was what happened in the story which was told earlier about the group of monks who went to practise meditation. When they were disturbed by the unseen beings, they sought help from the Buddha who gave them the best medicine, i.e., to go back to the same place and practise Mettā.
6. Devatā rakkhanti
One is protected by the Devas. What are Devas? Devas are living, unseen beings born in the divine realm because of their wholesome karmic energy. So, virtuous Devas will always protect those who practise Mettā. Why? They sense and understand the great meritorious power and loving-kindness of the human mind. And how can the Deva protect you? Friends, it can happen in various peculiar ways. For example, when you are going to work and waiting for the usual bus. The bus arrived and suddenly a thought arise “I shall take the next bus” and you do not board that bus. The next moment, that bus is involved in an accident and lots of people die but you escape this fate. Or you are driving along the highway and your mind tells you immediately through a thought - communicative thoughts which are related to an extra-sense perception and you change lane as you have a premonition of a car accident.
The next moment, an accident really occurs and you escape from it. That is how it can work. Devas do not come knocking at your door and offer help literally. It is because Devas (living divine beings) possess various kinds of divine power. Human beings are a collected form of energies. Devas are also a collected form of energies. The difference lies in the fact that we have gross level physical bodies whereas Devas have subtle and astral bodies. Devas protect those people who practise Mettā.
7. Nāssa aggī vā visaṃ vā satthaṃ vā kamati
Fire, poison or sword cannot touch one who practises Mettā. What does it mean? It means that one will not face untimely death. If someone tries to kill a person who practises Mettā using weapons, poison or fire in whatever violent way, it is impossible for such an attempt to succeed. One who practises Mettā will always be protected. He will never face untimely death due to these kinds of violent actions unless it is a negative powerful karmic energy due to something he committed in his past life that has ripened. Otherwise, Mettā Meditation works as a protection. Again it works because of the help rendered by the virtuous divine beings to those who have developed their own inner and spiritual minds.
8. Tuvaṭaṃ cittaṃ samādhiyati
It is easier for the mind to concentrate. One who practises Mettā diligently will reap the benefits and advantages in whatever type of meditation being practised due to an ease of concentration. When one concentrates well, one is mindful of his or her thoughts, words and actions and therefore makes fewer mistakes. At work, one becomes very efficient. At school, one will be good in studies and achieves good grades. Whatever the purpose, one becomes very good at it due to a well-concentrated mind.
9. Mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati
His or her countenance is serene. Mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati in Pāḷi means the face becomes attractive, beautiful and glowing. There is no need for make-ups as one’s face will glow. One can buy the entire beauty product range but will not be able to give what Mettā can provide. Why? One can put on make-up but all will be washed away when caught in the rain, whereas Mettā cannot be washed away. If Mettā is practised genuinely, one’s happiness will arise from the inner heart. Since the face is the index of the mind, when the mind is full of lovingkindness, one’s face becomes luminous, beautiful, serene and very attractive. This is another reason why people are attracted to you. When you are angry, go to the nearest mirror to see your reflection. You will be terrified to see your angry face. But when you are happy, serene and peaceful, you will see how beautiful, handsome and attractive you are.
10. Asammūḷho kālaṃ karoti
At the moment of death, you will not be confused, and will die with a peaceful mind. How many people can attain this level of practice? Why do we have so much fear towards death? After death, we do not know where we are going to be born. One who practises and cultivates Mettā accumulates lots of merits because Mettā itself is based on merits. Thus that person naturally does no evil because he does not have the necessary ‘software’ to do evil. With those necessary conditions to do evil being suppressed, that person does not have any fear towards death because he knows where he will be born and can even decide where he wants to be born as he has lots of merits.
11. Uttariṃ appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokūpago hoti
There is another reason why Mettā should be practised. Our purpose is to become enlightened. As we move from realm to realm, the merits we have will lead us to be born in a pleasurable and favourable realm. One who practises Mettā diligently will achieve Jhana or a higher level of the mind. After death, that person will be born in the Brahma realm, which is a realm for the higher divine. But if one did not achieve the Jhanic level, he or she will still be born in the divine realm or in the human realm, wherever he or she wishes. So friends, this is why you should practise Mettā because of these great visible benefits which are helpful for you in this life as well as many lives to come. The talk will not be complete unless I share with you the way to practise Mettā. So how should we practise Mettā? First of all, we have to radiate Mettā towards ourselves.
We start by repeating mentally, “May I be free from worries; may I be free from suffering; may I be well and happy.” When you keep repeating, you will have the energy and be very happy and serene. You are conditioning your mind in a positive and loving manner that radiates Mettā towards yourself with lots of compassion. You may ask, “Why do you radiate Mettā towards yourself? Why can’t we start radiating Mettā towards others? Why is it compulsory to radiate Mettā towards ourselves?” The reason is if we hate ourselves, and when such kind of hatred becomes dominant, it will drive us to harm ourselves or commit suicide.
Again, it is because of hatred, terrorist organizations use it to brainwash people in becoming suicide bombers. That is why when you want to love others, you must first love yourself. If we want to give something to someone, we must first have it with us. This is the basic principle. There is no timeframe in radiating Mettā towards oneself. After that, we will radiate Mettā towards our mother, father, brother, sister, relatives, friends, teachers and fellow human beings in Singapore, in neighbouring countries, in the world, and then we go beyond to those beings – animals that live on earth, in water and in space.
We also reach out to those that can be seen and cannot be seen — those who live in the human realm and the other realms of living beings. Starting with oneself, we radiate and cultivate Mettā towards all living beings. When you say “my mother”, she will appear in your mind, and you can see her from the day you were born, and recollect these memories until the present moment. You radiate Mettā towards her and visualize her in your mind. Next, you visualize your father and radiate Mettā to him in the same manner. There is no language restriction and you may use any language but they have to be short, meaningful, clear and positive.
Repeat the same process to radiate Mettā to your immediate family members followed by other groups of people as described earlier on. There are no definite groups of people for radiating Mettā, as it depends on different individuals. And in this way, step by step, you radiate boundless love and compassion towards all living beings.
Here, a few questions arise.
Is there a fixed posture for this meditation? Friends, for Mettā Meditation, you can practise in any posture. You can practise Mettā while sitting, lying down on the bed, standing or walking. You can sit in whatever way you prefer, and it does not matter even on a chair. Elderly people can also practise it. Unlike “breathing in and out” meditation which requires one to concentrate only on the “in and out” breath that may be very difficult for some people, Mettā meditation gives you the space for your mind to run through sentences and thus, it becomes easy for you to practise.
Is there any special time to practise Mettā? There is no special time to practise it. Whenever you are comfortable, you can practise it. However, practicing Mettā in the early morning is beneficial because you start the day with a mind filled with loving thoughts before leaving for work. The moment you step out of your house, you will start smiling and greeting “good morning” to people whom you meet along the way. Also, you will radiate Mettā throughout the day. If you practise Mettā at night before bedtime, you will have a peaceful sleep.
Is there any special place to practise Mettā? There is no specific place, and it is not compulsory to come to the temple. A temple provides you with a suitable environment for meditation but you can practise Mettā anywhere you like. It can be your living, study, bedroom, or office—anywhere as long as you can find a suitable environment with the least disturbances and noise. So friends, Mettā Meditation gives us so many benefits in this life itself, and we should not view it as a simple meditation and underestimate the value of Mettā.
Summary
Mettā is not carnal love but love without hatred, greed, delusion and is based on compassion and wisdom. It is a sublime quality which we are not born with, but which can be achieved through cultivation. It is not a simple type of meditation as many think and the benefits are tremendous for those who practise it.
1. Mettā is the base for all merits. All meritorious deeds come from Mettā. 2. Mettā is a powerful tool to reduce and weaken the violent, evil, unwholesome negative forces of hatred. 3. Mettā is a powerful force for protection. Protection is received from other living beings, both seen and unseen. 4. Mettā gives us eleven benefits. Of these eleven benefits, ten can be enjoyed here and now. The last benefit will help one to be born in a favourable and pleasurable realm after death.
To practise Mettā, we start with oneself and radiate Mettā to our loved ones and finally to the whole universe. There is no special posture, time and place in practising Mettā meditation.
Yo ca pubbe pamajjitvā, Pacchā so nappamajjati, So imaṃ lokaṃ pabhāseti, Abbhā mutto'va candimā. The person, who being at first heedless, (but) later is heedful – he illuminates this world like the moon freed from the clouds Dhammapada Verse 172
Selected Dhamma Talks in 2011 by Venerable K. Rathanasara Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple 30C, St. Michael Road Singapore 328002