01
Historical context
The text is preserved in the Sutta Nipāta and Khuddakapāṭha and remains prominent in Theravāda chanting and protective recitation.
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What is this text?
Verses join ethical preparation with the cultivation of an unlimited attitude of care toward living beings.
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Key ideas
- Goodwill extends without exception
- Ethical simplicity supports meditation
- The practice is compared to a parent's care
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Selected passage
May all sentient beings be happy and secure; may all beings be happy at heart.
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Original-language text
sukhino vā khemino hontu, sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā
Ancient Pāli text: public domain; root text data CC0.06
English translation
May all sentient beings be happy and secure; may all beings be happy at heart.
Translator: Bhikkhu Sujato
Bhikkhu Sujato translation: CC0 1.0.07
Chanting, recitation & pronunciation
[PRONUNCIATION RESOURCES TO BE ADDED]
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How to listen
- Identify the language, recitation tradition, performer, and recording context before comparing styles.
- Notice cadence, repetition, breath, and silence without treating one performance as universal.
- Use the linked edition to distinguish the canonical text from editorial summary and modern translation.
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Sources & further reading
Snp 1.8: The Discourse on Love
Translator: Bhikkhu Sujato
SuttaCentral
CC0 1.0 per SuttaCentral licensingRead at source ↗Community Discussion
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