In short: in Iti 27 the Buddha says that all the usual ways of making merit are not worth a sixteenth part of the heart's release by love (mettā): loving-kindness outshines them all, like moonlight outshines the stars.
Mendicants, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart's release by love. Surpassing them, the heart's release by love shines and glows and dazzles. It's like how the radiance of all the stars is not worth a sixteenth part of the moon's radiance.
Iti 27, translated by Bhikkhu Sujato.
What it means
Giving, rituals and good works are all valuable. But a heart freed by love outshines them all, the way the moon outshines the stars. For anyone who wonders where to put their effort: start with metta. See also making merit and the 11 benefits of love.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (ITI27). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ: | This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard. |
| “Yāni kānici, bhikkhave, opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ. | “Mendicants, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. |
| Mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca. | Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles. |
| Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candiyā pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candapabhāyeva tā adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; | It’s like how the radiance of all the stars is not worth a sixteenth part of the moon’s radiance. Surpassing them, the moon’s radiance shines and glows and dazzles. |
| evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca. | In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles. |
| Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; | It’s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and dazzles. |
| evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca. | In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles. |
| Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ osadhitārakā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca; | It’s like how, at the crack of dawn, the morning star shines and glows and dazzles. |
| evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yāni kānici opadhikāni puññakiriyavatthūni sabbāni tāni mettāya cetovimuttiyā kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, mettāyeva tāni cetovimutti adhiggahetvā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati cā”ti. | In the same way, of all the grounds for making worldly merit, none are worth a sixteenth part of the heart’s release by love. Surpassing them, the heart’s release by love shines and glows and dazzles.” |
| Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. | The Buddha spoke this matter. |
| Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati: | On this it is said: |
| “Yo ca mettaṁ bhāvayati, | “A mindful one who develops |
| appamāṇaṁ paṭissato; | limitless love |
| Tanū saṁyojanā honti, | weakens the fetters, |
| passato upadhikkhayaṁ. | seeing the ending of attachments. |
| Ekampi ce pāṇamaduṭṭhacitto, | Loving just one creature with a hateless heart |
| Mettāyati kusalo tena hoti; | makes you a good person. |
| Sabbe ca pāṇe manasānukampaṁ, | Sympathetic for all creatures, |
| Pahūtamariyo pakaroti puññaṁ. | a noble one creates abundant merit. |
| Ye sattasaṇḍaṁ pathaviṁ vijitvā, | The royal potentates conquered this land |
| Rājisayo yajamānānupariyagā; | and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices— |
| Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ, | horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, |
| Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ. | the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’. |
| Mettassa cittassa subhāvitassa, | These are not worth a sixteenth part |
| Kalampi te nānubhavanti soḷasiṁ; | of the mind developed with love, |
| Candappabhā tāragaṇāva sabbe. | as starlight cannot rival the moon. |
| Yo na hanti na ghāteti, | Don’t kill or cause others to kill, |
| na jināti na jāpaye; | don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer, |
| Mettaṁso sabbabhūtesu, | with love for all living creatures— |
| veraṁ tassa na kenacī”ti. | you’ll have no enmity for anyone.” |
| Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti. | This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard. |
| Sattamaṁ. | |
| Tatiyo vaggo. | |
| Tassuddānaṁ | |
| Cittaṁ mettaṁ ubho atthe, | |
| puñjaṁ vepullapabbataṁ; | |
| Sampajānamusāvādo, | |
| dānañca mettabhāvanā. | |
| Sattimāni ca suttāni, | |
| purimāni ca vīsati; | |
| Ekadhammesu suttantā, | |
| sattavīsatisaṅgahāti. | |
| Ekakanipāto niṭṭhito. |
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Questions people ask
What did the Buddha say is better than all merit?
In Iti 27 he says none of the worldly grounds for making merit is worth a sixteenth part of the heart's release by love (mettā), as the stars are outshone by the moon.