Page 45 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

(b) Maitri, or Love

The Sanskrit word maitri is derived from mitra, which means
friend. According to the Buddhist texts, maitri is that love which
one feels for a very near and dear, very intimate, friend. The

English words 'friend' and 'friendship' nowadays have a rather
tepid connotation, and friendship is regarded as a rather feeble

emotion. But it is not like that in the East. There maitri or
friendship is a very powerful and positive emotion, being usually
defined as an overwhelming desire for the happiness and well-

being of the other person — not just in the material sense but in
the spiritual sense too. Again and again is one exhorted, in

Buddhist literature and Buddhist teaching, to develop this
feeling of friendship which we have towards a near and dear

friend towards all living beings. This feeling is summed up in the
phrase: sabbe satta sukhi hontu or, 'May all beings be happy!'
which represents the heartfelt wish of all Buddhists. If we really

do have this feeling in a heartfelt way, not just thinking about
the feeling, but experiencing the feeling itself, then we have

maitri.

In Buddhism the development of maitri is not just left to chance.

Some people indeed think that either you have got love for
others or you haven't, and that if you haven't that's just too bad,

because there's nothing you can do about it. But Buddhism does
not look at it like this. In Buddhism there are definite exercises,
definite practices, for the development of maitri or love: what

we call maitri-bhavana. As some of those who have tried to
practise them will know, they are not very easy. We do not find

it very easy to develop love; but, if we persist, and if we succeed,
we find the experience a very rewarding one.

45