Loving-kindness
loving kindness (Skt: maitri; Tib: yi ong jam pa)
In the context of the seven points of cause and effect, the wish for all beings to have happiness, with the added dimension of yi ong (beautiful or affectionate); often translated as “affectionate loving kindness.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggests this is the “loving kindness of seeing others in beauty.”
Loving-kindness is a specific kind of love conceptualized in various religious traditions, both among theologians and religious practitioners, as a form of love characterized by acts of kindness.
Use in Christianity
The term Loving-kindness (or "lovingkindness") was coined by Myles Coverdale for his Coverdale Bible of 1535, as an English translation of the Hebrew word chesed (which appears in the Latin Vulgate as "misericordia"); in that text it is spelled "louinge kyndnesse". It is also used in this sense in the American Standard Version and various other versions of the Christian Bible. This term is used often in the book of Psalms, and refers to acts of kindness, motivated by love. It is used primarily in reference to God, rather than people.
Use in Buddhism
Loving-kindness is an English equivalent for the Buddhist term Mettā, as described in the Metta Sutta of the Pali Canon's Sutta Nipata (Sn 1.8) and Khuddakapatha (Khp 9), and practiced in Loving kindness meditation.
Use in Bahá'í Faith
English translations of the writings of the Bahá'í Faith often use the term loving-kindness when referring to the original Persian mohabbat. This is in line with the style chosen by Shoghi Effendi to use a slightly archaic form of English.
