"The Pali term, mettaa, is derived from a word for friendship, and therefore can be understood as a deep friendship with life This should not imply that mettaa is necessarily easy Deep friendship implies being present, connected, and caring even through difficult times"
Maitri is a Sanskrit term that refers to benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others The term appears in various ancient and medieval Indian texts, such as the Upanishads, Jain Sutras and Buddhist Suttas Within Buddhism, it is notably the first of the four sublime states, one of the ten paaramis of Theravaada Buddhism, and expounded upon in the Metta
"As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate the heart limitlessly with regard to all beings. With goodwill for the entire cosmos, cultivate the heart limitlessly: above, below, & all around, unobstructed, without hostility or hate."
"One who sincerely seeks inner peace and happiness sees the power of loving-friendliness."
"Lovingkindness offers care and well-wishing to another without expectation or demand. There is no distance between their well-being and our own."
"Forget about deserving happiness, "deserving" is not ever part of mettaa practice: not part of it when you are directing mettaa to yourself and not part of it when you are directing it to anyone else Although mettaa is usually translated as "loving-kindness," it really is "unconditional love"
"The foundation of metta practice is to know how to be our own friend. According to the Buddha, "You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
"My favorite expression of metta is encompassed by the words "the door of my heart is fully open to you, forever, whoever you are and whatever you have done."