Metta (
Pali) or
maitri (
Sanskrit) is benevolence, friendliness, amity, friendship, good will, kindness, close mental union (on same mental wavelength), and active interest in others. It is the first of the four sublime states (
Brahmaviharas) and one of the ten
paramis of the
Theravada school of Buddhism. Metta is
love without the suffering that arises from attachment (known as
upadana).