What does Maitri mean to us?
Maitri has a profound significance across various traditions and disciplines, including Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi, and biology.
In Sanskrit, Maitrī (मैत्री) is a technical term used in jurisdiction, referring to “too much affection.” In Buddhism, Maitrī (मैत्री, “loving-kindness”) or Maitrā is one of the “four immeasurables” (apramāṇa), as explained in the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 32. According to this text, Maitrī is to think about beings with love, always seeking their safety and happiness, and it is practiced to remove hostility (vyāpāda) towards them.
There are three kinds of Maitrī:
- That which has beings as the object (sattvālambana),
- That which has things as the object (dharmālambana),
- That which has no object (anālambana).
Maitrī is a mental event capable of counteracting the corruptions (kaṣāya) in the mind, such as hatred (dveṣa), hostility (upanāha), avarice (mātsarya), lust (rāga), and other passions (kleśa). As the Buddha said in the sūtras, with a mind associated with loving-kindness (Maitrī), free of enmity, rivalry, and malice, the Bhikṣu intentionally includes all beings from all directions in this mindset, extending it universally.
Maitrī also refers to “friendliness,” as mentioned in the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā, a chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras), and in the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture. In both texts, Maitrī is emphasized as a virtue that pacifies hostility and brings harmony.
In the context of the Abhidharmakośa, Maitrī represents one of the “Four Immeasurables” and is described as the wish for all beings to be happy, acting as an antidote to malice (vyāpāda). In Buddhist ethical conduct (nītiśāstra), Maitrī is defined as friendliness to all creatures, alongside compassion (karuṇa).
In Jainism, Maitrī is also a core concept. It is referred to as “friendliness to all creatures” in the 11th century text Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra by Hemacandra, and as “benevolence” in the Tattvārthasūtra 7.11, where it is described as the desire for others to be free from suffering.
Maitrī is one of the four brahmavihāras (“four practices”) according to the Yogaśāstra 4.75, which also includes joy (muditā), compassion (karuṇā), and equanimity (upekṣā). These practices are means for purification of the mind and are mentioned in various Buddhist texts, as well as by Patañjali in Yogasūtra 1.33.
Maitrī also refers to “friendship,” as seen in the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga by Śubhacandra.
Surrounded by majestic trees and wildlife in Puerto Viejo’s Playa Negra, residents of Maitri Park commit to living amongst the trees and protecting our environment by using sustainable methods of development and living in harmony with the natural beauty that surrounds us.
