Korean Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

This study compares and analyzes how mettā (loving-kindness), a core Buddhist practice, has been conceptualized and practically developed within the Theravāda commentarial tradition centered on the Visuddhimagga, as well as within Mahāyāna Buddhism. The research aims to re-illuminate the intrinsic value of mettā practice through this comparative examination.
Recently, mettā meditation has attracted widespread attention through Western psychology for its psychotherapeutic effects, including stress reduction and the cultivation of positive emotional states. However, an approach that focuses exclusively on these functional outcomes remains limited in that it fails to adequately reflect mettā’s original philosophical depth and its ethical and practical contexts. In particular, the tendency to overlook the ultimate goals of practice—liberation and nirvana—during the popularization of meditation has emerged as a major issue in contemporary meditation scholarship. Within this context, the task of bridging the gap between the traditional foundations of mettā practice and its modern applications, while exploring the holistic meaning of practice grounded in fundamental Buddhist teachings, has become increasingly urgent.
Through a textual analysis, this research demonstrates that Theravāda mettā practice, inheriting the tradition of Early Buddhism, was systematized as a structured “technique” for counteracting defilements, while already containing the latent seeds of altruistic “motive” and “wisdom.” Furthermore, the study illuminates the multi-layered developmental process within Mahāyāna Buddhism, in which mettā becomes integrated with karuṇā (compassion) and bodhicitta, and is sublimated into altruistic practices embodied in the “six pāramitās” grounded in the philosophy of śūnyatā (emptiness).
Through a comparative analysis of these two traditions, this study demonstrates that mettā practice deepens into an integrated framework of “technique, motive, and wisdom.” In response to the recent academic debate framed as “Practice: Transcendence or Healing?”, this analysis shows that transcendence and healing are not opposing concepts, but rather mutually complementary dimensions that must be organically integrated within the deepening process of practice. This framework makes a significant contribution by reaffirming the full context and depth of practice through the integration of mettā’s ultimate goal—liberation (transcendence)—and psychological stability (healing) as progressive and non-separate aims.
Consequently, this study proposes theoretical and practical implications suggesting that modern meditation programs can harmonize the intrinsic value of practice with contemporary applicability by restoring the organic integration of the Threefold Training (śīla, samādhi, paññā). By doing so, it contributes to articulating future directions for the training and formation of mettā meditation instructors.