Mother and child simile, "mātā yathā niyaṃputta, māyusā ekaputtamanurakkhe"

[mikenz66]

There was some discussion in this thread. Thanissaro Bhikkhu, among others, has argued for that reading:

"There is no love in 'Loving-kindness'" video

I think the two monks (like Ajahn Thanissaro before them) are quite correct in their reading of Mettasutta’s “mother and her only child” simile. The grammar does indeed require that one’s unlimitedly mettāful state of mind (not “all beings”) be taken as corresponding to “the only child”. As for their claim that there’s no love in lovingkindness, this strikes me as only trivially true. Ven. Ñāṇamoli has apparently decided from the outset that he’s going to limit the meaning of “love” to those s…