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Maitri

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Sanskrit term for loving-kindness (equivalent to Pali “metta”), the wish for all beings to be happy and free from suffering.

Detailed Definition
Maitri is the warm sun of the awakened heart. In Mahayana poetry, it radiates without condition—embracing friend, stranger, and foe. Poets describe it as the first breath of bodhicitta, the force that turns inward peace into outward care, dissolving the walls between self and other.
Example
Example in poetry:
A Buddhist poem: “Maitrī is wishing joy for the one who hurt you”; In a modern verse, “Maitrī isn’t passive—it’s active goodwill, even when justice demands boundaries”; A minimalist lyric: “Maitrī: love without strings”; A meditation reflection: “Start with yourself—maitrī begins where self-hatred ends.”
Additional Notes
Maitri is the Sanskrit term for loving-kindness, the unconditional wish for all beings to have happiness and its causes. It is the first of the Four Immeasurables (Brahmaviharas) and is cultivated through specific meditation practices where one radiates love outward to friends, strangers, enemies, and all sentient beings. In poetry, Maitri can be a theme of universal, boundless love that transcends personal attachment.
Also Known As
Metta Loving-kindness Maitreya
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