Visuddhimagga IX-109

Yasmā catassopetā bhāvetukāmena paṭhamaṃ hitākārappavattivasena sattesu paṭipajjitabbaṃ, hitākārappavattilakkhaṇā ca mettā.

（3）欲修习此等四（梵住）者，（一）第一须以维持利益的行相对诸有情而行（慈）；且慈有维持他人的利益的特相。

Ñ(IX,109): One who wants to develop these four should practise them towards beings first as the promotion of the aspect of welfare—and lovingkindness has the promotion of the aspect of welfare as its characteristic;

Tato evaṃ patthitahitānaṃ sattānaṃ dukkhābhibhavaṃ disvā vā sutvā vā sambhāvetvā vā dukkhāpanayanākārappavattivasena, dukkhāpanayanākārappavattilakkhaṇā ca karuṇā.

（二）其次若见若闻若思希望获得利益的有情为苦所逼恼，当起拔除他们的苦恼（而对他们行悲）；且悲有拔除他人的苦恼的行相为特相。

Ñ: and next, on seeing or hearing or judging that beings whose welfare has been thus wished for are at the mercy of suffering, they should be practised as the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering—and compassion has the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering as its characteristic;

Athevaṃ patthitahitānaṃ patthitadukkhāpagamānañca nesaṃ sampattiṃ disvā sampattipamodanavasena, pamodanalakkhaṇā ca muditā.

（三）如是（修习者）若见希望得利益及希望拔除苦恼的彼等（有情）而获得成功，当以喜悦他们的幸福（而对他们行喜）；且喜有喜悦（他人幸福）的特相。

Ñ: and then, on seeing the success of those whose welfare has been wished for and the removal of whose suffering has been wished for, they should be practised as being glad—and gladness has the act of gladdening as its characteristic;

Tato paraṃ pana kattabbābhāvato ajjhupekkhakattasaṅkhātena majjhattākārena paṭipajjitabbaṃ, majjhattākārappavattilakkhaṇā ca upekkhā.

（四）此后更无所作故当以称为舍置的中立态度而行（舍），且舍有维持中立的行相的特相。

Ñ: but after that there is nothing to be done and so they should be practised as the neutral aspect, in other words, the state of an onlooker—and equanimity has the promotion of the aspect of neutrality as its characteristic;

Tasmā ito hitādiākāravasā panāsaṃ paṭhamaṃ mettā vuttā, atha karuṇā muditā upekkhāti ayaṃ kamo veditabbo.

是故说依利益等的行相而第一为慈，其次为悲、为喜、为舍，是他们的次序。

Ñ: therefore, since their respective aims are the aspect of welfare, etc., their order should be understood to correspond, with lovingkindness stated first, then compassion, gladness and equanimity.