Maitri (Friendliness; goodwill; loving-kindness): Meaning and Definition

What does Maitri mean in Sanskrit?

Maitri is a feminine Sanskrit noun meaning friendship, friendliness, benevolence, or goodwill. It is related to mitra, “friend,” and maitra, “friendly” or “amicable.” The word therefore carries a relational sense that may be less obvious in the common translation “loving-kindness.”

No single English word covers every use of Maitri. “Friendship” emphasizes relationship, “friendliness” emphasizes disposition, “goodwill” emphasizes the wish for another’s welfare, and “loving-kindness” emphasizes cultivated benevolence. The most accurate choice depends on the tradition and passage being discussed.

What does Maitri mean in the Yoga Sutra?

In Yoga Sutra 1.33, Maitri is the attitude cultivated toward those who are happy. It appears with Karuna toward those who suffer, Mudita toward the virtuous, and Upeksha toward the nonvirtuous. Patanjali states that cultivating these attitudes brings about citta prasadanam, commonly understood as clarity, serenity, or purification of the mind.

Bhoja’s classical commentary glosses Maitri as sauhardam, a term suggesting cordiality, warmheartedness, or good feeling. Bhoja explains that a practitioner responds to another person’s happiness with Maitri rather than envy. This reading shows why Maitri is a practical discipline of mind, not simply a pleasant social manner.

Within this sutra, Maitri supports meditation by reducing the agitation created when another person’s happiness triggers jealousy, comparison, or resentment. The practice functions as an ethical orientation and as preparation for concentration and samadhi.

• Toward happiness, cultivate Maitri, or friendliness.
• Toward suffering, cultivate Karuna, or compassion.
• Toward virtue, cultivate Mudita, or appreciative joy.
• Toward harmful or nonvirtuous conduct, cultivate Upeksha, or balanced impartiality.

How is Maitri practiced in yoga?

Maitri can be practiced by noticing how the mind reacts to another person’s happiness. When comparison or jealousy arises, the practitioner intentionally replaces that reaction with goodwill. A simple reflection such as “May this person’s happiness continue” can serve as a modern practice prompt, although that wording is not a quotation from the Yoga Sutra.

Maitri does not require personal intimacy, agreement, or approval of every action. Goodwill can coexist with clear boundaries. The practice concerns the quality of one’s intention and the reduction of ill will, rather than an obligation to form a close relationship with everyone.

For yoga teachers, Maitri can shape how a class community responds to progress. A student’s strength, mobility, insight, or confidence can become an occasion for shared encouragement instead of competition. Teachers can also model Maitri through respectful language and genuine interest in each student’s well-being.

• Notice envy, resentment, or habitual comparison without immediately acting from it.
• Recognize the happiness or well-being that another person is experiencing.
• Form a sincere wish that the person’s well-being continue.
• Respond with words or actions that support goodwill when doing so is appropriate.

How does Maitri differ from Karuna and Mudita?

Maitri, Karuna, and Mudita are related attitudes, but their immediate objects differ in Yoga Sutra 1.33. Maitri responds to happiness with friendliness. Karuna responds to suffering with compassion. Mudita responds to virtue or goodness with appreciative joy. Upeksha provides balance when facing conduct that is harmful or unskillful.

These distinctions help teachers avoid using Maitri as a general label for every form of kindness. Maitri is broad enough to mean benevolence, yet its specific role in the Yoga Sutra concerns the friendly response to another person’s happiness. The four attitudes work together to address different situations encountered in relationships and practice.

What does Maitri mean in Buddhism?

In Buddhist Sanskrit, Maitri is commonly translated as loving-kindness, love, friendliness, goodwill, or benevolence. The corresponding Pali word is Metta. Metta is a linguistic cognate and tradition-specific form, not an alternate Sanskrit spelling of Maitri.

Buddhist traditions place Maitri among the four immeasurables or Brahmaviharas, together with Karuna, Mudita, and Upeksha. In this context, Maitri is the wish that living beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. Its cultivation counters malice and ill will and is extended without limiting goodwill to one’s friends or preferred group.

The Buddhist understanding overlaps substantially with Maitri in classical yoga, particularly in the cultivation of a mind free from ill will. The traditions place the practice within different philosophical and soteriological frameworks, so their teachings should be compared without assuming that every doctrinal detail is identical.

What does Maitri mean in Jainism?

In Jain teaching, Maitri is benevolence or friendship toward living beings. Tattvartha Sutra 7.11 places Maitri alongside delight in the virtuous, compassion for the afflicted, and a balanced or tolerant attitude toward those who are unreceptive to guidance.

This Jain context connects Maitri closely with Ahimsa. Friendship toward living beings supports the restraint of harmful thoughts and actions. The grouping resembles the four attitudes found in the Yoga Sutra, although the wording, objects, and ethical framework differ.

Is “loving-kindness” a complete translation of Maitri?

“Loving-kindness” is an established and meaningful translation, especially in Buddhist writing and meditation instruction. It communicates active benevolence more clearly than casual friendliness. “Goodwill” can be useful when the word “love” suggests attachment, romance, or emotional closeness that the practice does not require.

In a Yoga Sutra discussion, “friendliness” is often the clearest starting point because it reflects the connection with mitra, friend, and fits the traditional instruction to respond well to another person’s happiness. A fuller explanation can include goodwill and loving-kindness so that the translation does not sound superficial.