This book is a great gift from Bhante Dewananda in conveying his ideas on the Metta Sutta. A pearl is hidden inside the shell of an oyster. While most deliverances of the Metta Sutta are given in the shape of an oyster, Bhante Dewananda has peeled the layers away in order for us to see the beauty of the pearl within. This is the greatest gift that one can receive.
In the Pali Canon the Buddha often compares himself to the lion, the king of beasts, and one of the epithets the Buddhist tradition ascribes to him is Sakyasiha, the lion of the Sakyan clan. The Buddha describes his proclamation of the Dhamma as his " lion's roar," a designation the commentaries say implies the qualities of supremacy, fearlessness, and unchallengeable ness. The two sutta were originally translated by the eminent English scholar-mon, Bhikku Nanamoli, in his draft translation of the entire Majjima Nikaya. The translations have been edited and revised by Bhikku Bhodi, who has also provided introductions and notes.