Reading guide
The attacker's exhaustion, not the target's endurance, as the focus
Rather than describing loving-kindness as a shield that absorbs or deflects attack, this discourse describes what happens to the attacker itself — futile effort against something genuinely resistant leads only to the attacker's own weariness and frustration.
A precise, physically absurd task named in full
The specific verbs — fold over, crumple, bend back — describe an obviously impossible feat with bare hands against a rigid, sharp implement, making the futility vivid and immediate rather than abstractly stated.
A rhetorical question confirming the obvious before the point lands
The Buddha asks directly whether the man attempting this task is capable of succeeding, and the mendicants' answer — no, because it isn't easy and he'll only grow weary — supplies the reasoning the subsequent comparison depends on.
Loving-kindness described through its effect on an opponent
This discourse doesn't describe what loving-kindness feels like to cultivate or what benefit it brings the practitioner directly; it describes only its consequence for something attempting to disrupt it, a narrower and more specific claim than SN 20.3-4's broader framing.
Closing a three-part case for loving-kindness's exceptional value
Having established loving-kindness as protection (SN 20.3) and as more fruitful than massive generosity (SN 20.4), this discourse closes the sequence by describing its effect specifically on hostile effort, completing a layered case built across three distinct angles.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, suppose there was a sharp-pointed spear. And a man came along and thought, ‘With my hand or fist I’ll fold this sharp spear over, crumple it, and bend it back!’ What do you think, mendicants? Is that man capable of doing so?” “No, sir. Why not? Because it’s not easy to fold that sharp spear over, crumple it, and bend it back with the hand or fist. That man will eventually get weary and frustrated.”
§2“In the same way, suppose a mendicant has developed the heart’s release by love, has cultivated it, made it a vehicle and a basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it. Should any non-human think to overthrow their mind, they’ll eventually get weary and frustrated. So you should train like this: ‘We will develop the heart’s release by love. We’ll cultivate it, make it our vehicle and our basis, keep it up, consolidate it, and properly implement it.’ That’s how you should train.”
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