Background
In Theravāda Buddhism's Pali Canon, mettā is one of the four "divine abodes" (Pali: brahmavihāra) recommended for cultivating interpersonal harmony and meditative concentration (see, for instance, kammaṭṭhāna). In later canonical works (such as the Cariyāpiṭaka), mettā is one of ten "perfections" (pāramī) that facilitates the attainment of awakening (Bodhi) and is a prerequisite to attaining Buddhahood.
According to post-canonical Sutta Nipāta commentary, the background story for the Mettā Sutta is that a group of monks were harassed by tree-dwelling deities in a forest; when the monks seek the Buddha's aid in dealing with the deities, the Buddha teaches the monks the Mettā Sutta for them to recite regularly; the monks do so and, as a result, win over the deities' good will.
Read more about this topic: Metta Sutta
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