maitrī [慈] (; Pali mettā; ji): Kindness, friendship, love, benevolence, or pity. Maitrī is one of the four infinite virtues, or the four aspects of a compassionate and altruistic mind, the other three being karunā (compassion), muditā (joy), and upekshā (impartiality). It is construed as giving others delight or happiness. Maitreya, the name of the bodhisattva, derives from the word maitrī. A benevolent and compassionate mind is a quality that Buddhism has always encouraged its practitioners to cultivate and nurture. See also four infinite virtues.