I could have pasted in only the link from the accesstoinsight.org website, but this sutta, from the Pali canon (the sutta section of the tripitika), is so impacting for me that I had to copy and paste the whole thing below.
Reading it I can connect the dots between it and the Lojong traditions that developed in Tibet. I am not a scholar or an academic, but to read suttas from the Pali canon is incredibly inspiring especially when we recognize that the practice lineages alive today follow the thread of these ideas in a way that is real, grounded, and practical. For example, in relation to this sutta, you can read the words of the lamrim section of the Lama Chopa, and see the connection, namely, that specific practices, such as tonglen, that developed over time to counteract the "demon" of self-cherishing, are deeply rooted in sutta...
Raja Sutta: The King
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that time King Pasenadi Kosala was together with Queen Mallika in the upper palace. Then he said to her, "Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?"
"No, your majesty," she answered. "There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?"
"No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself."
Then the king, descending from the palace, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "Just now I was together with Queen Mallika in the upper palace. I said to her, 'Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?' "'No, your majesty,' she answered. 'There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?' "'No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself.'"
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
"No, your majesty," she answered. "There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?"
"No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself."
Then the king, descending from the palace, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "Just now I was together with Queen Mallika in the upper palace. I said to her, 'Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?' "'No, your majesty,' she answered. 'There is no one more dear to me than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?' "'No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself.'"
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
Searching all directions with one's awareness,
one finds no one dearer than oneself.
In the same way, others are fiercely dear to themselves.
So one should not hurt others if one loves oneself.
