The Perfection of Loving-kindness - There should be no limits to metta

We should realize which of the perfections are still inadequately developed in our daily life. When we assist others, we should find out to what extent we have developed loving-kindness. When we compare the development of loving- kindness to the development of the other perfections, is metta developed more, less or equal to the other perfections? If we have developed the other perfections but our inclination to assist others with kindness is deficient, we should find out the reason for this. Is it because we are already pleased with our own kusala or is it because of defilements, such as conceit, clinging to the importance of self? We may think that it is not necessary to help someone else. Or, when we have given assistance to someone else we may wonder what the other person will be thinking about us. We should find out whether such thoughts are kusala or akusala. We should instead give assistance to someone without paying attention to what he thinks about us, no matter whether he rejoices in our deed or whether   he blames us, because in reality he cannot harm us. What he thinks about us concerns only himself, not us.
We should realize that no matter how much kusala we have performed already, it is not yet enough. We may believe that it is sufficient, but even when we have developed kusala and realized the four noble Truths to the degree of the streamwinner, sotapanna, it is not yet enough. All defilements should be eradicated and this is realized at the stage of arahatship. Therefore, if someone is an ordinary person, not yet an ariyan who has reached the stage of the sotapanna, he should not be neglectful and believe that he has already sufficiently developed kusala. No matter how many good deeds we have done, it never is enough.
When sati arises we can know what type of akusala is the reason for being disinclined to assist someone else. It may be because of selfishness, or because of conceit, or because we believe that we waste our time, that it is not useful to help others. Some people think that they have done many good deeds already and therefore, they do not want to associate with others. One should ask oneself whether such a thought is kusala or akusala. If we associate with others in order to assist them, the citta is kusala. Thus, we should associate with others so that we can support them to a greater extent. When we are able to have  friendliness to all people we shall not be neglectful of the perfection of metta, loving-kindness. There should be no limits to metta; and if we restrict it there may not be metta but lobha, attachment, which is akusala, not kusala.