AN 5.45

Puññābhisandasutta

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

Overflowing Merit

“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness. They nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven. They lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness.

Katame pañca? Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cīvaraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

What five? When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while using a robe …

Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe… yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihāraṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe… yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mañcapīṭhaṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe….

almsfood … lodging … bed and chair …

Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

medicines and supplies for the sick, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless … These are the five kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness. They nurture happiness, and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness, and leading to heaven. They lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness.

Imehi ca pana, bhikkhave, pañcahi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

When a noble disciple has these five kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to grasp how much merit they have by saying that this is the extent of their overflowing merit … that leads to happiness. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasahassānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatasahassānīti vā; atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati’. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imehi pañcahi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchatīti.

It’s like trying to grasp how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say: ‘This is how many gallons, how many hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of gallons there are.’ It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water. In the same way, when a noble disciple has these five kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to grasp how much merit they have: ‘This is how much this overflowing merit … leads to happiness.’ It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ, Bahubheravaṁ ratnagaṇānamālayaṁ; Najjo yathā naragaṇasaṅghasevitā, Puthū savantī upayanti sāgaraṁ.

Hosts of people use the rivers, and though the rivers are many, all reach the great deep, the boundless ocean, the cruel sea that’s home to precious gems.

Evaṁ naraṁ annadapānavatthadaṁ, Seyyānisajjattharaṇassa dāyakaṁ; Puññassa dhārā upayanti paṇḍitaṁ, Najjo yathā vārivahāva sāgaran”ti.

So too, when a person gives food, drink, and clothes; and they’re a giver of beds, seats, and mats— the streams of merit reach that astute person, as the rivers bring their waters to the sea.”