SN 55.43

Tatiyaabhisandasutta

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā. Katame cattāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Ayaṁ paṭhamo puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro.

Overflowing Merit (3rd)

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness. What four? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe….

the teaching … the Saṅgha …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. Ayaṁ catuttho puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā.

Furthermore, a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is the fourth kind of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness. These are the four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gaṇetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… satthā:

When a noble disciple has these four kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to count how much merit they have by saying that this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Yo puññakāmo kusale patiṭṭhito, Bhāveti maggaṁ amatassa pattiyā; So dhammasārādhigamo khaye rato, Na vedhati maccurājāgamanasmin”ti.

“One who desires merit, grounded in the skillful, develops the path to realize freedom from death. Once they’ve reached the heart of the teaching, delighting in ending, they don’t tremble at the approach of the King of Death.”