Paṭhamapuññābhisandasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti. Katame cattāro? Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cīvaraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four 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. What four? When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while using a robe, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless …

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

When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while eating almsfood, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless …

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

When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while using lodgings, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless …

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, cattāro puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while using medicines and supplies for the sick, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless … These are the four 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, catūhi 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 asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

When a noble disciple has these four 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 asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imehi catūhi 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 asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatīti.

It’s like trying to grasp how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say 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 four kinds of overflowing merit it’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ, Bahubheravaṁ ratanavarānamālayaṁ; 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. Paṭhamaṁ.

In the same way, when a person gives <j>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.”