English
(6) 1. The Chapter on Streams of Merit 1. The First Discourse on Streams of Merit 51. At Sāvatthī. "Monks, there are these four streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, nourishments for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. Which four? "Monks, when a monk, while using robes, dwells having attained immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, a nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. "Monks, when a monk, while using almsfood, dwells having attained immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, a nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. "Monks, when a monk, while using lodging, dwells having attained immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, a nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. "Monks, when a monk, while using requisites for the sick, medicine, dwells having attained immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, a nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. These, monks, are the four streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, nourishments for happiness, conducive to heaven, with happy results, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is wished for, dear, agreeable, beneficial, and to happiness. "And, monks, for a noble disciple endowed with these four streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, it is not easy to measure the merit — 'So much merit...' is a flood of merit, a flood of skillfulness, a nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with a happy result, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desirable, lovely, agreeable, beneficial, and conducive to happiness.’ Then it is reckoned as an immeasurable, incalculable great mass of merit. “Just as, bhikkhus, in the great ocean, it is not easy to take a measure of the water—‘so many measures of water, or so many hundreds of measures of water, or so many thousands of measures of water, or so many hundreds of thousands of measures of water’—but rather it is reckoned as an immeasurable, incalculable great mass of water; in the same way, bhikkhus, for an noble disciple endowed with these four floods of merit, floods of skillfulness, it is not easy to take a measure of the merit—‘so much is this flood of merit, flood of skillfulness, nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with a happy result, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desirable, lovely, agreeable, beneficial, and conducive to happiness.’ But rather it is reckoned as anmeasurable, incalculable great mass of merit.” The great ocean, boundless, a great lake, full of many terrors, an abode of excellent jewels; As rivers, frequented by groups of people, various streams flow and reach the ocean. So too, for a person who gives food, drink, and clothing, who gives beds, seats, and coverings; Streams of merit reach that wise person, just as rivers carrying water reach the ocean. The First Discourse on Floods of Merit; 2. The Second Discourse on Floods of Merit 52. “There are, bhikkhus, these four floods of merit, floods of skillfulness, nourishment for happiness, conducive to heaven, with a happy result, leading to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desirable, lovely, agreeable, beneficial, and conducive to happiness. Which four? Here, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha—‘Indeed, that Blessed One is He is the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, endowed with knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, knower of the worlds, the unsurpassed tamer of persons to be tamed, the Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One. This, bhikkhus, is the first stream of merit, stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a happy result, conducive to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desired, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. Furthermore, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Dhamma: ‘The Dhamma is well-proclaimed by the Blessed One, visible here and now, timeless, inviting one to come and see, leading inwards, to be personally experienced by the wise.’ This, bhikkhus, is the second stream of merit, stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a happy result, conducive to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desired, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. Furthermore, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Sangha: ‘The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing well, is practicing uprightly, is practicing for the sake of knowledge, is practicing for the sake of proper conduct; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight individual noble ones— this Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ This, bhikkhus, is the third stream of merit, stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a happy result, conducive to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desired, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. Furthermore, bhikkhus, a noble disciple is endowed with the noble virtues, unbroken, unblemished, unspotted, unblotched, liberating, praised by the wise, untouched by craving, conducive to concentration. This, bhikkhus, is the fourth stream of merit, stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a happy result, conducive to rebirth in heaven, conducive to what is desired, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. These, bhikkhus, are the four streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness. leading to heaven, with pleasant results, conducive to heaven, conducive to what is desirable, lovely, agreeable, beneficial, and for happiness. Whose faith in the Tathāgata, Is unshakeable, well-established; And whose virtue is good, Dear to the noble ones, praised. And whose confidence in the Saṅgha exists, And whose vision is upright; They call him not poor, His life is not in vain. Therefore, faith and virtue, Confidence and vision of the Dhamma; The wise one should cultivate, Remembering the Buddhas' teaching. 3. The First Discourse on Living Together At one time the Blessed One was journeying along the high road between Madhura and Verañja. Many householders, both men and women, were also journeying along the high road between Madhura and Verañja. Then the Blessed One, having left the road, sat down at the root of a certain tree. The householders, both men and women, saw the Blessed One sitting at the root of a certain tree. Having seen him, they approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. As they sat to one side, the Blessed One said this to those householders, both men and women: “These four kinds of living together, householders. Which four? A corpse lives together with a corpse, a corpse lives together with a deity, a deity lives together with a corpse, a deity lives together with a deity. “And how, householders, does a corpse live together with a corpse? Here, householders, a husband is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given, one who engages in sexual misconduct, a speaker of falsehoods, one who indulges in fermented and distilled intoxicants that lead to heedlessness, immoral, of evil character, he dwells in a home with a mind overcome by the stain of stinginess, reviling and abusing ascetics and brahmins; and his wife is also a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given, one who engages in sexual misconduct, a speaker of falsehoods, one who indulges in fermented and distilled intoxicants that lead to heedlessness, immoral, of evil character, with a mind overcome by the stain of stinginess. Mindlessly dwells in the house, abusive and reviling towards recluses and brahmins. Thus, householders, a corpse dwells with a corpse. And how, householders, does a corpse dwell with a goddess? Here, householders, the husband is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given, one who misconducts himself in sensual pleasures, a speaker of falsehoods, one who indulges in fermented and distilled liquors, which are a basis for heedlessness, immoral, of evil character, dwells in the house with a mind overcome by the stain of stinginess, abusive and reviling towards recluses and brahmins; but his wife is abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from misconduct in sensual pleasures, abstaining from falsehoods, abstaining from fermented and distilled liquors, which are a basis for heedlessness, virtuous, of good character, dwells in the house with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, not abusive or reviling towards recluses and brahmins. Thus, householders, a corpse dwells with a goddess. And how, householders, does a god dwell with a corpse? Here, householders, the husband is abstaining from killing living beings,