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“Face to face, venerable sir, I heard this from the Blessed One, face to face I received it: ‘One who gives what is pleasing obtains what is pleasing.’ Pleasing to me, venerable sir, is this rice meal, of fine quality, with many curries and many sauces; may the Blessed One accept it from me, out of compassion.” The Blessed One accepted it out of compassion. “Face to face, venerable sir, I heard this from the Blessed One, face to face I received it: ‘One who gives what is pleasing obtains what is pleasing.’ Pleasing to me, venerable sir, are these Kasi cloths; may the Blessed One accept them from me, out of compassion.” The Blessed One accepted them out of compassion. “Face to face, venerable sir, I heard this from the Blessed One, face to face I received it: ‘One who gives what is pleasing obtains what is pleasing.’ Pleasing to me, venerable sir, is this couch, covered with a goat’s wool rug, covered with a patchwork rug, covered with a rug of choice antelope hide, with a canopy, and with red cushions at both ends. But also, venerable sir, we know this: ‘This is not suitable for the Blessed One.’ This sandalwood plank of mine, venerable sir, is worth more than a hundred thousand; may the Blessed One accept it from me, out of compassion.” The Blessed One accepted it out of compassion. Then the Blessed One gladdened Ugga, the householder of Vesali, with this discourse of appreciation: One who gives what is pleasing Obtains what is pleasing; He who gives with devotion To those who are upright; Clothing, lodging, food and drink, And various other requisites. What is given and released, And is beneficial, Knowing the Arahants To be like a field; That good person, having given up What is difficult to give up, One who gives what is pleasing Obtains what is pleasing. Then the Blessed One, having gladdened Ugga, the householder of Vesali, with this discourse of appreciation, rose from his seat and departed. Then Ugga, the householder of Vesali, passed away at a later time. Ugga, the householder of Vesālī, who was adorned, passed away, and was reborn in a mind-made body. At that time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then Ugga, the deva-son, when the night was far advanced, with surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta's Grove, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he stood to one side. To Ugga, the deva-son, standing to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Are your wishes fulfilled, Ugga?" "Indeed, Blessed One, my wishes are fulfilled." Then the Blessed One addressed Ugga, the deva-son, with verses: "He who gives what is pleasing obtains what is pleasing; He who gives the best obtains the best in return; He who gives the excellent becomes an obtainer of the excellent; Giving the supreme, he attains the supreme state. "The person who is a giver of the best, a giver of the excellent, and a giver of the supreme; becomes long-lived and renowned, wherever he is reborn." The fourth. 5. The Discourse on Streams of Merit "Monks, there are these five streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a pleasant result, conducive to heaven, conducive to what is wished for, desired, agreeable, beneficial, and happy. "Which five? Monks, when a monk, while using robes, enters and dwells in immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a pleasant result, conducive to heaven, conducive to what is wished for, desired, agreeable, beneficial, and happy. "Monks, when a monk, while using almsfood... Monks, when a monk, while using a dwelling... Monks, when a monk, while using a couch or chair... "Monks, when a monk, while using requisites for the sick and medicine, enters and dwells in immeasurable concentration of mind, for him there is an immeasurable stream of merit, a stream of skillfulness, sustenance for happiness, leading to heaven, with a pleasant result, conducive to heaven, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, conducing to what is wished for, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. These five streams of merit, monks, streams of skillfulness, are nourishment for happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, conducing to what is wished for, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy. And for a noble disciple, monks, endowed with these five streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, it is not easy to measure the merit, saying: 'So much is the stream of merit, the stream of skillfulness, the nourishment for happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, conducing to what is wished for, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy.' Rather, it is reckoned as an immeasurable, incalculable, great mass of merit. Just as, monks, in the great ocean, it is not easy to measure the water, saying: '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.' Rather, it is reckoned as an immeasurable, incalculable, great mass of water. Even so, monks, for a noble disciple endowed with these five streams of merit, streams of skillfulness, it is not easy to measure the merit, saying: 'So much is the stream of merit, the stream of skillfulness, the nourishment for happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, conducing to what is wished for, to what is dear, to what is pleasing, to what is beneficial, to what is happy.' Rather, it is reckoned as an immeasurable, incalculable, great mass of merit. The great ocean, boundless, a great lake, full of many terrors, an abode of hosts of jewels; just as rivers, frequented by hosts of men, flowing widely, approach the ocean. So too, to a person who gives food, drink, and clothing, who gives beds, seats, and coverings; streams of merit approach that wise one, just as rivers bearing water approach the ocean. Discourse on Accomplishments 46. "Monks, there are these five accomplishments. Which five? The accomplishment of faith, the accomplishment of virtue, the accomplishment of learning, the accomplishment of generosity, the accomplishment of wisdom. These, monks, are the five accomplishments." Discourse on Treasures 47. "Monks, there are these five treasures. Which five? The treasure of faith, the treasure of virtue, the treasure of learning, the treasure of generosity, the treasure of wisdom. "And what, monks, is the treasure of faith? Here, monks, a noble disciple is endowed with faith, he has faith in the Tathāgata's enlightenment: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... Teacher of gods and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One.' This, monks, is called the treasure of faith. "And what, monks, is the treasure of virtue? Here, monks, a noble disciple abstains from the destruction of life... he abstains from fermented and distilled intoxicants, which are the basis of heedlessness. This, monks, is called the treasure of virtue. "And what, monks, is the treasure of learning? Here, monks, a noble disciple is learned... well-penetrated by view. This, monks, is called the treasure of learning. "And what, monks, is the treasure of generosity? Here, monks, a noble disciple dwells at home with a mind rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, with open hands, delighting in relinquishment, one who is responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of gifts. This, monks, is called the treasure of generosity. "And what, monks, is the treasure of wisdom? Here, monks, a noble disciple is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading to the right destruction of suffering. This, monks, is called the treasure of wisdom. These, monks, are the five treasures." Whoever has faith in the Tathāgata, unshakeable, well-established; And whose virtue is good, dear to the noble ones, praised. Whoever has confidence in the Saṅgha, and a vision that is straight; Him they call not poor, his life is not in vain. Therefore, the wise one, remembering, should devote himself to faith, virtue, confidence, and the vision of the Dhamma. the teaching of the Buddhas.” The seventh. 8. The Discourse on Things Unattainable 48. “There are these five things, monks, unattainable by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deity or a Māra, by a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. Which five? ‘May I not age, being subject to aging’— this is an unattainable thing by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deity or a Māra, by a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. ‘May I not sicken, being subject to sickness’— … ‘May I not die, being subject to death’— … ‘May I not decay, being subject to decay’— … ‘May I not perish, being subject to perishing’— this is an unattainable thing by an ascetic or a brahmin, by a deity or a Māra, by a Brahmā, or by anyone in the world. “For an uninstructed ordinary person, monks, that which is subject to aging, ages. When that which is subject to aging has aged, he does not reflect thus: ‘It is not for me alone that that which is subject to aging, ages; rather, for all beings who come, go, pass away, and reappear, for all beings, that which is subject to aging, ages. If I, when that which is subject to aging has aged, were to grieve, become weary, lament, beat my breast, fall into confusion, my food would not be relished, my body would become discolored, my work would not proceed, my enemies would be pleased, and my friends would be displeased.’ So, when that which is subject to aging has aged, he grieves, becomes weary, laments, beats his breast, falls into confusion. This, monks, is called ‘an uninstructed ordinary person, pierced by the poisonous arrow of sorrow, tormenting himself.’” “Again, monks,