sutta » sn » sn55 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 55.41

Paṭhamaabhisandasutta

Overflowing Merit (1st)

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā.
“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—
It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …

itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.

Ayaṁ paṭhamo puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe…
the teaching …

saṅghe …pe….
the Saṅgha …

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi.
Furthermore, they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. …

Ayaṁ catuttho puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā.
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:
When a noble disciple has these four kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to measure how much merit they have by saying that

‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti.
this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness.

Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gaṇetuṁ:
It’s like trying to measure how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say

‘ettakāni udakāḷhakānī’ti vā ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakasatānī’ti vā ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakasahassānī’ti vā ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakasatasahassānī’ti vāti.
how many gallons, how many hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of gallons there are.

Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, imehi catūhi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gaṇetuṁ:
In the same way, when a noble disciple has these four kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to measure how much merit they have by saying that

‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti.
this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness.

Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī”ti.
It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ,
“Hosts of people use the rivers,

Bahubheravaṁ ratanagaṇānamālayaṁ;
and though the rivers are many,

Najjo yathā naragaṇasaṅghasevitā,
all reach the great deep, the boundless ocean,

Puthū savantī upayanti sāgaraṁ.
the cruel sea that’s home to precious gems.

Evaṁ naraṁ annapānavatthadadaṁ,
So too, when a person gives food, drink, and clothes;

Seyyāni paccattharaṇassa dāyakaṁ;
and they’re a giver of beds, seats, and mats—

Puññassa dhārā upayanti paṇḍitaṁ,
the streams of merit reach that astute person,

Najjo yathā vārivahāva sāgaran”ti.
as the rivers bring their waters to the sea.”

Paṭhamaṁ.