Overflowing MeritPuññābhisandasutta

“Mendicants, there are these five 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.“Pañcime, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

What five?Katame pañca? When a mendicant enters and remains in a limitless immersion of the heart while using a robe …Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cīvaraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati. almsfood … lodging … bed and chair …Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe… yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihāraṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe… yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mañcapīṭhaṁ paribhuñjamāno …pe…. medicines and supplies for the sick, 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.

These are the five 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.Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

When a noble disciple has these five kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to grasp how much merit they have by saying thatImehi ca pana, bhikkhave, pañcahi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: this is the extent of their overflowing merit … that leads to happiness.‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.Atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

It’s like trying to grasp how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say:Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘This is how many gallons, how many hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of gallons there are.’‘ettakāni udakāḷhakānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasahassānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatasahassānīti vā; It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water.atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati’.

In the same way, when a noble disciple has these five kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to grasp how much merit they have:Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imehi pañcahi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘This is how much this overflowing merit … leads to happiness.’‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.Atha kho asaṅkheyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchatīti.

Hosts of people use the rivers,Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ, and though the rivers are many,Bahubheravaṁ ratnagaṇānamālayaṁ; all reach the great deep, the boundless ocean,Najjo yathā naragaṇasaṅghasevitā, the cruel sea that’s home to precious gems.Puthū savantī upayanti sāgaraṁ.

So too, when a person gives food, drink, and clothes;Evaṁ naraṁ annadapānavatthadaṁ, and they’re a giver of beds, seats, and mats—Seyyānisajjattharaṇassa dāyakaṁ; the streams of merit reach that astute person,Puññassa dhārā upayanti paṇḍitaṁ, as the rivers bring their waters to the sea.”Najjo yathā vārivahāva sāgaran”ti.