4:6 Punnabhisandavaggo

Aṅguttara Nikāya

006. Puññābhisandavaggo –– Overflows of merit

1. Paṭhamapuññābhisandasuttāṃ –– The first on overflows of merit

006.01. The origin is Sāvatthi.

Bhikkhus, these four are overflows of merit and right conduct, promoters of heavenly bliss and happiness and they bring worldly pleasure agreeability and charm. What four?

Bhikkhus, should the bhikkhu abide in timeless concentration of the mind, wearing robes, offered by someone, to the offerer it brings overflows of merit and right conduct, promoting heavenly bliss and happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm. Bhikkhus, should the bhikkhu abide in timeless concentration of the mind, partaking whosever morsel food, it conduces to overflows of merit and right conduct, promoting heavenly bliss and happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm. Bhikkhus, should the bhikkhu abide in timeless concentration of the mind, in whosever dwelling, it conduces to overflows of merit and right conduct, promoting heavenly bliss and happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm. Bhikkhus, should the bhikkhu abide in timeless concentration of the mind, partaking whosever medicinal requisties, it conduces to overflows of merit and right conduct, promoting heavenly bliss and happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

Bhikkhus, it is not easy to measure the accumulation of merit of the noble disciple endowed with these four outflows of merit and right conduct, promotions of heavenly bliss, happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm—It becomes an immeasurable limitless mass of merit.

Bhikkhus, just as it is difficult to measure the great ocean’s water as the number of vessel fulls, is this much or this much In the same manner it is not easy to measure the accumulation of merit of the noble disciple endowed with these four outflows of merit and right conduct, promotions of heavenly bliss and happiness and worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm—It becomes an immeasurable limitless mass of merit.

Limitless expanses of water, great lakes, the homes of fear, gems and crowds
Rivers serving men women and all the community empty themselves into the ocean
Even so the wise, giving gifts of eatables, drinks, clothes beds, seats and spreads
Accumulate flows of merit like the rivers that empty themselves into the ocean.

2. Ḍutiyapuññābhisandasuttāṃ –– The second on overflows of merit

006.02. Bhikkhus, these four are overflows of merit and right conduct, promotions of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringers of worldly pleasure agreeability and charm. What four?

Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Enlightened One. -That Blessed One is worthy, rightfully enlightened endowed with knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the worlds, the incomparable tamer of those to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed. Bhikkhus, this is the first overflow of merit and right conduct, the promotion of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringer of worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

Again,bhikkhus, the noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Teaching, the Blessed One’s Teaching is well declared, is here and now, not a matter of time, open to inspection, leading inwards and is to be realized by the wise by themselves. Bhikkhus, this is the second overflow of merit and right conduct, the promotion of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringer of worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

Again, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Community of bhikkhus. The disciples of the Blessed One have come to the right path, the straight path, the wise path, the path of mutual understanding. They are the four pairs of eight Great Men. They are suitable for hospitality, reverence, gifts and veneration with clasped hands. The noble field of merit for the world. Bhikkhus, this is the third overflow of merit and right conduct, the promotion of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringer of worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

Again, bhikkhus, the noble disciple is endowed with the virtues favoured by the noble ones. Virtues that are not broken, fissured, blemished or spotted and virtues praised by the wise as conducive to concentration.

Bhikkhus, this is the fourth overflow of merit and right conduct, the promotion of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringer of worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

Bhikkhus, these are the four overflows of merit and right conduct, the promotions of heavenly bliss and happiness and the bringers of worldly pleasure, agreeability and charm.

If someone’s unwavering faith is established in the Thus Gone One
And if virtues favoured by the noble one’s are his,
Establishing faith in the Community if he has rectified his view,
He is neither poor nor is his life useless
Therefore the wise gain right view, faith and virtues
And establish themselves in the dispensation of the Enlightened One.

3. Paṭhamasaṇvāsasuttaṃ –– The first on living together

006.03. Once the Blessed One going from Madhura to Verañja had come to that path and many householders and their wives going from Madhura to Verañja were also on that path. The Blessed One deviating from the path sat on the prepared seat under a certain tree. The householders and their wives seeing the Blessed One seated under a tree approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side. The Blessed One addressed them.

Householders, there are four kinds of living together. What four?

A dead male lives with a dead female, a dead male lives with a godess, a god lives with a dead female and a god lives with a godess.

Householders, how does the dead male live with the dead female?

Here, householders the husband destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife too destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Householders, thus a dead male lives with a dead female.

Householders, how does a dead male live with a godess?

Here, householders the husband destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Householders, thus a dead male lives with a godess.

Householders, how does a god live with the dead female?

Here, householders the husband abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Householders, thus a god lives with a dead female.

Householders, how does a god live with a godess?

Here, householders the husband abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife too abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Householders, thus a god lives with a godess.

Householders, these are the four kinds of living together.
Both are unvirtuous, greedy and abusive, a dead husband living with a dead wife.
An unvirtuous greedy abusive husband lives with a generous not envying wife.
That’s a godess living with a dead husband. A generous not envying husband too
Lives with an unvirtuous, greedy, abusive wife; a god with a dead female
If both husband and wife are generous, restrained and live a righteous life
Are pleasant to each other it’s for an abundance of good, they live together.
Seeing both are virtuous, their enemies will be unhappy
They will lead a happy life here and enjoy heavenly sensual bliss hereafter.

4. Dutiyasaṃvāsasuttaṃ –– The second on living together

006.04. Bhikkhus, there are four kinds of living together. What four?

A dead male lives with a dead female, a dead male lives with a godess, a god lives with a dead female and a god lives with a godess.

Bhikkhus, how does the dead male live with the dead female?

Here, bhikkhus the husband destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife too destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Bhikkhus, thus a dead male lives with a dead female.

Bhikkhus, how does a dead male live with a godess?

Here, bhikkhus the husband destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Bhikkhus, thus a dead male lives with a godess.

Bhikkhus, how does a god live with the dead female?

Here, bhikkhus the husband abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife destroys living things, takes the not given, misbehaves in sexual desires, tells lies, takes intoxicant and brewd drinks, is unvirtuous with evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Bhikkhus, thus a god lives with a dead female.

Bhikkhus, how does a god live with a godess?

Here, bhikkhus the husband abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. The wife too abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaving in sexual desires, telling lies, taking intoxicant and brewd drinks, is virtuous without evil thoughts of miserliness and selfishness and abides not scolding and abusing recluses and Brahmins. Bhikkhus, thus a god lives with a godess.

Bhikkhus, these are the four kinds of living together.

Both are unvirtuous, greedy and abusive, a dead husband living with a dead wife.
An unvirtuous greedy abusive husband lives wi th a virtuous, generous wife not envying,
That’s a godess living with a dead male. A generous husband too lives not envying
With an unvirtuous, greedy, abusive wife; that’s a god with a dead female
If both husband and wife are generous restrained and live a righteous life
Pleasant to each other it’s for an abundance of good, they live together.
Seeing both are virtuous, their enemies will be unhappy
They will lead a happy life here and enjoy heavenly sensual bliss after death.

5. Paṭhamasamajīvīsuttaṃ –– The first on living, on equal status

006.05. At one time the Blessed One was living in the deer park in the Besakala forest among the Sumsumara peaks in the Bhagga country. The Blessed One putting on robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes approached the home of the householder Nakulapita, and sat on the prepared seat. The householder Nakulapita and his wife approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side. Then the householder Nakulapita said thus to the Blessed One.

Venerable sir, from the day I brought Nakulamata in her childhood, even as a child, I do not know of her mind looking outside, and never desiring outside bodily contacts. Venerable sir, we desire to know each other here and now, so also here after.

Then the householder’s wife, Nakulamata too said thus to the Blessed One.

Venerable sir, from the day I was brought by Nakulapita in my childhood, even as a child I do not know of his mind looking outside, and never desiring outside bodily contacts. Venerable sir, we desire to know each other here and now, so also here after.

Householders, if husband and wife wish to know each other here and now, both should be endowed with the same measure of faith, virtues, benevolence, and wisdom. Then they will know each other here after as well.

Both virtuous, generous, restrained and living righteously
They are the couple who speak to each other lovingly.
Results would be abundant, the living together will be meaningful.
Enemies, of the two with equal virtues, would be unhappy
The couple will lead a happy life here and now
And enjoy heavenly sensual bliss after death.

6. Dutiyasamajīvīsuttaṃ –– Second on living on equal status

006.06. Bhikkhus, if husband and wife wish to know each other here and now, both should be endowed with the same measure of faith, virtues, benevolence, and wisdom. Then they will know each other here after as well.

7. Suppāvasasuttaṃ –– To Suppavasa the daughter of the Koliyas

006.07. At one time the Blessed One was living in the country of the Koliyas in a hamlet named Sajjanela. The Blessed One putting on robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes approached the house of Suppavasa the daughter of the Koliyas and sat on the prepared seat. Suppavasa the daughter of the Koliyas with her own hands served the Blessed One with nourishing eatables and drinks. When the meal was over and the Blessed One had put the bowl aside, Suppavasa the dāuaghter of the Koliyas sat on a side, the Blessed One said thus to her:

Suppavasa, she that gives nourishment to the noble disciples, gives four things to the one who accepts. What four?

Gives, life span, beauty, pleasantness and power. Giving life span becomes a gainer of life span either heavenly or human. Giving beauty becomes a gainer of beauty either heavenly or human. Giving pleasantness becomes a gainer of pleasantness either heavenly or human. Giving power becomes a gainer of power either heavenly or human.

Offering tasty, well prepared, pure nourishments,
To the accomplished, one falls to the straight path,
The knower of the worlds praise it, as the highest overflow of merit
Recalling such feelings dispel selfishness and acquire a place in heaven.

8. Sudattasuttaṃ –– To the householder Sudatta

006.08. Ṭhe householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side. The Blessed One said thus to him:

Householder, he that gives nourishment to the noble disciples, gives four things to the one who accepts. What four?

Those that follow up in their conscience,
Well prepared offerings made at the right time by others too,
Offer life span, beauty, pleasantness and power
And are born with long life and fame wherever they are born.

9. Bhojanasuttaṃ –– Nourishments

006.09. Bhikkhus, he that gives nourishments gives four things to the one who accepts. What four?

Bhikkhus, he that gives nourishments gives four things to the one who accepts.

10. Gihisāmicisuttaṃ –– The right course of action of laymen

006. 10. Ṭhe householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side. The Blessed One said thus to him:

Householder, the noble disciple endowed with four things falls to the right course of actions with laymen conducive to fame and a gain of heavenly bliss. What four?

Here, householder the noble disciple attends on the Community of bhikkhus with robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisites when ill.

Householder, the noble disciple endowed with these four things falls to the right course of actions with laymen conducive to fame and a gain of heavenly bliss.

The wise fall to the right course of action of laymen,
Offering robes, morsel food, beds and requistes when ill,
To the virtuous who have attained the highest.
Thus they increase their merit day and night
Doing good actions, they secure a place in heaven.