Aṅguttara Nikāya
004. Sumanavaggo

1. Sumanasuttaṃ –– To princess Sumana

004.01. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi. Princess Sumana attended by five hundred princesses approached the Blessed One in five hundred chariots, worshipped the Blessed One, sat on a side and princess Sumana said to the Blessed One: Venerable sir, there are two disciples with faith, virtues and wisdom on the same level, one is a benefactor and the other is not, after death both go to increase and are born in heaven. Is there a difference in those heavenly beings?

The Blessed One said: Sumana, there is a difference. The heavenly being who was a benefactor excels the heavenly being who was not a benefactor in five factors. In heavenly life span, heavenly beauty, heavenly pleasantness, heavenly fame and heavenly authority. The benefactor excels the other in these five factors.

Venerable sir, if they disappear from there and return here as humans is there a difference in those human beings?

The Blessed One said: Sumana, there is a difference. The human being who was a benefactor excels the human being who was not a benefactor in five factors. In human life span, human beauty, human pleasantness, human fame and human authority. The benefactor excels the other in these five factors.

Venerable sir, if they both leave their households and become homeless, to them gone forth is there a difference in their holy lives?

The Blessed One said: Sumana, there is a difference. The one gone forth, who was a benefactor excels the one who was not a benefactor in five factors. Entreated he partakes many robes and few without, entreated he partakes much morsel food and less without entreated he partakes many dwellings and a few without and entreated he partakes much requisites when ill and a few without. Whilst living with the co-associates in the holy life most of their bodily, verbal and mental activities are done pleasantly and a few unpleasantly. Most of the suggestions are done pleasantly and a few unpleasantly. The benefactor excels the other in these five factors.

Venerable sir, if they both become noble is there a difference in those ones who have become noble?

The Blessed One said: Sumana, there is no difference in the release and their release.

Venerable sir, it is wonderful and surprising, indeed gifts should be given and merit should be done, merit is useful for heavenly beings, human beings and even when gone forth.

Sumana, it is so! Certainly, gifts should be given and merit should be done! It becomes useful for heavenly beings, human beings and even to those gone forth.

The Blessed One further said:

When the moon rises in the sky, all the host of stars grow in splendour
Likewise the virtuous, man with faith, excels in liberality among the miserly
The rainy clouds fill the valleys and highlands bringing much wealth,
In the same manner the wise disciple of the rightfully Enlightened One
Excels among the miserly in life span, fame, beauty and pleasantness.
Surrounded by wealth now. Later he rejoices in heaven.

2. Cundīsuttaṃ –– To princess Cundī

004.02 At one time the Blessed One was living in the squirrels’ sanctuary in Rajagaha. Princess Cundi attended by five hundred princesses approached the Blessed One in five hundred chariots, worshipped the Blessed One, sat on a side and princess Cundi said to the Blessed One:

Venerable sir, my brother prince Cunda says: Whether it’s a woman or man if he takes refuge in the Blessed One, the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus, abstains from destroying living things, taking the not given, misbehaviour in sexual conduct, telling lies, and taking intoxicated and brewed drinks, after death he is born in heaven and does not go to loss. I ask the Blessed One: Venerable sir, placing what kind of faith in the Teacher, the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus, would someone after death be born in heaven and not in loss?

Cundi, of all beings without feet, two feet, four feet or many feet, material or immaterial, perceptive or not, neither perceptive nor non- perceptive, of them the Thus Gone One, worthy and rightfully enlightened is the foremost. Placing faith in the Enlightened One is placing faith in the highest and it brings the highest results.

Cundi, of all things compounded or not compounded, dispassionateness is the foremost. Such as freedom from pride and conceit, allaying thirsts, destroying settling places, breaking up the rounds of rebirth, destruction of craving, disenchantment, cessation and extinction. Cundi, they that have faith in dispassionateness, have placed faith in the highest for highest results

Cundi, of all communities or gatherings the disciples of the Thus Gone One are foremost, such as the four doublets of eight Great Men, who are reverential, worthy of hospitality, gifts and veneration with clasped hands, the field of merit for the world. Cundi, they that have faith in the Community of bhikkhus, have placed faith in the highest for highest results

Cundi, of virtues, the virtues desired by the noble ones is foremost. Such as the virtues that are unbroken, not fissured, without spots, are pure, consistent, free of slavery, praised by the wise as unaffected and conducive to concentration. Cundi, completeness of the virtues desired by the noble ones is the highest completeness, for that highest completeness there are highest results.

Faith should be placed in the highest, knowing the highest Teaching
Faith in the Enlightened One worthy of incomparable offerings,
Faith in the pleasure of disenchantment of things
Faith in the Community of bhikkhus, the incomparable field of merit
Making offerings to them the highest merit is accrued
Of the most excellent of life span, beauty, fame, pleasantness and power
The wise give to the highest, settled in the highest teaching.
And gaining the highest as god or man enjoy that bliss.

3. Uggahasuttāṃ –– Uggaha the grand son of Mendaka

004.03. At one time the Blessed One lived in Bhaddiya in the dense forest. Then Uggaha the grand son of Mendaka approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said: Venerable sir, may the Blessed One accept tomorrow’s meal from me with three others. The Blessed One accepted in silence. Then Uggaha the grand son of Mendaka knowing that the Blessed One had accepted got up from his seat, worshipped and circumambulated the Blessed One and went away.

The Blessed One at the end of that night, putting on robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes approached the home of Uggaha the grandson of Mendaka and sat on the prepared seats. Then Uggaha the grandson of Mendaka served with his own hands the Blessed One with nourishing eatables and drinks. Knowing that the Blessed One had finished taking the meal and had put away the bowl, he sat on a side and said to the Blessed One: Venerable sir, these girls will be going to their husbands clans. Venerable sir, may the Blessed One advise them for their welfare for a long time.

The Blessed One said to those girls: Therefore, girls, you should train thus. Our mother and father shows our husbands out of compassion for our welfare. We will rise when they approach, will go to sleep after them, will do their duties obediently. We will do their wishes, will talk to them pleasantly

Therfore, girls, you should train thus: We will honour and revere the elders in the husbands’ homes, whether mother or father, recluses or Brahmins. At their arrival we will offer them seats and water

Therefore girls, you should train thus: Whatever activities there be in the husband’s home if it is to comb silk thread, we will be clever and not lazy and become efficient to do them ourselves and to get it done by others.

Therefore girls, you should train thus: We should know the people in our husband’s home, whether servants, messengers or workmen. We should know what they should do, and what they should not do. We should know the sick, the fit and the physically unfit, eatables and nourishments we will divide up to the last.

Therefore girls, you should train thus: Whatever our husbands bring, wealth, grains, silver or gold, we will protect them, and we should do it without anger, without a thievish mind, without an addiction to it and with a protective mentality. Girls, a woman endowed with these five things after death are born in the company of the gods of pleasantness

Do not belittle your husband, who supports you actively and zealously,
Do not disturb the master’s mind and make him angry with selfish thoughts
The wise should honour the master and all the elders in the clan
With aroused effort zealously attend on the lower staff too,
Do the wishes of the master and protect all
The woman who sees to the interests of the husband thus,
Is born with the gods of happiness.

4. Sīhasenapatisuttaṃ –– The general Siha

004.04. At one time the Blessed One was living in the gabled house in the Great Forest in Vesali. Then General Siha approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said: Venerable sir, could the Blessed One point out the results of benevolence here and now?

Siha, it is possible. The benevolent one is pleasant and pleasing to the populace, this is a result evident to him here and now.

Again, Siha the benevolent one, associates appeased Great Men, this is a result evident to him here and now.

Again, Siha the benevolent one is praised, this is a result evident to him here and now.

Again, Siha the benevolent one approaching whatever gathering whether of warriors, Brahmins or householders, he approaches them undisturbed with self confidence, this is a result evident to him here and now.

Again, Siha the benevolent one is born in heaven after death, this is a result to him here after.

Then the general Siha said to the Blessed One, until these four results of benevolence that are here and now are explained I did not gain such faith in the Blessed One, am aware of the results of benevolence here after. Venerable sir, am a benefactor pleasing to the populace, I associate appeased Great Men, fame has spread about me, to say that am a benefactor and that I attend on the Community. Whatever gathering it may be, whether warriors, Brahmins or householders, I approach with self confidence, unconfused. Venerable sir, until the Blessed One told that the benefactor is born in a good state, in heaven after death, I was not aware of it. I take faith in the Blessed One on account of that too.

Siha, it is so! the benefactor is born in a good state, in heaven after death.
Many associate the pleasing benefactor and his wealth and fame increase.
The not selfish man approaches gatherings unconfused, with self-confidence.
Therefore the wise dispel the stains of selfishness and give gifts desiring pleasantness.
Making merit and disappearing from here, they delight in the company of gods,
Endowed with the five strands of sensuality, they delight in heaven.
The disciples of the Well Gone One delight in heaven not clinging.

5. Dānānisaṃsa –– The benefits of giving gifts

004.05. Bhikkhus, these five are the benefits of giving gifts. What five?

Becomes pleasing to many, associates appeased Great Men, a good name spreads, the ethics of the lay life get completed, after death is born in a good state, in heaven. These are the five benefits of giving gifts.

The benevolent gradually become pleased in the Teaching of the mind,
The appeased and restrained leading a holy life associate him
They teach him to end all unpleasantness
He knowing that Teaching extinguishes without desires.

6. Kāladānasuttaṃ –– Giving gifts at the right time

004.06. Bhikkhus, these are five gifts to be given at the right time. What five?

Giving gifts to a guest, giving gifts to one going away, giving gifts to the sick, giving gifts when there is a famine and leaving aside the first reapings of grains and the first fruits to the virtuous. These are the five gifts to be given at the right time.

The wise give at the right time, talking politely and dispelling selfishness,
Giving to the straightforward noble ones, with a pleasant mind, the results are much
When they are pleased, the results are much,
Good results are not lacking to those who attend rejoicing
Gifts given with an unobstructed mind bring much merit
And merit supports beings in the other world.

7. Bhojanasuttaṃ –– Nourishments

004.07. Bhikkhus, the one who offers nourishments offers five things to the one who accepts them. What five?

Gives life span, beauty, pleasantness, power and understanding.

Giving life span, gains a life span heavenly or human. Giving beauty gains beauty heavenly or human Giving pleasantness gains pleasantness heavenly or human. Giving power gains power, heavenly or human. Giving understanding gains understanding heavenly or human. Bhikkhus, the one who offers nourishments offers these five things to the one who accepts them.

The wise one who gives life span, beauty, understanding and pleasantness,
In return gains life span, beauty, understanding and pleasantness.
Wherever he is born he enjoys long life and fame.

8. Saddhasuttaṃ –– Faith

004.08. Bhikkhus, these five are the results for the clansman’s son who has faith. What five?

Bhikkhus, if there be Great Men in the world, they first show compassion to those with faith, not so much, to those without faith. They first approach those with faith not so much those without faith. They first accept from those who have faith, not so much from those without faith. They first teach those with faith, not so much those without faith. After death, they are born in a good state, in heaven. Bhikkhus, these five are the results for the clansman’s son who has faith.

Bhikkhus, just as there is a banyian tree on the four crossroads of some flat land and it becomes the refuge of many birds. In the same manner the clansman’s son with faith becomes the refuge of many bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, lay disciples male and female.

Like a huge tree with a huge trunk and roots
Endowed with branches, foliage and fruits
Becomes the refuge of birds,
Those in need of the shade seek the shade
And those seeking fruits enjoy them
Likewise the virtuous man with faith, gentleness and congenial ways
Is sought by those free of greed, hate, delusion and without desires
They the field of merit in the world seek such a man
They teach him for the ending of all unpleasantness
They know that teaching and extinguish without desires.

9. Puttasuttaṃ –– Sons

004.09. Bhikkhus, mother and father desire sons to be born in the clan seeing these five needs. What five? Reared they will support us, they will do our work, the clan will be protected in the future, a heritage will be left and when dead and gone they will give us merit. Bhikkhus, mother and father desire sons to be born in the clan seeing these five needs.

Reared they will support us, they will do our work,
The clan will be protected and the heritage will be left,
Or when dead and gone they will give us merit.
The wise seeing these needs desire sons.
Therefore appeased great men who are grateful to their parents
Support mother and father recalling what they did.
They do whatever work that was done by the forefathers
Becoming obedient supports the family and clan
And the son endowed with faith and virtues is praiseworthy

10. Mahāsālaputtasuttaṃ –– Sons of great families

004.10. Bhikkhus, on account of the Himalaya mountains the huge Sala trees grow in five directions. What five? Their branches, leaves and foliage grow, the bark grows, the shoots grow, the sap wood grows and the heartwood grows Bhikkhus, on account of the Himalaya mountains the huge Sala trees grow in these five directions. Bhikkhus, in the same manner on account of the son of a clansman with faith his household grows in five ways. What five? They grow in faith, virtues, learning, benevolence and wisdom. Bhikkhus, on account of the son of a clansman with faith his household grows in these five ways.

On account of him, his wife, children and relations
Co-associates, the circle of friends and those living under him
Grow in virtues, benevolence and good conduct
Doing thoughtfully what they see and
Living according to the Teaching they go to increase
In heaven they delight partaking sensual bliss.