1.1“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā.“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness.1.2Katame cattāro?What four?1.3Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha …1.4itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti.1.5Ayaṁ paṭhamo puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro.2.1Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe…the teaching …2.2saṅghe …pe….the Saṅgha …

3.1PTS 5.400Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgato hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi.Furthermore, they have the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. …3.2Ayaṁ catuttho puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro.3.3Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā.These are the four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness.

4.1Imehi 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 count how much merit they have by saying that¹4.2‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti.this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness.4.3Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

5.1Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gaṇetuṁ:It’s like trying to count how much water is in the ocean. It’s not easy to say5.2‘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.5.3Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water.

5.4Evameva 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 count how much merit they have by saying that5.5‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti.this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness.5.6Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī”ti.It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.”

6.1Idamavoca bhagavā.That is what the Buddha said.6.2Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

7.1“Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ,“Hosts of people use the rivers,7.2Bahubheravaṁ ratanagaṇānamālayaṁ;and though the rivers are many,7.3Najjo yathā naragaṇasaṅghasevitā,all reach the great deep, the boundless ocean,7.4Puthū savantī upayanti sāgaraṁ.the cruel sea that’s home to precious gems.

8.1Evaṁ naraṁ annapānavatthadadaṁ,So too, when a person gives food, drink, and clothes;8.2Seyyāni paccattharaṇassa dāyakaṁ;and they’re a giver of beds, seats, and mats—²8.3Puññassa dhārā upayanti paṇḍitaṁ,the streams of merit reach that astute person,8.4Najjo yathā vārivahāva sāgaran”ti.as the rivers bring their waters to the sea.”

8.5Paṭhamaṁ.