Merit

T H E B U D D H A’ S

S T R AT E G I E S

FO R H A PPI N E SS

a study guide

p re p a re d b y

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

1
c o py r ig h t

Copyright © 2013 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

fo r f r e e d i s t r i b u t i o n

You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work

in any medium whatsoever without the author’s permission, provided

that: (1) such copies, etc. are made available free of any charge; (2)

any translations of this work state that they are derived herefrom; (3)

any derivations of this work state that they are derived and differ

herefrom; and (4) you include the full text of this license in any

copies, translations or derivations of this work. Otherwise, all rights

reserved.

additional resources

More Dhamma talks, books and translations by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

are available to download in digital audio and various ebook formats

at dhammatalks.org and accesstoinsight.org .

p r i n t e d co py

A paperback copy of this book is available free of charge. To request

one write to: Book Request, Metta Forest Monastery, PO Box 1409,

Valley Center, CA 92082 USA.

questions

Questions regarding this book may be addressed to: The Abbot, Metta

Forest Monastery, PO Box 1409, Valley Center, CA 92082 USA.

2
 Introduction

OF ALL THE CONCEPTS central to Buddhism, merit (puñña) is one

of the least known and least appreciated in the West. This is perhaps

because the pursuit of merit seems to be a lowly practice, focused on getting

and “selfing,” whereas higher Buddhist practice focuses on letting go,

particularly of any sense of self. Because we in the West often feel pressed

for time, we don’t want to waste our time on lowly practices, and instead

want to go straight to the higher levels. Yet the Buddha repeatedly warns

that the higher levels cannot be practiced in a stable manner unless they

develop on a strong foundation. The pursuit of merit provides that

foundation. To paraphrase a modern Buddhist psychologist, one cannot

wisely let go of one’s sense of self until one has developed a wise sense of

self. The pursuit of merit is the Buddhist way to develop a wise sense of

self.

The following readings show how this is done. They begin with a

section on basic wisdom, which shows how the questions that lead

ultimately to the wisdom of letting go first focus on things to hold onto: the

skillful traits that, on the beginning level, provide a secure place to stand

while letting go of character traits that are obviously harmful. Buddhist

wisdom famously focuses on perceptions of inconstancy, stress, and not-self,

but the application of that wisdom grows out of the pursuit of what is

relatively constant and pleasant, and requires a mature sense of self: able to

plan for the future, to anticipate dangers, to sacrifice short-term happiness

for long-term happiness, to consider the needs of others, to substitute

harmless pleasures for harmful ones, and to develop a strong sense of self-

reliance in the pursuit of a happiness that is wise, pure, and compassionate.

The section on merit then sets out in general terms the types of

meritorious activities that conduce to that happiness, focusing primarily on

3
three: giving, virtue, and meditation. The next three sections focus on the

ways in which each of these activities can be pursued so as to produce the

most happiness. For instance, the section on giving discusses how the

happiness of generosity can be maximized by wisely choosing the proper

motivation for giving a gift, a proper gift, and a proper recipient for one’s

gift. The section of virtue shows how to learn from one’s past mistakes

without succumbing to debilitating feelings of guilt. The section on

meditation discusses not only how the development of good will—the

meditative practice most often cited in conjunction with merit—can lead to

happiness both now and in the future, but also how it can help minimize the

bad results of one’s past unwise actions.

All three of these forms of merit conduce to the highest form of merit:

the realization of stream-entry—entering the “stream” to nibbana—the first

glimpse of the deathless. Thus the penultimate section of this study guide

focuses on the happiness and well-being that derive from this attainment.

For all the rewards of meritorious action, however, the concluding

section serves as a reminder that the pursuit of happiness ultimately leads

beyond the pursuit of merit. In fact, this book is planned as part of a two-

part series covering the Buddhist approach to the pursuit of happiness, with

the second part discussing the perceptions of inconstancy, stress, and not-

self as the next stage in approaching the deathless happiness attained with

arahantship. Still, it would be a mistake to view the two stages as radically

separate. In the course of developing a wise sense of self in the pursuit of

merit, one is already learning how to let go of unwise ways of “selfing” as

one learns to overcome stinginess, apathy, and hard-heartedness through the

development of giving, virtue, and good will. The teachings on the three

perceptions simply carry this same process of “de-selfing” for the sake of an

even truer happiness to a higher pitch.

4
 Basic Wisdom

“There are some cases in which a person overcome with pain, his mind

exhausted, grieves, mourns, laments, beats his breast, & becomes

bewildered. Or one overcome with pain, his mind exhausted, comes to

search outside, ‘Who knows a way or two to stop this pain?’ I tell you,

monks, that stress results either in bewilderment or in search.” — AN 6:63

“This is the way leading to discernment: when visiting a contemplative

or brahman, to ask: ‘What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful?

What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What

should not be cultivated? What, when I do it, will be for my long-term harm

& suffering? Or what, when I do it, will be for my long-term welfare &

happiness?’” — MN 135

“What do you think, Rahula: What is a mirror for?”

“For reflection, sir.”

“In the same way, Rahula, bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental

actions are to be done with repeated reflection.

“Whenever you want to perform a bodily action, you should reflect on

it: ‘This bodily action I want to perform—would it lead to self-affliction, to

the affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily action, with

painful consequences, painful results?’ If, on reflection, you know that it

would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it would

be an unskillful bodily action with painful consequences, painful results,

then any bodily action of that sort is absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on

reflection you know that it would not cause affliction… it would be a

skillful bodily action with happy consequences, happy results, then any

bodily action of that sort is fit for you to do.

5
 “While you are performing a bodily action, you should reflect on it:

‘This bodily action I am doing—is it leading to self-affliction, to the

affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily action, with painful

consequences, painful results?’ If, on reflection, you know that it is leading

to self-affliction, to affliction of others, or both… you should give it up. But

if on reflection you know that it is not… you may continue with it.

“Having performed a bodily action, you should reflect on it.… If, on

reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or

to both; it was an unskillful bodily action with painful consequences,

painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it, lay it open to the

Teacher or to a knowledgeable companion in the holy life. Having confessed

it… you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you

know that it did not lead to affliction… it was a skillful bodily action with

happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally refreshed

& joyful, training day & night in skillful mental qualities.

[Similarly with verbal and mental actions, except for the last paragraph

under mental action:]

“Having performed a mental action, you should reflect on it.… If, on

reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or

to both; it was an unskillful mental action with painful consequences,

painful results, then you should feel distressed, ashamed, & disgusted with

it. Feeling distressed… you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on

reflection you know that it did not lead to affliction… it was a skillful

mental action with happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay

mentally refreshed & joyful, training day & night in skillful mental

qualities.

“Rahula, all those contemplatives & brahmans in the course of the past

who purified their bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions, did it

through repeated reflection on their bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental

actions in just this way.

“All those contemplatives & brahmans in the course of the future who

will purify their bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions, will do it

6
through repeated reflection on their bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental

actions in just this way.

“All those contemplatives & brahmans at present who purify their

bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions, do it through repeated

reflection on their bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions in just

this way.

“Thus, Rahula, you should train yourself: ‘I will purify my bodily

actions through repeated reflection. I will purify my verbal actions through

repeated reflection. I will purify my mental actions through repeated

reflection.’ That’s how you should train yourself.” — MN 61

“As for the course of action that is unpleasant to do but that, when

done, leads to what is profitable, it’s in light of this course of action that one

may be known—in terms of manly stamina, manly persistence, manly effort

—as a fool or a wise person. For a fool doesn’t reflect, ‘Even though this

course of action is unpleasant to do, still when it is done it leads to what is

profitable.’ So he doesn’t do it, and thus the non-doing of that course of

action leads to what is unprofitable for him. But a wise person reflects,

‘Even though this course of action is unpleasant to do, still when it is done it

leads to what is profitable.’ So he does it, and thus the doing of that course

of action leads to what is profitable for him.

“As for the course of action that is pleasant to do but that, when done,

leads to what is unprofitable, it’s in light of this course of action that one

may be known—in terms of manly stamina, manly persistence, manly effort

—as a fool or a wise person. For a fool doesn’t reflect, ‘Even though this

course of action is pleasant to do, still when it is done it leads to what is

unprofitable.’ So he does it, and thus the doing of that course of action leads

to what is unprofitable for him. But a wise person reflects, ‘Even though this

course of action is pleasant to do, still when it is done it leads to what is

unprofitable.’ So he doesn’t do it, and thus the non-doing of that course of

action leads to what is profitable for him.” — AN 4:115

If, by forsaking

7
a limited ease,

he would see

an abundance of ease,

the enlightened man

would forsake

the limited ease

for the sake

of the abundant. — Dhp 290

Your own self is

your own mainstay,

for who else could your mainstay be?

With you yourself well-trained

you obtain the mainstay

hard to obtain. — Dhp 160

Your own self is

your own mainstay.

Your own self is

your own guide.

And so you should

watch over yourself—

as a trader, a fine steed. — Dhp 380

Evil is done

by oneself,

by oneself is one defiled.

Evil is left undone

by oneself,

by oneself is one cleansed.

Purity & impurity are one’s own doing.

No one purifies another.

No other purifies one. — Dhp 165

8
 You yourself should reprove yourself,

should examine yourself.

As a self-guarded monk

with guarded self,

mindful, you dwell at ease. — Dhp 379

“And what is the self as a governing principle? There is the case where

a monk, having gone to a wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty

dwelling, reflects on this: ‘It’s not for the sake of robes that I have gone forth

from the home life into homelessness; it’s not for the sake of almsfood, for

the sake of lodgings, or for the sake of this or that state of [future] becoming

that I have gone forth from the home life into homelessness. Simply that I

am beset by birth, aging, & death; by sorrows, lamentations, pains,

distresses, & despairs; beset by stress, overcome with stress, [and I hope,]

“Perhaps the end of this entire mass of suffering & stress might be known!”

Now, if I were to seek the same sort of sensual pleasures that I abandoned in

going forth from home into homelessness—or a worse sort—that would not

be fitting for me.’ So he reflects on this: ‘My persistence will be aroused &

not lax; my mindfulness established & not confused; my body calm & not

aroused; my mind centered & unified.’ Having made himself his governing

principle, he abandons what is unskillful, develops what is skillful,

abandons what is blameworthy, develops what is unblameworthy, and looks

after himself in a pure way. This is called the self as a governing principle.”

— AN 3:40

Ven. Ananda: “‘This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it

is by relying on conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.’ Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was it said? There is the case, sister, where a monk

hears, ‘The monk named such-and-such, they say, through the ending of the

effluents, has entered & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release &

discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself

right in the here & now.’ The thought occurs to him, ‘The monk named

such-&-such, they say, through the ending of the effluents, has entered &

remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release,

9
having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here & now.

Then why not me?’ Then, at a later time, he abandons conceit, having relied

on conceit.” — AN 4:159

Gentle sages,

constantly restrained in body,

go to the unwavering state

where, having gone,

there’s no grief. — Dhp 225

They awaken, always wide awake:

Gotama’s disciples

whose mindfulness, both day & night,

is constantly immersed

in the Buddha…the Dhamma…the Sangha.

They awaken, always wide awake:

Gotama’s disciples

whose mindfulness, both day & night,

is constantly immersed

in the body. — Dhp 296–299

If, by forsaking

a limited ease,

he would see

an abundance of ease,

the enlightened man

would forsake

the limited ease

for the sake

of the abundant. — Dhp 290

“These four types of action have been understood, realized, & made

known by me. Which four? There is action that is dark with dark result;

10
action that is bright with bright result; action that is dark & bright with dark

& bright result; and action that is neither dark nor bright with neither dark

nor bright result, leading to the ending of action.

“And what is action that is dark with dark result? There is the case

where a certain person fabricates an injurious bodily fabrication … an

injurious verbal fabrication… an injurious mental fabrication … He rearises

in an injurious world where he is touched by injurious contacts… He

experiences feelings that are exclusively painful, like those of the beings in

hell. This is called action that is dark with dark result.

“And what is action that is bright with bright result? There is the case

where a certain person fabricates an uninjurious bodily fabrication… an

uninjurious verbal fabrication… an uninjurious mental fabrication.… He

rearises in an uninjurious world where he is touched by uninjurious

contacts.… He experiences feelings that are exclusively pleasant, like those

of the Ever-radiant Devas. This is called kamma that is bright with bright

result.

“And what is action that is dark & bright with dark & bright result?

There is the case where a certain person fabricates a bodily fabrication that

is injurious & uninjurious… a verbal fabrication that is injurious &

uninjurious… a mental fabrication that is injurious & uninjurious.… He

rearises in an injurious & uninjurious world where he is touched by

injurious & uninjurious contacts.… He experiences injurious & uninjurious

feelings, pleasure mingled with pain, like those of human beings, some

devas, and some beings in the lower realms. This is called kamma that is

dark & bright with dark & bright result.

“And what is action that is neither dark nor bright with neither dark nor

bright result, leading to the ending of action? The intention right there to

abandon this action that is dark with dark result … this action that is bright

with bright result… this action that is dark & bright with dark & bright

result. This is called action that is neither dark nor bright with neither dark

nor bright result, leading to the ending of action.” — AN 4:232

11
 [A related discourse repeats most of the above, defining dark action

with dark result with the following example: “There is the case of a certain

person who kills living beings, steals what is not given, engages in sexual

misconduct, tells lies, and drinks fermented & distilled liquors that are the

basis for heedlessness,” and bright action with bright result with the

following example: “There is the case of a certain person who abstains from

killing living beings, abstains from stealing what is not given, abstains from

engaging in sexual misconduct, abstains from telling lies, and abstains from

drinking fermented & distilled liquors that are the basis for heedlessness.”]

— AN 4:234

“And what is action that is neither dark nor bright with neither dark nor

bright result, leading to the ending of action? Right view, right resolve, right

speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right

concentration.” — AN 4:237

Then the Blessed One gave a graduated talk to Upali the householder,

i.e., a talk on giving, a talk on virtue, a talk on heaven; he proclaimed the

drawbacks of, degradation in, & defilement in sensuality, and the rewards of

renunciation. Then—when he knew that Upali the householder was of ready

mind, malleable mind, unhindered mind, exultant mind, confident mind—he

proclaimed to him the distinctive teaching of the Awakened Ones: stress,

origination, cessation, path. Just as a white cloth with stains removed would

rightly take dye, in the same way there arose to Upali the householder, in

that very seat, the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to

origination is all subject to cessation. Then—having seen the Dhamma,

having reached the Dhamma, known the Dhamma, gained a foothold in the

Dhamma, having crossed over & beyond doubt, having had no more

questioning—Upali the householder gained fearlessness and was

independent of others with regard to the Teacher’s message. — MN 56

For a person giving,

merit increases.

12
For one self-restraining,

no animosity is amassed.

One who is skillful

leaves evil behind

and

—from the ending of    passion,

aversion,

delusion—

is totally unbound. — Ud 8:5

13
 Puñña: Merit

A blessing:      friends when the need arises.

A blessing:      contentment with whatever there is.

Merit at the ending of life is a blessing.

A blessing:      the abandoning of all suffering

& stress.

A blessing in the world:

reverence to your mother.

A blessing: reverence to your father as well.

A blessing in the world:

reverence to a contemplative.

A blessing: reverence for a brahmin, too.

A blessing into old age is virtue.

A blessing: conviction established.

A blessing: discernment attained.

The non-doing of evil things is

a blessing. — Dhp 331–333

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “Monks, don’t be afraid of acts of merit. This is another way of

saying what is blissful, desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming—i.e., acts

of merit. I am cognizant that, having long performed meritorious deeds, I

long experienced desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming results. Having

developed a mind of good will for seven years, then for seven aeons of

contraction & expansion I didn’t return to this world. Whenever the aeon

was contracting, I went to the realm of Streaming Radiance. Whenever the

aeon was expanding, I reappeared in an empty Brahma-abode. There I was

14
the Great Brahman, the Unconquered Conqueror, All-seeing, & Wielder of

Power. Then for thirty-six times I was Sakka, ruler of the devas. For many

hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning emperor, a righteous king of

Dhamma, conqueror of the four corners of the earth, maintaining stable

control over the countryside, endowed with the seven treasures*—to say

nothing of the times I was a local king. The thought occurred to me: ‘Of

what action of mine is this the fruit, of what action the result, that I now

have such great power & might?’ Then the thought occurred to me: ‘This is

the fruit of my three [types of] action, the result of three types of action,

that I now have such great power & might: i.e., generosity, self-control, &

restraint.’”

Train in acts of merit

that bring long-lasting bliss—

develop generosity,

a life in tune,

a mind of good will.

Developing these

three things

that bring about bliss,

the wise reappear

in a world of bliss

unalloyed.

*NOT E: The seven treasures are a divine wheel, an ideal jewel, an ideal

elephant, an ideal horse, an ideal wife, an ideal treasurer, an ideal counselor.

— Iti 22

Here he rejoices

he rejoices hereafter.

In both worlds

the merit-maker rejoices.

He rejoices, is jubilant,

seeing the purity

15
 of his deeds.

Here            he delights

he delights      hereafter.

In both worlds

the merit-maker delights.

He delights at the thought,

‘I’ve made merit.’

Having gone to a good destination,

he delights

all the more. — Dhp 16, 18

Be quick in doing

what’s admirable.

Restrain your mind

from what’s evil.

When you’re slow

in making merit,

evil delights the mind. — Dhp 116

Even the evil

meet with good fortune

as long as their evil

has yet to mature.

But when it’s matured

that’s when they meet

with evil.

Even the good

meet with bad fortune

as long as their good

has yet to mature.

But when it’s matured

that’s when they meet

with good fortune.

16
 Don’t be heedless of evil

(‘It won’t come to me’).

A water jar fills,

even with water

falling      in      drops.

With evil—even if

bit

by

bit,

habitually—

the fool fills himself full.

Don’t be heedless of merit

(‘It won’t come to me’).

A water jar fills,

even with water

falling      in      drops.

With merit—even if

bit

by

bit,

habitually—

the enlightened one fills himself full. — Dhp 119–122

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “There are these three grounds for meritorious activity. Which three?

The ground for meritorious activity made of generosity, the ground for

meritorious activity made of virtue, and the ground for meritorious activity

made of development [meditation]. These are the three grounds for

meritorious activity.”

Train in acts of merit

that bring long-lasting bliss—

develop generosity,

a life in tune,

17
 a mind of good will.

Developing these

three things

that bring about bliss,

the wise reappear

in a world of bliss

unalloyed. — Iti 60

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “I have seen beings who—endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal

good conduct, & mental good conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who

held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views—

at the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a good

destination, a heavenly world. It is not from having heard this from another

contemplative or brahman that I tell you that I have seen beings who—

endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, & mental good

conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who held right views and undertook

actions under the influence of right views—at the break-up of the body, after

death, have re-appeared in a good destination, a heavenly world. It’s from

having known it myself, seen it myself, realized it myself that I tell you that I

have seen beings who—endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal good

conduct, & mental good conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who held

right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views—at the

break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in a good destination, a

heavenly world. ”

With mind rightly directed,

speaking right speech,

doing right deeds with the body:

a person here of much learning,

a doer of merit

here in this life so short,

at the break-up of the body,

discerning, reappears in heaven. — Iti 71

18
 As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed

One: “Just now, lord, while I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought

arose in my awareness: ‘Who are dear to themselves, and who are not dear

to themselves?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in bodily

misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct are not dear to

themselves. Even though they may say, “We are dear to ourselves,” still they

aren’t dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward

themselves as an enemy would act toward an enemy; thus they aren’t dear to

themselves. But those who engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal

conduct, & good mental conduct are dear to themselves. Even though they

may say, “We aren’t dear to ourselves,” still they are dear to themselves.

Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as a dear one

would act toward a dear one; thus they are dear to themselves.’”

“That’s the way it is, great king! That’s the way it is! Those who engage

in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct are not dear

to themselves. Even though they may say, ‘We are dear to ourselves,’ still

they aren’t dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act

toward themselves as an enemy would act toward an enemy; thus they aren’t

dear to themselves. But those who engage in good bodily conduct, good

verbal conduct, & good mental conduct are dear to themselves. Even though

they may say, ‘We aren’t dear to ourselves,’ still they are dear to themselves.

Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as a dear one

would act toward a dear one; thus they are dear to themselves.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-

Gone, the Teacher, said further:

“If you hold yourself dear

then don’t fetter yourself

with evil,

for happiness isn’t easily gained

by one who commits

a wrong-doing.

When seized by the End-maker

as you abandon the human state,

19
 what’s truly your own?

What do you take along when you go?

What follows behind you

like a shadow

that never leaves?

Both the merit & evil

that you as a mortal

perform here:

that’s      what’s truly your own,

what you take along when you go;

that’s      what follows behind you

like a shadow

that never leaves.

So do what is admirable,

as an accumulation

for the future life.

Deeds of merit are the support for beings

when they arise

in the other world.” — SN 3:4

As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed

One: “Is there, lord, any one quality that keeps both kinds of benefits secure

—benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come?”

“There is one quality, great king, that keeps both kinds of benefits

secure—benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come.”

“But what, venerable sir, is that one quality… ?”

“Heedfulness, great king. Just as the footprints of all living beings with

legs can be encompassed by the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s

footprint is declared to be supreme among them in terms of its great size; in

the same way, heedfulness is the one quality that keeps both kinds of

benefits secure—benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-

Gone, the Teacher, said further:

20
“For one who desires

long life, health,

beauty, heaven, & noble birth,

—lavish delights, one after another—

the wise praise heedfulness

in doing acts of merit.

When heedful, wise,

you achieve both kinds of benefit:

benefits in this life,

& benefits in lives to come.

By breaking through to your benefit,

you’re called enlightened,

wise. — SN 3:17

21
 Dana: Giving

“Without abandoning these five qualities, one is incapable of entering

& remaining in the first jhana… second jhana… the third jhana… the fourth

jhana; incapable of realizing the fruit of stream-entry… the fruit of once-

returning… the fruit of non-returning… arahantship. Which five? Stinginess

as to one’s monastery [lodgings] … one’s family [of supporters]… one’s

gains… one’s status, and stinginess as to the Dhamma.” — AN 5:256–257

Conquer stinginess with a gift. — Dhp 223

“And what is the treasure of generosity? There is the case of a disciple

of the noble ones, his awareness cleansed of the stain of stinginess, living at

home, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous,

responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms. This is called

the treasure of generosity.” — AN 7:6

Then another deva exclaimed in the Blessed One’s presence:

“Giving is good, dear sir!

Even when there’s next to nothing,

giving is good.

Giving with conviction is good!

The giving of what’s righteously gained

is good!

And further:

Giving with discretion is good!

It’s praised by the One Well-gone:

giving with discretion,

22
 to those worthy of offerings

here in the world of the living.

What’s given to them bears great fruit

like seeds sown in a good field.” — SN 1:33

“These are the five rewards of generosity: One is dear and appealing to

people at large, one is admired by good people, one’s good name is spread

about, one does not stray from the rightful duties of the householder, and

with the break-up of the body at death, one reappears in a good destination,

a heavenly world.” — AN 5:35

“If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving and sharing, they

would not eat without have given, nor would the stain of miserliness

overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they

would not eat without having shared, if there were someone to receive their

gift. But because beings do not know, as I know, the results of giving and

sharing, they eat without have given. The stain of miserliness overcomes

their minds.” — Iti 26

Asibandhakaputta the headman said to the Blessed One, “Venerable

sir, doesn’t the Blessed One in many ways praise kindness, protection, &

sympathy for families?”

“Yes, headman, the Tathagata in many ways praises kindness,

protection, & sympathy for families.”

“Then how, venerable sir, is the Blessed One, together with a large

community of monks, wandering on tour around Nalanda in the midst of

famine, a time of scarcity, when the crops are white with blight and turned

to straw? The Blessed One is practicing for the ruin of families. The Blessed

One is practicing for the demise of families. The Blessed One is practicing

for the downfall of families.”

“Headman, recollecting back over 91 aeons, I do not know any family

to have been brought to downfall through the giving of cooked alms. On the

contrary: Whatever families are rich, with much wealth, with many

23
possessions, with a great deal of money, a great many accoutrements of

wealth, a great many commodities, all have become so from giving, from

truth, from restraint.” — SN 42:9

What the miser fears,

that keeps him from giving,

is the very danger that comes

when he doesn’t give. — SN 1:32

No misers go

to the world of the devas.

Those who don’t praise giving

are fools.

The enlightened

express their approval for giving

and so find ease

in the world beyond. — Dhp 177

“In giving a meal, the donor gives five things to the recipient. Which

five? He/she gives life, beauty, happiness, strength, & quick-wittedness.

Having given life, he/she has a share in long life, either human or divine.

Having given beauty, he/she has a share in beauty, either human or divine.

Having given happiness, he/she has a share in happiness, either human or

divine. Having given strength, he/she has a share in strength, either human

or divine. Having given quick-wittedness, he/she has a share in quick-

wittedness, either human or divine. In giving a meal, the donor gives these

five things to the recipient.”

The enlightened person giving life, strength,

beauty, quick-wittedness—

the wise person, a giver of happiness—

attains happiness himself.

Having given life, strength, beauty,

happiness, & quick-wittedness,

24
 he has long life & status

wherever he arises. — AN 5:37

Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme

radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta’s Grove, went to the Blessed One

and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, stood to one side. As she was

standing there, she recited these verses in the Blessed One’s presence:

When a house is on fire,

the vessel salvaged

is the one that will be of use,

not the one left there to burn.

So when the world is on fire

with aging & death,

you should salvage [your wealth] by giving:

what’s given is well salvaged.

What’s given bears fruit as pleasure.

What isn’t given does not:

Thieves take it away, or kings;

it gets burnt by fire or lost.

Then in the end

you leave the body

together with your possessions.

Knowing this, the intelligent man

enjoys possessions & gives.

Having enjoyed & given

in line with your means,

uncensured you go

to the heavenly state. — SN 1:41

Now on that occasion Princess Sumana—with an entourage of 500

ladies-in-waiting riding on 500 carriages—went to where the Buddha was

25
staying. On arrival, having bowed down, she sat to one side. As she was

sitting there, she said to the Blessed One, “Suppose there were two disciples

of the Blessed One, equal in conviction, virtue, and discernment, but one

was a giver of alms and the other was not. At the break-up of the body, after

death, they would reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. Having

become devas, would there be any distinction, any difference between the

two?”

“Yes, there would,” said the Blessed One. “The one who was a giver of

alms, on becoming a deva, would surpass the other in five areas: in divine

life span, divine beauty, divine pleasure, divine status, and divine power....”

“And if they were to fall from there and reappear in this world: Having

become human beings, would there be any distinction, any difference

between the two?”

“Yes, there would,” said the Blessed One. “The one who was a giver of

alms, on becoming a human being, would surpass the other in five areas: in

human life span, human beauty, human pleasure, human status, and human

power.…”

“And if they were to go forth from home into the homeless life of a

monk: Having gone forth, would there be any distinction, any difference

between the two?”

“Yes, there would,” said the Blessed One. “The one who was a giver of

alms, on going forth, would surpass the other in five areas: He would often

be asked to make use of robes; it would be rare that he wouldn’t be asked.

He would often be asked to take food… to make use of shelter… to make

use of medicine; it would be rare that he wouldn’t be asked. His companions

in the holy life would often treat him with pleasing actions… pleasing

words… pleasing thoughts… and present him with pleasing gifts, and rarely

with unpleasing.…”

“And if both were to attain arahantship, would there be any distinction,

any difference between their attainments of arahantship?”

“In that case, I tell you that there would be no difference between the

two as to their release.”

26
 “It’s awesome, lord, and astounding. Just this is reason enough to give

alms, to make merit, in that it benefits one as a deva, as a human being, and

as a monk.” — AN 5:31

A person stashes a fund away,

deep underground, at the water line:

“When a need or duty arises,

this will provide for my needs,

for my release if I’m denounced by the king,

molested by thieves,

in case of debt, famine, or accidents.”

With aims like this

in the world

a reserve fund is stashed away.

But no matter how well it’s stored,

deep underground, at the water line,

it won’t all always serve one’s need.

The fund gets shifted from its place,

or one’s memory gets confused;

or—unseen—

water serpents make off with it,

spirits steal it,

or hateful heirs run off with it.

When one’s merit’s ended,

it’s totally destroyed.

But when a man or woman

has laid aside a well-stored fund

of generosity, virtue,

restraint, & self-control,

with regard to a shrine,

the Sangha,

a fine individual,

guests,

27
 mother, father,

or elder sibling:

That’s a well-stored fund.

It can’t be wrested away.

It follows you along.

When, having left this world,

for wherever you must go,

you take it with you.

This fund is not held in common with others,

& cannot be stolen by thieves.

So, enlightened, you should make merit,

the fund that will follow you along.

This is the fund

that gives all they want

to beings human, divine. — Khp 8

Then Janussonin the brahman went to the Blessed One and, on arrival,

exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly

greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to

the Blessed One, “Master Gotama, you know that we brahmans give gifts,

make offerings, [saying,] ‘May this gift accrue to our dead relatives. May

our dead relatives partake of this gift.’ Now, Master Gotama, does that gift

accrue to our dead relatives? Do our dead relatives partake of that gift?”

“In possible places, brahman, it accrues to them, but not in impossible

places.”

“And which, Master Gotama, are the possible places? Which are the

impossible places?”

“There is the case, brahman, where a certain person takes life, takes

what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, engages in false speech,

engages in divisive speech, engages in harsh speech, engages in idle chatter,

is covetous, bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the

body, after death, he reappears in hell. He lives there, he remains there, by

28
means of whatever is the food of hell-beings. This is an impossible place for

that gift to accrue to one staying there.

“Then there is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is

not given, engages in sexual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in

divisive speech, engages in harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous,

bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the body, after

death, he reappears in the animal womb. He lives there, he remains there, by

means of whatever is the food of common animals. This, too, is an

impossible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

“Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking life,

refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from sexual misconduct,

refrains from false speech, refrains from divisive speech, refrains from harsh

speech, refrains from idle chatter, is not covetous, bears no ill will, and has

right views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the

company of human beings. He lives there, he remains there, by means of

whatever is the food of human beings. This, too, is an impossible place for

that gift to accrue to one staying there.

“Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking life,

refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from sexual misconduct,

refrains from false speech, refrains from divisive speech, refrains from harsh

speech, refrains from idle chatter, is not covetous, bears no ill will, and has

right views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the

company of the devas. He lives there, he remains there, by means of

whatever is the food of devas. This, too, is an impossible place for that gift

to accrue to one staying there.

“Then there is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is

not given, engages in sexual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in

divisive speech, engages in harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous,

bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the body, after

death, he reappears in the realms of the hungry shades. He lives there, he

remains there, by means of whatever is the food of hungry shades. He lives

there, he remains that, by means of whatever his friends or relatives give in

29
dedication to him. This is the possible place for that gift to accrue to one

staying there.

“But, Master Gotama, if that dead relative does not reappear in that

possible place, who partakes of that gift?”

“Other dead relatives, brahman, who have reappeared in that possible

place.”

“But, Master Gotama, if that dead relative does not reappear in that

possible place, and other dead relatives have not reappeared in that possible

place, then who partakes of that gift?”

“It’s impossible, brahman, it cannot be, that over this long time that

1
possible place is devoid of one’s dead relatives. But at any rate, the donor

does not go without reward.

“Does Master Gotama describe any preparation for the impossible

places?”

“Brahman, I do describe a preparation for the impossible places. There

is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given, engages

in sexual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in divisive speech,

engages in harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, bears ill will,

and has wrong views. But he gives food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands,

scents, creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to contemplatives & brahmans. With

the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of

elephants. There he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments. It’s

because he took life, took what is not given, engaged in sexual misconduct,

engaged in false speech, engaged in divisive speech, engaged in harsh

speech, engaged in idle chatter, was covetous, bore ill will, and had wrong

views that he reappears in the company of elephants. But it’s because he

gave food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents, creams, bed, lodging, &

lamps to contemplatives & brahmans that he receives food, drink, flowers, &

various ornaments.

“Then there is the case where a certain person takes life… has wrong

views. But he gives food… lamps to contemplatives & brahmans. With the

break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of horses…

in the company of cattle… in the company of poultry. There he receives

30
 2
food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments. It’s because he took life… and

had wrong views that he reappears in the company of poultry. But it’s

because he gave food, drink… & lamps to contemplatives & brahmans that

he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments.

“Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking life,

refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from sexual misconduct,

refrains from false speech, refrains from divisive speech, refrains from harsh

speech, refrains from idle chatter, is not covetous, bears no ill will, and has

right views. And he gives food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents,

creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to contemplatives & brahmans. With the

break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of human

beings. There he experiences the five strings of human sensuality [delightful

sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations]. It’s because he refrained

from taking what is not given, refrained from sexual misconduct, refrained

from false speech, refrained from divisive speech, refrained from harsh

speech, refrained from idle chatter, was not covetous, bore no ill will, and

had right views that he reappears in the company of human beings. And it’s

because he gave food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents, creams, bed,

lodging, & lamps to contemplatives & brahmans that he experiences the five

strings of human sensuality.

“Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking

life… and has right views. And he gives food, drink, cloth, vehicles,

garlands, scents, creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to contemplatives &

brahmans. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the

company of devas. There he experiences the five strings of divine sensuality

[delightful sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations]. It’s because he

refrained from taking what is not given… and had right views that he

reappears in the company of devas. And it’s because he gave food, drink,

cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents, creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to

contemplatives & brahmans that he experiences the five strings of divine

sensuality. But at any rate, brahman, the donor does not go without reward.”

“It’s amazing, Master Gotama, it’s astounding, how it’s enough to make

one want to give a gift, enough to make one want to make an offering, where

31
the donor does not go without reward.”

“That’s the way it is, brahman. That’s the way it is. The donor does not

go without reward.”

“Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place

upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to

one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes

could see forms, in the same way has Master Gotama—through many lines

of reasoning—made the Dhamma clear. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to

the Dhamma, & to the community of monks. May Master Gotama

remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge, from this

day forward, for life.”

NOT E S

1. The Vinaya counts as one’s relatives all those related back through seven

generations past one’s grandparents—in other words, all those descended from one’s

great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents.

2. Apparently, “ornaments” for poultry would consist of brilliant plumage.

Similarly, “ornaments” for elephants, horses, & cattle might consist of attractive

markings.

— AN 10:177

Then Ven. Sariputta, together with the lay followers from Campa, went

to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one

side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: “Might there be

the case where a person gives a gift of a certain sort and it does not bear

great fruit or great benefit, whereas another person gives a gift of the same

sort and it bears great fruit and great benefit?”

“Yes, Sariputta, there would.…”

“Why, lord…?”

“Sariputta, there is the case where a person gives a gift seeking his own

profit, with a mind attached [to the reward], seeking to store up for himself

[with the thought], ‘I’ll enjoy this after death.’ He gives his gift—food,

32
drink, clothing, a vehicle; a garland, perfume, & ointment; bedding, shelter,

& a lamp—to a contemplative or brahman. What do you think, Sariputta?

Might a person give such a gift as this?”

“Yes, lord.”

“Having given this gift seeking his own profit—with a mind attached

[to the reward], seeking to store up for himself, [with the thought], ‘I’ll

enjoy this after death’—on the break-up of the body, after death, he

reappears in the company of the Four Great Kings. Then, having exhausted

that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming

back to this world.

“Then there is the case of a person who gives a gift not seeking his

own profit, not with a mind attached [to the reward], not seeking to store up

for himself, nor [with the thought], ‘I’ll enjoy this after death.’ Instead, he

gives a gift with the thought, ‘Giving is good.’ He gives his gift—food,

drink, clothing, a vehicle; a garland, perfume, & ointment; bedding, shelter,

& a lamp—to a contemplative or a brahman. What do you think, Sariputta?

Might a person give such a gift as this?”

“Yes, lord.”

“Having given this gift with the thought, ‘Giving is good,’ on the

break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the devas

of the Thirty-three. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that

status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back to this world.

“Or, instead of thinking, ‘Giving is good,’ he gives a gift with the

thought, ‘This was given in the past, done in the past, by my father &

grandfather. It would not be right for me to let this old family custom be

discontinued’ … on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in

the company of the devas of the Hours. Then, having exhausted that action,

that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back to this

world.

“Or, instead… he gives a gift with the thought, ‘I am well-off. These

are not well-off. It would not be right for me, being well-off, not to give a

gift to those who are not well-off’ … on the break-up of the body, after

death, he reappears in the company of the Contented devas. Then, having

33
exhausted that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a

returner, coming back to this world.

“Or, instead… he gives a gift with the thought, ‘Just as there were the

great sacrifices of the sages of the past—Atthaka, Vamaka, Vamadeva,

Vessamitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vasettha, Kassapa, & Bhagu

—in the same way will this be my distribution of gifts’ … on the break-up

of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the devas who

delight in creation. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that

status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back to this world.

“Or, instead… he gives a gift with the thought, ‘When this gift of mine

is given, it makes the mind serene. Gratification & joy arise’ … on the

break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the devas

who have power over the creations of others. Then, having exhausted that

action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back

to this world.

“Or, instead of thinking, ‘When this gift of mine is given, it makes the

mind serene. Gratification & joy arise,’ he gives a gift with the thought,

‘This is an ornament for the mind, a support for the mind.’ He gives his gift

—food, drink, clothing, a vehicle; a garland, perfume, & ointment; bedding,

shelter, & a lamp—to a contemplative or a brahman. What do you think,

Sariputta? Might a person give such a gift as this?”

“Yes, lord.”

“Having given this, not seeking his own profit, not with a mind

attached [to the reward], not seeking to store up for himself, nor [with the

thought], ‘I’ll enjoy this after death,’

—nor with the thought, ‘Giving is good,’

—nor with the thought, ‘This was given in the past, done in the past,

by my father & grandfather. It would not be right for me to let this old

family custom be discontinued,’

—nor with the thought, ‘I am well-off. These are not well-off. It would

not be right for me, being well-off, not to give a gift to those who are not

well-off,’ nor with the thought, ‘Just as there were the great sacrifices of the

sages of the past—Atthaka, Vamaka, Vamadeva, Vessamitta, Yamadaggi,

34
Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vasettha, Kassapa, & Bhagu—in the same way this

will be my distribution of gifts,’

—nor with the thought, ‘When this gift of mine is given, it makes the

mind serene. Gratification & joy arise,’

—but with the thought, ‘This is an ornament for the mind, a support

for the mind’—on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the

company of Brahma’s Retinue. Then, having exhausted that action, that

power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a non-returner. He does not come

back to this world.

“This, Sariputta, is the cause, this is the reason, why a person gives a

gift of a certain sort and it does not bear great fruit or great benefit, whereas

another person gives a gift of the same sort and it bears great fruit and great

benefit.” — AN 7:49

“These five are a person of integrity’s gifts. Which five? A person of

integrity gives a gift with a sense of conviction. A person of integrity gives

a gift attentively. A person of integrity gives a gift in season. A person of

integrity gives a gift with an empathetic heart. A person of integrity gives a

gift without adversely affecting himself or others.

“Having given a gift with a sense of conviction, he—wherever the

result of that gift ripens—is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions.

And he is well-built, handsome, extremely inspiring, endowed with a lotus-

like complexion.

“Having given a gift attentively, he—wherever the result of that gift

ripens—is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And his

children, wives, slaves, servants, and workers listen carefully to him, lend

him their ears, and serve him with understanding hearts.

“Having given a gift in season, he—wherever the result of that gift

ripens—is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And his goals

are fulfilled in season.

“Having given a gift with an empathetic heart, he—wherever the result

of that gift ripens—is rich, with much wealth, with many possessions. And

his mind inclines to the enjoyment of the five strings of lavish sensuality.

35
 “Having given a gift without adversely affecting himself or others, he—

wherever the result of that gift ripens—is rich, with much wealth, with

many possessions. And not from anywhere does destruction come to his

property—whether from fire, from water, from kings, from thieves, or from

hateful heirs.

“These five are a person of integrity’s gifts.” — AN 5:148

“There are these five seasonable gifts. Which five? One gives to a

newcomer. One gives to one going away. One gives to one who is ill. One

gives in time of famine. One sets the first fruits of field & orchard in front of

those who are virtuous. These are the five seasonable gifts.”

In the proper season they give—

those with discernment,

responsive, free from stinginess.

Having been given in proper season,

with hearts inspired by the Noble Ones

—straightened, Such—

their offering bears an abundance.

Those who rejoice in that gift

or give assistance,

they, too, have a share of the merit,

and the offering isn’t depleted by that.

So, with an unhesitant mind,

one should give where the gift bears great fruit.

Merit is what establishes

living beings in the next life. — AN 5:36

So Prince Payasi established a donation for brahmans, contemplatives,

indigents, hoboes, paupers, & beggars. And in that donation he gave food of

this sort: unhusked rice porridge together with pickle brine. And he gave

rough cloth with knotted fringe. Now a brahman youth named Uttara was

the superintendent of that donation. As he was giving the donation he

dedicated it in this way: “Through this donation may I be associated with

36
Prince Payasi in this life, but not in the next.” Prince Payasi heard that

Uttara, when giving the donation, dedicated it in this way: “Through this

donation may I be associated with Prince Payasi in this life, but not in the

next.” So, having summoned him, he said to him, “Is it true, dear boy, that

when giving the donation you dedicated in this way: ‘Through this donation

may I be associated with Prince Payasi in this life, but not in the next’?”

“Yes, sir.”

“But why do you dedicate it in this way…? Don’t we who wish to gain

merit hope for the fruit of our donation?”

“But, sir, the food in the donation is like this: unhusked rice porridge

together with pickle brine. You wouldn’t want to touch it with your foot,

much less eat it. And the rough cloth with knotted fringe: You wouldn’t

want to touch it with your foot, much less wear it. You are dear & charming

to us, so how can we connect what is dear & charming with what is not

charming?”

“Then in that case, my dear boy, establish [a donation with] the sort of

food that I eat and the sort of cloth that I wear.”

Responding, “Yes, sir,” Uttara the brahman youth established [a

donation with] the sort of food that Prince Payasi ate and the sort of cloth

that Prince Payasi wore. Then Prince Payasi—having given the donation

inattentively, having given the donation not with his own hand, having given

the donation thoughtlessly, having given the donation as if he were throwing

it away—on the break-up of the body, after death, reappeared in the

company of the devas of the Four Great Kings in the empty Serisaka palace.

But Uttara, the brahman youth who was the superintendent of the donation

—having given the donation attentively, having given the donation with his

own hand, having given the donation thoughtfully, having given the

donation not as if he were throwing it away—on the break-up of the body,

after death, reappeared in a good destination, a heavenly world, in the

company of the [higher] devas of the Thirty-three. — DN 23

“And how is a donation endowed with six factors? There is the case

where the donor has three factors and the recipients have three. And which

37
are the donor’s three factors. There is the case where the donor, before

giving, is happy. While giving his/her mind is clear & confident. After

giving, he/she is gratified. There are the donor’s three factors. And which

are the recipients’ three factors? There is the case where the recipients are

free from passion or are practicing for the subduing of passion; they are free

of aversion or are practicing for the subduing of aversion; they are free of

delusion or are practicing for the subduing of delusion. These are the

recipients’ three factors.… Now, it is not easy to take the measure of the

merit of a donation thus endowed with six factors as ‘just this much

bonanza of merit, bonanza of skillfulness, nourishment of bliss, heavenly,

ripening in bliss leading to heaven, leading to what is agreeable, pleasing,

charming, happy, & beneficial.’ It is reckoned simply as a great mass of

merit that is unreckonable, immeasurable.

“Just as it is not easy to take the measure of the water in the great

ocean as ‘just this many pails of water or hundreds of pails of water or

thousands of pails of water or hundreds of thousands of pails of water.’ It is

reckoned simply as a great mass of water that is unreckonable,

immeasurable. In the same way, it is not easy to take the measure of the

merit of a donation thus endowed with six factors as ‘just this much

bonanza of merit, bonanza of skillfulness, nourishment of bliss, heavenly,

ripening in bliss leading to heaven, leading to what is agreeable, pleasing,

charming, happy, & beneficial.’ It is reckoned simply as a great mass of

merit that is unreckonable, immeasurable.” — AN 6:37

Then King Pasenadi Kosala went to the Blessed One in the middle of

the day and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one

side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him, “Well now, great

king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“Just now, lord, a money-lending householder died in Savatthi. I have

come from conveying his heirless fortune to the royal palace: ten million in

silver, to say nothing of the gold. But even though he was a money-lending

householder, his enjoyment of food was like this: he ate broken rice &

pickle brine. His enjoyment of clothing was like this: he wore three lengths

38
of hempen cloth. His enjoyment of a vehicle was like this: he rode in a

dilapidated little cart with an awning of leaves.”

“That’s the way it is, great king. That’s the way it is. Once in the past

that money-lending householder provided alms for the Private Buddha

named Tagarasikhi. Saying [to his servant], ‘Give alms to the

contemplative,’ he got up from his seat and left. After giving, though, he felt

regret: ‘It would have been better if my slaves or servants had eaten those

alms’.… Now, the result of his action in having provided alms for the Private

Buddha named Tagarasikhi was that he appeared seven times in a good

destination, a heavenly world. And through the remaining result of that

action he acted as money-lender seven times in this very same Savatthi. But

the result of his action in feeling regret after giving [those] alms—‘It would

have been better if my slaves or servants had eaten those alms’—was that

his mind didn’t lend itself to the lavish enjoyment of food, didn’t lend itself

to the lavish enjoyment of clothing, didn’t lend itself to the lavish enjoyment

of a vehicle, didn’t lend itself to the lavish enjoyment of the five strings of

sensuality.” — SN 3:20

Then Vacchagotta the wanderer went to the Blessed One and, on

arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of

friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there,

he said to the Blessed One: “Master Gotama, I have heard that ‘Gotama the

contemplative says this: “Only to me should a gift be given, and not to

others. Only to my disciples should a gift be given, and not to others. Only

what is given to me bears great fruit, and not what is given to others. Only

what is given to my disciples bears great fruit, and not what is given to the

disciples of others.”’ Now those who report this: Are they reporting the

Master Gotama’s actual words, are they not misrepresenting him with what

is unfactual, are they answering in line with the Dhamma, so that no one

whose thinking is in line with the Dhamma will have grounds for criticizing

them? For we don’t want to misrepresent the Master Gotama.”

“Vaccha, whoever says this: ‘Gotama the contemplative says this:

“Only to me should a gift be given.… Only what is given to my disciples

bears great fruit, and not what is given to the disciples of others,” is not

39
reporting my actual words, is misrepresenting me with what is unfactual &

untrue.

“Vaccha, whoever prevents another from giving a gift creates three

obstructions, three impediments. Which three? He creates an obstruction to

the merit of the giver, an obstruction to the recipient’s gains, and prior to

that he undermines and harms his own self. Whoever prevents another from

giving a gift creates these three obstructions, these three impediments.

“I tell you, Vaccha, even if a person throws the rinsings of a bowl or a

cup into a village pool or pond, thinking, ‘May whatever animals live here

feed on this,’ that would be a source of merit, to say nothing of what is given

to human beings. But I do say that what is given to a virtuous person is of

great fruit, and not so much what is given to an unvirtuous person.”

— AN 3:58

As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed

One: “Where, lord, should a gift be given?”

“Wherever the mind feels confidence, great king.”

“But a gift given where, lord, bears great fruit?”

“This [question] is one thing, great king—‘Where should a gift be

given?’—while this—‘A gift given where bears great fruit?’—is something

else entirely. What is given to a virtuous person—rather than to an

unvirtuous one—bears great fruit. In that case, great king, I will ask you a

counter-question. Answer as you see fit.

“What do you think, great king? There is the case where you have a

war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along—

untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful, terrified, cowardly,

quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a man

like that?”

“No, lord, I wouldn’t take him on. I wouldn’t have any use for a man

like that.”

“Then a brahman youth… a merchant youth… a laborer youth would

come along—untrained, unpracticed, undisciplined, undrilled, fearful,

40
terrified, cowardly, quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have

any use for a man like that?”

“No, lord, I wouldn’t take him on. I wouldn’t have any use for a man

like that.”

“Now, what do you think, great king? There is the case where you have

a war at hand, a battle imminent. A noble-warrior youth would come along

—trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not cowardly,

not quick to flee. Would you take him on? Would you have any use for a

man like that?”

“Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that.”

“Then a brahman youth… a merchant youth… a laborer youth would

come along—trained, practiced, disciplined, drilled, fearless, unterrified, not

cowardly, not quick to flee. Would take you him on? Would you have any

use for a man like that?”

“Yes, lord, I would take him on. I would have use for a man like that.”

“In the same way, great king. When someone has gone forth from the

home life into homelessness—no matter from what clan—and he has

abandoned five factors and is endowed with five, what is given to him bears

great fruit.

“And which five factors has he abandoned? He has abandoned sensual

desire… ill will… sloth & drowsiness… restlessness & anxiety ...

uncertainty. These are the five factors he has abandoned. And with which

five factors is he endowed? He is endowed with the aggregate of virtue of

one beyond training… the aggregate of concentration of one beyond

training… the aggregate of discernment of one beyond training… the

aggregate of release of one beyond training… the aggregate of knowledge &

vision of release of one beyond training. These are the five factors with

which he is endowed.

“What is given to one who has abandoned five factors and is endowed

with five factors in this way bears great fruit.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-

Gone, the Teacher, said further:

41
“As a king intent on battle

would hire a youth

in whom there are

archery skills,

persistence,

& strength,

and not, on the basis of birth,

a coward;

so, too, you should honor

a person of noble conduct, wise,

in whom are established

composure

& patience,

even though

his birth may be lowly.

Let donors build

pleasant hermitages

and there invite the learned to stay.

Let them make reservoirs

in dry forests

and walking paths

where it’s rough

Let them—with a clear, calm awareness—

give food, drink, snacks,

clothing, & lodgings

to those who’ve become

straightforward.

Just as a hundred-peaked,

lightning-garlanded,

thundering cloud,

raining on the fertile earth,

fills the plateaus & gullies,

even so

a person of conviction & learning,

42
 wise,

having stored up provisions,

satisfies wayfarers

with food & drink.

Delighting in distributing alms,

‘Give to them!

Give!’

he says.

That

is his thunder,

like a raining cloud’s.

That shower of merit,

abundant,

rains back on the one

who gives.” — SN 3:24

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “There are these three supreme objects of confidence. Which three?

“Among whatever beings there may be—footless, two-footed, four-

footed, many footed; with form or formless; percipient, non-percipient,

neither percipient nor non-percipient—the Tathagata, worthy & rightly self-

awakened, is considered supreme. Those who have confidence in the

Awakened One have confidence in what is supreme; and for those with

confidence in the supreme, supreme is the result.

“Among whatever qualities there may be, fabricated or unfabricated,

dispassion—the subduing of intoxication, the elimination of thirst, the

uprooting of attachment, the breaking of the round, the destruction of

craving, dispassion, cessation, the realization of Unbinding—is considered

supreme. Those who have confidence in the quality of dispassion have

confidence in what is supreme; and for those with confidence in the

supreme, supreme is the result.

“Among whatever fabricated qualities there may be, the noble eightfold

path—right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood,

43
right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration—is considered supreme.

Those who have confidence in the quality of the noble path have confidence

in what is supreme; and for those with confidence in the supreme, supreme

is the result.

“Among whatever communities or groups there may be, the Sangha of

the Tathagata’s disciples is considered supreme—i.e., the four [groups of

noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as persons. Those

who have confidence in the Sangha have confidence in what is supreme; and

for those with confidence in the supreme, supreme will be the result.

“These, monks, are the three supreme objects of confidence.”

With

confidence,

realizing the supreme Dhamma

to be supreme,

confidence in the supreme Buddha,

unsurpassed

in deserving offerings;

confidence in the supreme Dhamma,

the stilling of dispassion,

bliss;

confidence in the supreme Sangha,

unsurpassed

as a field of merit;

having given gifts to the supreme,

one develops supreme merit,

supreme long life & beauty,

status, honor,

bliss, & strength.

Having given to the supreme,

the wise person, centered

in supreme Dhamma,

whether becoming a divine or human being,

rejoices,

44
 having attained the supreme. — Iti 90

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “There are these two kinds of gifts: a gift of material things & a gift

of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: a gift of the Dhamma. There

are these two kinds of sharing: sharing of material things & sharing of the

Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: sharing of the Dhamma. There are

these two kinds of assistance: assistance with material things & assistance

with the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: help with the Dhamma.”

The gift he describes

as foremost & unsurpassed,

the sharing the Blessed One has extolled:

who—confident in the supreme field of merit,

wise, discerning—

wouldn’t give it at appropriate times?

Both for those who proclaim it

and those who listen,

confident in the message of the One Well-gone:

it purifies their foremost benefit—

those heeding the message

of the One Well-gone. — Iti 98

“It’s not easy to teach the Dhamma to others, Ananda. The Dhamma

should be taught to others only when five qualities are established within the

person teaching. Which five?

“The Dhamma should be taught with the thought, ‘I will speak step-

by-step’ … ‘I will speak explaining the sequence [of cause & effect]’ … ‘I

will speak out of compassion’ … ‘I will speak not for the purpose of

material reward’ … ‘I will speak without hurting myself or others.’”

— AN 5:159

A deva:

45
“A giver of what is a giver of strength?

A giver of what, a giver of beauty?

A giver of what, a giver of ease?

A giver of what, a giver of vision?

And who is a giver of everything?

Being asked, please explain this to me.”

The Buddha:

“A giver of food is a giver of strength.

A giver of clothes, a giver of beauty.

A giver of a vehicle, a giver of ease.

A giver of a lamp, a giver of vision.

And the one who gives a residence

is the one’s who’s a giver of everything.

But the one who teaches the Dhamma

is a giver of

the Deathless.” — SN 1:42

46
 Sila: Virtue

Irrigators guide      the water.

Fletchers shape      the arrow shaft.

Carpenters shape      the wood.

Those of good practices control

themselves. — Dhp 145

Through initiative, heedfulness,

restraint, & self-control,

the wise would make

an island

no flood

can submerge. — Dhp 25

“And what is the treasure of virtue? There is the case where a disciple

of the noble ones abstains from taking life, abstains from stealing, abstains

from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from taking

intoxicants that cause heedlessness. This, monks, is called the treasure of

virtue.” — AN 7:6

“Now what is unskillful? Taking life is unskillful, taking what is not

given… sexual misconduct… lying… harsh speech… divisive tale-

bearing… idle chatter is unskillful. Covetousness… ill will… wrong views

are unskillful. These things are termed unskillful.

“And what is skillful? Abstaining from taking life is skillful, abstaining

from taking what is not given… from sexual misconduct … from lying…

from harsh speech… from divisive tale-bearing… abstaining from idle

47
chatter is skillful. Lack of covetousness… lack of ill will… right views are

skillful. These things are termed skillful.” — MN 9

Then King Pasenadi Kosala, descending from the palace, went to the

Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As

he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: “Just now I was together

with Queen Mallika in the upper palace. I said to her, ‘Is there anyone more

dear to you than yourself?’

“‘No, your majesty,’ she answered. ‘There is no one more dear to me

than myself. And what about you, your majesty? Is there anyone more dear

to you than yourself?’

“‘No, Mallika. There is no one more dear to me than myself.’”

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that

occasion exclaimed:

Searching all directions

with your awareness,

you find no one dearer

than yourself.

In the same way, others

are fiercely dear to themselves.

So you shouldn’t hurt others

if you love yourself. — Ud 5:1

“There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones reflects thus: ‘I

love life and don’t love death. I love happiness and abhor pain. If I—loving

life and not loving death, loving happiness and abhorring pain—were to be

killed, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me. And if I were to kill

another who loves life and doesn’t love death, who loves happiness and

abhors pain, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to the other. What is

displeasing & disagreeable to me is displeasing & disagreeable to others.

How can I inflict on others what is displeasing & disagreeable to me?’

Reflecting in this way, he refrains from taking life, gets others to refrain

48
from taking life, and speaks in praise of refraining from taking life. In this

way his bodily behavior is pure in three ways.

“And further, he reflects thus: ‘If someone, by way of theft, were to

take from me what I haven’t given, that would be displeasing & disagreeable

to me.… If someone were to commit adultery with my wives, that would be

displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to damage my well-

being with a lie, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If

someone were to divide me from my friends with divisive speech, that

would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to address

me with harsh speech, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If

someone were to address me with idle chatter, that would be displeasing &

disagreeable to me. And if I were to address another with idle chatter, that

would be displeasing & disagreeable to the other. What is displeasing &

disagreeable to me is displeasing & disagreeable to others. How can I inflict

on others what is displeasing & disagreeable to me?’ Reflecting in this way,

he refrains from idle chatter, gets others to refrain from idle chatter, and

speaks in praise of refraining from idle chatter.” — SN 55:7

“There are these five gifts, five great gifts—original, long-standing,

traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning—are

not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and are unfaulted by

knowledgeable contemplatives & brahmans. Which five?

“There is the case where a noble disciple, abandoning the taking of

life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger,

freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of

beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom

from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless

freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from

oppression.…

“Abandoning taking what is not given (stealing), he abstains from

taking what is not given.…

“Abandoning sexual misconduct, he abstains from sexual

misconduct.…

49
 “Abandoning lying, he abstains from lying.…

“Abandoning the use of intoxicants, he abstains from taking

intoxicants. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from

animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In

giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from

oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless

freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from

oppression.… This is the fifth gift, the fifth great gift—original, long-

standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the

beginning—that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion,

and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & brahmans.”

— AN 8:39

Laying aside violence toward all living creatures,

both the firm & unfirm in the world,

one should not kill a living being, nor have it killed,

nor condone killing by others.

Then the disciple should avoid

consciously (taking) what’s not given,

—anything, anywhere—

should not have it taken

nor condone its taking.

He should avoid all (taking of) what’s not given.

The observant person

should avoid uncelibate behavior

like a pit of glowing embers.

But if he’s incapable of celibate behavior,

he should not transgress with the wife of another.

When gone to an audience hall or assembly,

or one-on-one, he should not tell a lie,

nor have it told, nor condone it’s being told.

He should avoid every untruth.

50
 Any householder who approves of this Dhamma

should not take intoxicating drink,

nor have others drink it, nor condone its being drunk,

knowing that it ends in madness.

For from intoxication, fools do evil things

and get others, heedless, to do them.

One should avoid this opening to demerit—

madness, delusion—appealing to fools. — Sn 2:14

“Cleansing with regard to the body, Cunda, is threefold; cleansing with

regard to speech is fourfold; and cleansing with regard to the mind,

threefold. And how is cleansing with regard to the body threefold? There is

the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from

the taking of life. He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down,

scrupulous, merciful, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.

Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is

not given. He does not take the ungiven property of another, whether in a

village or in the wilderness, with thievish intent. Abandoning sexual

misconduct, he abstains from sexual misconduct. He does not get sexually

involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their

brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands,

those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by

another man. This is how cleansing with regard to the body is threefold.

“And how is cleansing with regard to speech fourfold? There is the case

where a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech.

When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of

his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty [i.e., a court proceeding], if he is

asked as a witness, ‘Come and tell, good man, what you know’: If he doesn’t

know, he says, ‘I don’t know.’ If he does know, he says, ‘I know.’ If he

hasn’t seen, he says, ‘I haven’t seen.’ If he has seen, he says, ’I have seen.’

Thus he doesn’t consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of

another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning divisive speech, he

abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there

to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there

51
he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there.

Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are

united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, speaks things

that create concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh

speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate,

that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large.

Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season,

speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma,

and the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable,

circumscribed, connected with the goal. This is how cleansing with regard

to speech is fourfold.

“And how is cleansing with regard to the mind threefold? There is the

case where a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the property

of another, thinking, ‘O, if only what belongs to another were mine!’ He is

not malevolent at heart or destructive in his resolves. He thinks, ‘May these

beings—free from animosity, free from oppression, and free from trouble—

look after themselves with ease.’ He has right views and an unperverted

outlook. He believes, ‘There is what is given, what is offered, what is

sacrificed. There are fruits and results of good and bad actions. There is this

world and the next world. There is mother and father. There are

spontaneously reborn beings; there are contemplatives & brahmans who,

living rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after

having directly known and realized it for themselves.’ This is how cleansing

with regard to the mind is threefold.” — AN 10:176

As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed

One: “Just now, lord, while I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought

arose in my awareness: ‘Who have themselves protected, and who leave

themselves unprotected?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in

bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct leave

themselves unprotected. Even though a squadron of elephant troops might

protect them, a squadron of cavalry troops, a squadron of chariot troops, a

squadron of infantry troops might protect them, still they leave themselves

unprotected. Why is that? Because that’s an external protection, not an

52
internal one. Therefore they leave themselves unprotected. But those who

engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental

conduct have themselves protected. Even though neither a squadron of

elephant troops, a squadron of cavalry troops, a squadron of chariot troops,

nor a squadron of infantry troops might protect them, still they have

themselves protected. Why is that? Because that’s an internal protection, not

an external one. Therefore they have themselves protected.’”

“That’s the way it is, great king! That’s the way it is! Those who engage

in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct leave

themselves unprotected. Even though a squadron of elephant troops might

protect them, a squadron of cavalry troops, a squadron of chariot troops, a

squadron of infantry troops might protect them, still they leave themselves

unprotected. Why is that? Because that’s an external protection, not an

internal one. Therefore they leave themselves unprotected. But those who

engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental

conduct have themselves protected. Even though neither a squadron of

elephant troops, a squadron of cavalry troops, a squadron of chariot troops,

nor a squadron of infantry troops might protect them, still they have

themselves protected. Why is that? Because that’s an internal protection, not

an external one. Therefore they have themselves protected.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-

Gone, the Teacher, said further:

“Restraint with the body is good,

good is restraint with speech.

Restraint with the heart is good,

good is restraint            everywhere.

Restrained everywhere,

conscientious,

one is said to be protected.” — SN 3:5

As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed

One: “Just now, lord, as I was sitting in judgment, I saw that even affluent

nobles, affluent brahmans, & affluent householders—rich, with great wealth

53
& property, with vast amounts of gold & silver, vast amounts of valuables &

commodities, vast amounts of wealth & grain—tell deliberate lies with

sensuality as the cause, sensuality as the reason, simply for the sake of

sensuality. Then, the thought occurred to me: ‘I’ve had enough of this

judging! Let some other fine fellow be known for his judgments!’”

“That’s the way it is, great king! That’s the way it is! Even affluent

nobles, affluent brahmans, & affluent householders… tell deliberate lies

with sensuality as the cause, sensuality as the reason, simply for the sake of

sensuality. That will lead to their long-term harm & pain.”

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-

Gone, the Teacher, said further:

“Impassioned   with sensual possessions,

greedy, dazed   by sensual pleasures,

they don’t awaken to the fact

that they’ve gone too far—

like fish into trap set out.

Afterwards it’s bitter for them:

evil for them

the result.” — SN 3:7

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “For the person who transgresses in one thing, I tell you, there is no

evil deed that is not to be done. Which one thing? This: telling a deliberate

lie.”

The person who lies,

who transgress in this one thing,

transcending concern for the world beyond:

there’s no evil

he might not do. — Iti 25

“Monks, there are these five kinds of loss. Which five? Loss of

relatives, loss of wealth, loss through disease, loss in terms of virtue, loss in

54
terms of views. It’s not by reason of loss of relatives, loss of wealth, or loss

through disease that beings—with the break-up of the body, after death—

reappear in deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. It’s by reason

of loss in terms of virtue and loss in terms of views that beings—with the

break-up of the body, after death—reappear in deprivation, a bad

destination, a lower realm, hell. These are the five kinds of loss.

“There are these five ways of being consummate. Which five? Being

consummate in terms of relatives, being consummate in terms of wealth,

being consummate in terms of freedom from disease, being consummate in

terms of virtue, being consummate in terms of views. It’s not by reason of

being consummate in terms of relatives, being consummate in terms of

wealth, or being consummate in terms of freedom from disease that beings

—with the break-up of the body, after death—reappear in a good

destination, a heavenly world. It’s by reason of being consummate in virtue

and being consummate in terms of views that beings—with the break-up of

the body, after death—reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world.

These are the five ways of being consummate.” — AN 5:130

“There are these five benefits in being virtuous, in being consummate

in virtue. Which five? There is the case where a virtuous person,

consummate in virtue, through not being heedless in his affairs amasses a

great quantity of wealth.… His good name is spread about.… When

approaching an assembly of nobles, brahmans, householders, or

contemplatives, he does so unabashed and with assurance.… He dies

without becoming delirious.… With the break-up of the body, after death,

he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world. These are the five

benefits in being virtuous, in being consummate in virtue.” — DN 16

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “Aspiring to these three forms of bliss, a wise person should guard

his virtue. Which three? [Thinking,] ‘May praise come to me,’ a wise person

should guard his virtue. [Thinking,] ‘May wealth come to me,’ a wise

person should guard his virtue. [Thinking,] ‘At the break-up of the body,

after death, may I reappear in a good destination, in heaven,’ a wise person

55
should guard his virtue. Aspiring to these three forms of bliss, a wise person

should guard his virtue.”

Intelligent,

you should guard your virtue,

aspiring to three forms of bliss:

praise;

the obtaining of wealth;

and, after death, rejoicing

in heaven.

Even if you do no evil

but seek out one who does,

you’re suspected of evil.

Your bad reputation

grows.

The sort of person you make a friend,

the sort you seek out,

that’s the sort you yourself become—

for your living together is of

that sort.

The one associated with,

the one who associates,

the one who’s touched,

the one who touches another

—like an arrow smeared with poison—

contaminates the quiver.

So, fearing contamination, the enlightened

should not be comrades

with evil people.

A man who wraps rotting fish

in a blade of kusa grass

makes the grass smelly:

so it is

56
 if you seek out fools.

But a man who wraps powdered incense

in the leaf of a tree

makes the leaf fragrant:

so it is

if you seek out

the enlightened.

So,

knowing your own outcome

as like the leaf-wrapper’s,

you shouldn’t seek out

those who aren’t good.

The wise would associate

with those who are.

Those who aren’t good

lead you to hell.

The good help you reach

a good destination. — Iti 76

“And how is one an individual who practices for his own benefit but

not for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual himself

abstains from the taking of life but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking

abstinence from the taking of life. He himself abstains from stealing but

doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He

himself abstains from sexual misconduct but doesn’t encourage others in

undertaking abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself abstains from

lying but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He

himself abstains from intoxicants that cause heedlessness but doesn’t

encourage others in undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause

heedlessness. That’s how one is an individual who practices for his own

benefit but not for that of others.

“And how is one an individual who practices for the benefit of others

but not for his own? There is the case where a certain individual himself

57
doesn’t abstain from the taking of life but encourages others in undertaking

abstinence from the taking of life. [Similarly with abstaining from stealing,

sexual misconduct, lying, & intoxicants that cause heedlessness.] That’s how

one is an individual who practices for the benefit of others but not for his

own.

“And how is one an individual who practices neither for his own

benefit nor for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual

himself doesn’t abstain from the taking of life and doesn’t encourage others

in undertaking abstinence from the taking of life. [Similarly with abstaining

from stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, & intoxicants that cause

heedlessness.] That’s how one is an individual who practices neither for his

own benefit nor for that of others.

“And how is one an individual who practices for his own benefit and

for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual himself

abstains from the taking of life and encourages others in undertaking

abstinence from the taking of life. He himself abstains from stealing and

encourages others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He himself

abstains from sexual misconduct and encourages others in undertaking

abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself abstains from lying and

encourages others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He himself abstains

from intoxicants that cause heedlessness and encourages others in

undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause heedlessness. That’s how

one is an individual who practices for his own benefit and for that of

others.” — AN 4:99

All

tremble at the rod,

all

are fearful of death.

Drawing the parallel to

yourself,

neither kill nor get others to kill.

All

58
tremble at the rod,

all

hold their life dear.

Drawing the parallel to

yourself,

neither kill nor get others to kill.

Whoever takes a rod

to harm living beings desiring ease,

when he himself is looking for ease,

will meet with no ease after death.

Whoever doesn’t take a rod

to harm living beings desiring ease,

when he himself is looking for ease,

will meet with ease after death.

Speak harshly to no one,

or the words will be thrown

right back at you.

Contentious talk is painful,

for you get struck by rods in return.

If, like a flattened metal pot

you don’t resound,

you’ve attained an Unbinding;

in you there’s found

no contention. — Dhp 129–134

Whoever, with a rod,

harasses an innocent man, unarmed,

quickly falls into any of ten things:

harsh pains, devastation, a broken body, grave illness,

mental derangement, trouble with the government,

violent slander, relatives lost, property dissolved, houses

burned down.

59
 At the break-up of the body,

this one with no discernment

reappears in

hell. — Dhp 137–140

“There are four kinds of person to be found in the world. Which four?

There is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given

(steals), engages in sexual misconduct, lies, speaks divisively, speaks

harshly, engages in idle chatter; is covetous, malevolent, & holds wrong

views. On the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in deprivation,

a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.

“But there is also the case where a certain person takes life… holds

wrong views [yet], on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in

a good destination, a heavenly world.

“And there is the case where a certain person abstains from taking life,

abstains from taking what is not given… is not covetous, not malevolent, &

holds right views. On the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in a

good destination, a heavenly world.

“But there is also the case where a certain person abstains from taking

life, abstains from taking what is not given… is not covetous, not

malevolent, & holds right views [yet], on the break-up of the body, after

death, he reappears in deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.…

“In the case of the person who takes life… [yet] on the break-up of the

body, after death, reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world: Either

earlier he performed fine kamma that is to be felt as pleasant, or later he

performed fine kamma that is to be felt as pleasant, or at the time of death

he adopted & carried out right views. Because of that, on the break-up of

the body, after death, he reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world.

But as for the results of taking life… holding wrong views, he will feel them

either right here & now, or later [in this lifetime], or following that.…

“In the case of the person who abstains from taking life… but on the

break-up of the body, after death, reappears in deprivation, a bad

destination, a lower realm, hell: Either earlier he performed evil kamma that

60
is to be felt as painful, or later he performed evil kamma that is to be felt as

painful, or at the time of death he adopted & carried out wrong views.

Because of that, on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in

deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. But as for the results of

abstaining from taking life… holding right views, he will feel them either

right here & now, or later [in this lifetime], or following that.” — MN 136

“There are, headman, some contemplatives & brahmans who hold a

doctrine & view like this: ‘All those who kill living beings experience pain

& distress in the here & now. All those who take what is not given… who

engage in sexual misconduct… who tell lies experience pain & distress in

the here & now.’

“Now there is the case where a certain person is seen garlanded &

adorned, freshly bathed & groomed, with hair & beard trimmed, enjoying

the sensualities of women as if he were a king. They ask about him: ‘My

good man, what has this man done that he has been garlanded & adorned…

as if he were a king?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man attacked the

king’s enemy and took his life. The king, gratified with him, rewarded him.

That is why he is garlanded & adorned… as if he were a king.’

“Then there is the case where a certain person is seen bound with a

stout rope with his arms pinned tightly against his back, his head shaved

bald, marched to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to

crossroads, evicted through the south gate, and beheaded to the south of the

city. They ask about him: ‘My good man, what has this man done that he is

bound with a stout rope… and beheaded to the south of the city?’ They

answer: ‘My good man, this man, an enemy of the king, has taken the life of

a man or a woman. That is why the rulers, having had him seized, inflicted

such a punishment upon him.’

“Now, what do you think, headman: Have you ever seen or heard of

such a case?”

“I have seen this, lord, have heard of it, and will hear of it (again in the

future).”

61
 “So, headman, when those contemplatives & brahmans who hold a

doctrine and view like this say: ‘All those who kill living beings experience

pain & distress in the here & now,’ do they speak truthfully or falsely?” —

“Falsely, lord.”

“And those who babble empty falsehood: are they moral or immoral?”

— “Immoral, lord.”

“And those who are immoral and of evil character: are they practicing

wrongly or rightly?” — “Wrongly, lord.”

“And those who are practicing wrongly: do they hold wrong view or

right view?” — “Wrong view, lord.”

“And is it proper to place confidence in those who hold wrong view?”

— “No, lord.”

“Then, headman, there is the case where a certain person is seen

garlanded & adorned… as if he were a king. They ask about him: ‘My good

man, what has this man done that he has been garlanded & adorned… as if

he were a king?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man attacked the king’s

enemy and stole a treasure. The king, gratified with him, rewarded him.…’

“Then there is the case where a certain person is seen bound with a

stout rope… and beheaded to the south of the city. They ask about him: ‘My

good man, what has this man done that he is bound with a stout rope… and

beheaded to the south of the city?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man,

an enemy of the king, has committed a theft, stealing something from a

village or a forest.…’

“Then there is the case where a certain person is seen garlanded &

adorned… as if he were a king. They ask about him: ‘My good man, what

has this man done that he has been garlanded & adorned … as if he were a

king?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man seduced the wives of the

king’s enemy.…’

“Then there is the case where a certain person is seen bound with a

stout rope… and beheaded to the south of the city. They ask about him: ‘My

good man, what has this man done that he is bound with a stout rope… and

beheaded to the south of the city?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man

seduced women & girls of good families.…’

62
 “Then there is the case where a certain person is seen garlanded &

adorned… as if he were a king. They ask about him: ‘My good man, what

has this man done that he has been garlanded & adorned … as if he were a

king?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man made the king laugh with a

lie…’

“Then there is the case where a certain person is seen bound with a

stout rope… and beheaded to the south of the city. They ask about him: ‘My

good man, what has this man done that he is bound with a stout rope… and

beheaded to the south of the city?’ They answer: ‘My good man, this man

has brought the aims of a householder or a householder’s son to ruin with a

lie. That is why the rulers, having had him seized, inflicted such a

punishment upon him.’

“Now what do you think, headman: Have you ever seen or heard of

such a case?”

“I have seen this, lord, have heard of it, and will hear of it (again in the

future).”

“So, headman, when those contemplatives & brahmans who hold a

doctrine & view like this, say: ‘All those who tell lies experience pain &

distress in the here & now,’ do they speak truthfully or falsely?… Is it

proper to place confidence in those who hold wrong view?” — “No, lord.”

— SN 42:13

“Monks, the taking of life—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—

is something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to

the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from

the taking of life is that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to a

short life span.

“Stealing—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is something

that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to the realm of

the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from stealing is

that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to the loss of one’s wealth.

“Sexual misconduct—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is

something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to

63
the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from

sexual misconduct is that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to

rivalry & revenge.

“Telling falsehoods—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is

something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to

the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from

telling falsehoods is that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to

being falsely accused.

“Divisive tale-bearing—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is

something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to

the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from

divisive tale-bearing is that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to

the breaking of one’s friendships.

“Harsh speech—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is

something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to

the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from

harsh speech is that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to

unappealing sounds.

“Idle chatter—when indulged in, developed, & pursued—is something

that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a common animal, leads to the realm of

the hungry shades. The slightest of all the results coming from idle chatter is

that, when one becomes a human being, it leads to words that aren’t worth

taking to heart.

“The drinking of fermented & distilled liquors—when indulged in,

developed, & pursued—is something that leads to hell, leads to rebirth as a

common animal, leads to the realm of the hungry shades. The slightest of all

the results coming from drinking fermented & distilled liquors is that, when

one becomes a human being, it leads to mental derangement.” — AN 8:40

Then Asibandhakaputta the headman, a disciple of the Niganthas, went

to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one

side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him: “Headman, how

does Nigantha Nataputta teach the Dhamma to his disciples?”

64
 “Nigantha Nataputta teaches the Dhamma to his disciples in this way,

lord: ‘All those who take life are destined for the plane of deprivation, are

destined for hell. All those who steal.… All those who indulge in sexual

misconduct.… All those who tell lies are destined for the plane of

deprivation, are destined for hell. Whatever one keeps doing frequently, by

that is one led [to a state of rebirth].’ That’s how Nigantha Nataputta teaches

the Dhamma to his disciples.”

“If it’s true that ‘Whatever one keeps doing frequently, by that is one

led [to a state of rebirth],’ then no one is destined for the plane of

deprivation or destined to hell in line with Nigantha Nataputta’s words.

What do you think, headman: If a man is one who takes life, then taking

into consideration time spent doing & not doing, whether by day or by night,

which time is more: the time he spends taking life or the time he spends not

taking life?”

“… the time he spends taking life is less, lord, and the time he spends

not taking life is certainly more. If it’s true that ‘Whatever one keeps doing

frequently, by that is one led [to a state of rebirth],’ then no one is destined

for the plane of deprivation or destined to hell in line with Nigantha

Nataputta’s words.”

“What do you think, headman: If a man is one who steals… indulges in

sexual misconduct… tells lies, then taking into consideration time spent

doing & not doing, whether by day or by night, which time is more: the time

he spends telling lies or the time he spends not telling lies?”

“… the time he spends telling lies is less, lord, and the time he spends

not telling lies is certainly more. If it’s true that ‘Whatever one keeps doing

frequently, by that is one led [to a state of rebirth],’ then no one is destined

for the plane of deprivation or destined to hell in line with Nigantha

Nataputta’s words.”

“There’s the case, headman, where a certain teacher holds this

doctrine, holds this view: ‘All those who take life are destined for the plane

of deprivation, are destined for hell. All those who steal.… All those who

indulge in sexual misconduct.… All those who tell lies are destined for the

plane of deprivation, are destined for hell.’ A disciple has faith in that

65
teacher, and the thought occurs to him, ‘Our teacher holds this doctrine,

holds this view: “All those who take life are destined for the plane of

deprivation, are destined for hell.” There are living beings that I have killed.

I, too, am destined for the plane of deprivation, am destined for hell.’ He

fastens onto that view. If he doesn’t abandon that doctrine, doesn’t abandon

that state of mind, doesn’t relinquish that view, then as if he were to be

carried off, he would thus be placed in hell.

“[The thought occurs to him,] ‘Our teacher holds this doctrine, holds

this view: ‘All those who steal.… All those who indulge in sexual

misconduct.… All those who tell lies are destined for the plane of

deprivation, are destined for hell.’ There are lies that I have told. I, too, am

destined for the plane of deprivation, am destined for hell.’ He fastens onto

that view. If he doesn’t abandon that doctrine, doesn’t abandon that state of

mind, doesn’t relinquish that view, then as if he were to be carried off, he

would thus be placed in hell.

“There is the case, headman, where a Tathagata appears in the world,

worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in clear knowing & conduct,

well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, unexcelled trainer of those to be tamed,

teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He, in various ways,

criticizes & censures the taking of life, and says, ‘Abstain from taking life.’

He criticizes & censures stealing, and says, ‘Abstain from stealing.’ He

criticizes & censures indulging in sexual misconduct, and says, ‘Abstain

from indulging in sexual misconduct.’ He criticizes & censures the telling of

lies, and says, ‘Abstain from the telling of lies.’

“A disciple has faith in that teacher and reflects: ‘The Blessed One in a

variety of ways criticizes & censures the taking of life, and says, “Abstain

from taking life.” There are living beings that I have killed, to a greater or

lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become

remorseful for that reason, that evil deed of mine will not be undone.’ So,

reflecting thus, he abandons right then the taking of life, and in the future

refrains from taking life. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of

that evil deed. This is how there comes to be the transcending of that evil

deed.

66
 “[He reflects:] ‘The Blessed One in a variety of ways criticizes &

censures stealing… indulging in sexual misconduct… the telling of lies, and

says, “Abstain from the telling of lies.” There are lies I have told, to a greater

or lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become

remorseful for that reason, that evil deed of mine will not be undone.’ So,

reflecting thus, he abandons right then the telling of lies, and in the future

refrains from telling lies. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of

that evil deed. This is how there comes to be the transcending of that evil

deed.” — SN 42:8

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Nalanda in the

Pavarika Mango Grove. Then Asibandhakaputta the headman went to the

Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As

he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: “The brahmans of the

Western lands, lord—those who carry water pots, wear garlands of water

plants, purify with water, & worship fire—can take [the spirit of] a dead

person, lift it out, instruct it, & send it to heaven. But the Blessed One,

worthy & rightly self-awakened, can arrange it so that all the world, at the

break-up of the body, after death, reappears in a good destination, a heavenly

world.”

“Very well, then, headman, I will question you on this matter. Answer

as you see fit. What do you think: There is the case where a man is one who

takes life, steals, indulges in sexual misconduct; is a liar, one who speaks

divisive speech, harsh speech, & idle chatter; is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-

will, & holds to wrong views. Then a great crowd of people, gathering &

congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-

to-palm over the heart [saying,] ‘May this man, at the break-up of the body,

after death, reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world!’ What do you

think: Would that man—because of the prayers, praise, & circumambulation

of that great crowd of people—at the break-up of the body, after death,

reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world?”

“No, lord.”

67
 “Suppose a man were to throw a large boulder into a deep lake of

water, and a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray,

praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart

[saying,] ‘Rise up, O boulder! Come floating up, O boulder! Come float to

the shore, O boulder!’ What do you think: Would that boulder—because of

the prayers, praise, & circumambulation of that great crowd of people—rise

up, come floating up, or come float to the shore?”

“No, lord.”

“So it is with any man who takes life, steals, indulges in sexual

misconduct; is a liar, one who speaks divisive speech, harsh speech, & idle

chatter; is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-will, & holds to wrong views. Even

though a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray,

praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart—

[saying,] ‘May this man, at the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in

a good destination, a heavenly world!’—still, at the break-up of the body,

after death, he would reappear in deprivation, a bad destination, a lower

realm, hell.

“Now what do you think: There is the case where a man is one who

refrains from taking life, from stealing, & from indulging in sexual

misconduct; he refrains from lying, from speaking divisive speech, from

harsh speech, & from idle chatter; he is not greedy, bears no thoughts of ill-

will, & holds to right view. Then a great crowd of people, gathering &

congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-

to-palm over the heart [saying,] ‘May this man, at the break-up of the body,

after death, reappear in deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell!’

What do you think: Would that man—because of the prayers, praise, &

circumambulation of that great crowd of people—at the break-up of the

body, after death, reappear in deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm,

hell?”

“No, lord.”

“Suppose a man were to throw a jar of ghee or a jar of oil into a deep

lake of water, where it would break. There the shards & jar-fragments would

go down, while the ghee or oil would come up. Then a great crowd of

68
people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate

with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart [saying,] ‘Sink, O ghee/oil!

Submerge, O ghee/oil! Go down, O ghee/oil!’ What do you think? Would

that ghee/oil, because of the prayers, praise, & circumambulation of that

great crowd of people sink, submerge, or go down?”

“No, lord.”

“So it is with any man who refrains from taking life, from stealing, &

from indulging in sexual misconduct; refrains from lying, from speaking

divisive speech, from harsh speech, & from idle chatter; is not greedy, bears

no thoughts of ill-will, & holds to right view. Even though a great crowd of

people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate

with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart—[saying,] ‘May this man, at

the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in deprivation, a bad

destination, a lower realm, hell!’—still, at the break-up of the body, after

death, he would reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world.”

— SN 42:6

69
 Bhavana: Meditation

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have

heard: “All the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously arising

(in heaven) do not equal one-sixteenth of awareness-release through good

will. Good will—surpassing them—shines, blazes, & dazzles.

“Just as the radiance of all the stars does not equal one-sixteenth of the

radiance of the moon, as the moon—surpassing them—shines, blazes, &

dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously

arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth of awareness-release through

good will. Good will—surpassing them—shines, blazes, & dazzles.

“Just as in the last month of the rains, in autumn, when the sky is clear

& cloudless, the sun, on ascending the sky, overpowers the space immersed

in darkness, shines, blazes, & dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making

merit leading to spontaneously arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth

of awareness-release through good will. Good will—surpassing them—

shines, blazes, & dazzles.

“Just as in the pre-dawn darkness the morning star shines, blazes, &

dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously

arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth of awareness-release through

good will. Good will—surpassing them—shines, blazes, & dazzles.”

When one develops—mindful—

good will immeasurable,

fetters are worn through,

on seeing the ending

of acquisitions.

If with uncorrupted mind

you feel good will

70
 for even

one

being,

you become skilled from that.

But a Noble One produces

a mind of sympathy

for

all

beings,

an abundance of merit.

Kingly seers, who conquered the earth

swarming with beings,

went about making sacrifices:

the horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,

water rites, soma rites,

& the “Unobstructed,”

but these don’t equal

one sixteenth

of a well-developed mind of good will—

as all the constellations don’t,

one sixteenth

of the radiance of the moon.

One who

neither kills

nor gets others to kill,

neither conquers,

nor gets others to conquer,

with good will for all beings,

has no hostility with anyone

at all. — Iti 27

“Monks, for one whose release of awareness through good will is

cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a

71
grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken, eleven benefits can

be expected. Which eleven?

“One sleeps easily, wakes easily, dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to

human beings, dear to non-human beings. Devas protect one. Neither fire,

poison, nor weapons can touch one. One’s mind gains concentration quickly.

One’s complexion is bright. One dies unconfused and—if penetrating no

higher—is headed for the Brahma worlds.” — AN 11:16

“Now, what are the roots of unskillful things? Greed is a root of

unskillful things, aversion is a root of unskillful things, delusion is a root of

unskillful things. These are termed the roots of unskillful things.…

“And what are the roots of skillful things? Lack of greed is a root of

skillful things, lack of aversion is a root of skillful things, lack of delusion is

a root of skillful things. These are termed the roots of skillful things.”

— MN 9

Then the Kalamas of Kesaputta went to the Blessed One. On arrival,

some of them bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Some of

them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of

friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side

having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of

them sat to one side having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat

to one side in silence.

As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One,

“Lord, there are some contemplatives & brahmans who come to Kesaputta.

They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of

others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, &

disparage them. And then other contemplatives & brahmans come to

Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the

doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for

them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt:

Which of these venerable contemplatives & brahmans are speaking the

truth, and which ones are lying?”

72
 “Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt.

When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case,

Kalamas, don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by

logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through

pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is

our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are

unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by

the wise; these qualities, when undertaken & carried out, lead to harm & to

suffering’—then you should abandon them.

“What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it

arise for welfare or for harm?”

“For harm, lord.”

“And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by

greed, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another

person’s wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for

long-term harm & suffering.”

“Yes, lord.”

[Similarly with aversion and delusion.]

“So, as I said, Kalamas: ‘Don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions,

by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement

through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, “This

contemplative is our teacher.” When you know for yourselves that, “These

qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are

criticized by the wise; these qualities, when undertaken & carried out, lead

to harm & to suffering”—then you should abandon them.’ Thus was it said.

And in reference to this was it said.

“Now, Kalamas, don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by

scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement

through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This

contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These

qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are

praised by the wise; these qualities, when undertaken & carried out, lead to

welfare & to happiness’—then you should enter & remain in them.

73
 “What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person,

does it arise for welfare or for harm?”

“For welfare, lord.”

“And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not

possessed by greed, doesn’t kill living beings, take what is not given, go

after another person’s wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of

which is for long-term welfare & happiness.”

“Yes, lord.”

[Similarly with lack of aversion and lack of delusion.]

“So, as I said, Kalamas: ‘Don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions,

by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement

through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, “This

contemplative is our teacher.” When you know for yourselves that, “These

qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are

praised by the wise; these qualities, when undertaken & carried out, lead to

welfare & to happiness”—then you should enter & remain in them.’ Thus

was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

“Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones—thus devoid

of greed, devoid of ill will, undeluded, alert, & resolute—keeps pervading

the first direction [the east]—as well as the second direction, the third, & the

fourth—with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading

above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-

encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant,

expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

“He keeps pervading the first direction—as well as the second

direction, the third, & the fourth—with an awareness imbued with

compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around,

everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an

awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable,

free from hostility, free from ill will.

“He keeps pervading the first direction—as well as the second

direction, the third, & the fourth—with an awareness imbued with

empathetic joy. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around,

74
everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an

awareness imbued with empathetic joy: abundant, expansive, immeasurable,

free from hostility, free from ill will.

“He keeps pervading the first direction—as well as the second

direction, the third, & the fourth—with an awareness imbued with

equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around,

everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing world with an

awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable,

free from hostility, free from ill will.

“Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones—his mind

thus free from hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure—acquires four

assurances in the here-&-now:

“‘If there is a world after death, if there is the fruit of actions rightly &

wrongly done, then this is the basis by which, with the break-up of the body,

after death, I will reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ This is

the first assurance he acquires.

“‘But if there is no world after death, if there is no fruit of actions

rightly & wrongly done, then here in the present life I look after myself with

ease—free from hostility, free from ill will, free from trouble.’ This is the

second assurance he acquires.

“‘If evil is done through acting, still I have willed no evil for anyone.

Having done no evil action, from where will suffering touch me?’ This is the

third assurance he acquires.

“‘But if no evil is done through acting, then I can assume myself pure

in both respects.’ This is the fourth assurance he acquires.

“One who is a disciple of the noble ones—his mind thus free from

hostility, free from ill will, undefiled, & pure—acquires these four

assurances in the here-&-now.” — AN 3:66

Then a large number of monks went to the Blessed One and, on arrival,

having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there they

said to him, “Lord, just now in Savatthi a certain monk died after having

been bitten by a snake.”

75
 “Then it’s certain, monks, that that monk didn’t suffuse the four royal

snake lineages with a mind of good will. For if he had suffused the four

royal snake lineages with a mind of good will, he would not have died after

having been bitten by a snake. Which four? The Virupakkha royal snake

lineage, the Erapatha royal snake lineage, the Chabyaputta royal snake

lineage, the Dark Gotamaka royal snake lineage. It’s certain that that monk

didn’t suffuse these four royal snake lineages with a mind of good will. For

if he had suffused these four royal snake lineages with a mind of good will,

he would not have died after having been bitten by a snake. I allow you,

monks, to suffuse these four royal snake lineages with a mind of good will

for the sake of self-protection, self-guarding, self-preservation.”

I have good will for the Virupakkhas,

good will for the Erapathas,

good will for the Chabyaputtas,

good will for the Dark Gotamakas.

I have good will for footless beings,

good will for two-footed beings,

good will for four-footed beings,

good will for many-footed beings.

May footless beings do me no harm.

May two-footed beings do me no harm.

May four-footed beings do me no harm.

May many-footed beings do me no harm.

May all creatures,

all breathing things,

all beings

—each & every one—

meet with good fortune.

May none of them come to any evil.

Immeasurable is the Buddha,

immeasurable the Dhamma,

immeasurable the Sangha.

76
 There is a measure to creeping things:

snakes, scorpions, centipedes,

spiders, lizards, & rats.

I have made this safeguard,

I have made this protection.

May the beings depart.

I pay homage

to the Blessed One,

homage

to the seven

rightly self-awakened ones. — AN 4:67

“Monks, there are these five aspects of speech by which others may

address you: timely or untimely, true or false, affectionate or harsh,

beneficial or unbeneficial, with a mind of good will or with inner hate.

Others may address you in a timely way or an untimely way. They may

address you with what is true or what is false. They may address you in an

affectionate way or a harsh way. They may address you in a beneficial way

or an unbeneficial way. They may address you with a mind of good will or

with inner hate. In any event, you should train yourselves: ‘Our minds will

be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will remain sympathetic to

that person’s welfare, with a mind of good will, and with no inner hate. We

will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued with good will and,

beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-encompassing world

with an awareness imbued with good will—abundant, expansive,

immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.’ That’s how you should

train yourselves.

“Suppose that a man were to come along carrying a hoe & a basket,

saying, ‘I will make this great earth be without earth.’ He would dig here &

there, scatter soil here & there, spit here & there, urinate here & there,

saying, ‘Be without earth. Be without earth.’ Now, what do you think—

would he make this great earth be without earth?”

“No, lord. Why is that? Because this great earth is deep & enormous. It

can’t easily be made to be without earth. The man would reap only a share

77
of weariness & disappointment.”

“In the same way, monks, there are these five aspects of speech by

which others may address you: timely or untimely, true or false, affectionate

or harsh, beneficial or unbeneficial, with a mind of good will or with inner

hate. Others may address you in a timely way or an untimely way. They may

address you with what is true or what is false. They may address you in an

affectionate way or a harsh way. They may address you in a beneficial way

or an unbeneficial way. They may address you with a mind of good will or

with inner hate. In any event, you should train yourselves: ‘Our minds will

be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will remain sympathetic to

that person’s welfare, with a mind of good will, and with no inner hate. We

will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued with good will and,

beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-encompassing world

with an awareness imbued with good will equal to the great earth—

abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.’

That’s how you should train yourselves.

“Suppose that a man were to come along carrying lac, yellow

orpiment, indigo, or crimson, saying, ‘I will draw pictures in space, I will

make pictures appear.’ Now, what do you think—would he draw pictures in

space & make pictures appear?”

“No, lord. Why is that? Because space is formless & featureless. It’s

not easy to draw pictures there and to make them appear. The man would

reap only a share of weariness & disappointment.”

“In the same way, monks, there are these five aspects of speech by

which others may address you.… In any event, you should train yourselves:

‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will

remain sympathetic to that person’s welfare, with a mind of good will, and

with no inner hate. We will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued

with good will and, beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-

encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will equal to

space—abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill

will.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.

78
 “Suppose that a man were to come along carrying a burning grass torch

and saying, ‘With this burning grass torch I will heat up the river Ganges

and make it boil.’ Now, what do you think—would he, with that burning

grass torch, heat up the river Ganges and make it boil?”

“No, lord. Why is that? Because the river Ganges is deep & enormous.

It’s not easy to heat it up and make it boil with a burning grass torch. The

man would reap only a share of weariness & disappointment.”

“In the same way, monks, there are these five aspects of speech by

which others may address you.… In any event, you should train yourselves:

‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will

remain sympathetic to that person’s welfare, with a mind of good will, and

with no inner hate. We will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued

with good will and, beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-

encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will equal to the

river Ganges—abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free

from ill will.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.

“Suppose there were a catskin bag—beaten, well-beaten, beaten

through & through, soft, silky, free of rustling & crackling—and a man were

to come along carrying a stick or shard and saying, ‘With this stick or shard

I will take this catskin bag—beaten, well-beaten, beaten through & through,

soft, silky, free of rustling & crackling—and I will make it rustle & crackle.’

Now, what do you think—would he, with that stick or shard, take that

catskin bag—beaten, well-beaten, beaten through & through, soft, silky, free

of rustling & crackling—and make it rustle & crackle?”

“No, lord. Why is that? Because the catskin bag is beaten, well-beaten,

beaten through & through, soft, silky, free of rustling & crackling. It’s not

easy to make it rustle & crackle with a stick or shard. The man would reap

only a share of weariness & disappointment.”

“In the same way, monks, there are these five aspects of speech by

which others may address you.… In any event, you should train yourselves:

‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will

remain sympathetic to that person’s welfare, with a mind of good will, and

with no inner hate. We will keep pervading him with an awareness imbued

79
with good will and, beginning with him, we will keep pervading the all-

encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will equal to a

catskin bag—abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free

from ill will.’ That’s how you should train yourselves.

“Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb,

with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even at

that would not be doing my bidding. Even then you should train yourselves:

‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words. We will

remain sympathetic, with a mind of good will, and with no inner hate. We

will keep pervading these people with an awareness imbued with good will

and, beginning with them, we will keep pervading the all-encompassing

world with an awareness imbued with good will—abundant, expansive,

immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.’ That’s how you should

train yourselves.

“Monks, if you attend constantly to this admonition on the simile of

the saw, do you see any aspects of speech, slight or gross, that you could not

endure?”

“No, lord.”

“Then attend constantly to this admonition on the simile of the saw.

That will be for your long-term welfare & happiness.” — MN 21

This is to be done by one skilled in aims

appreciating the state of peace:

Be capable, upright, & straightforward,

easy to instruct, gentle, & not conceited,

content & easy to support,

with few duties, living lightly,

with peaceful faculties, masterful,

modest, & no greed for supporters.

Do not do the slightest thing

that the wise would later censure.

Think: Happy, at rest,

80
may all beings be happy at heart.

Whatever beings there may be,

weak or strong, without exception,

long, large,

middling, short,

subtle, blatant,

seen & unseen,

near & far,

born & seeking birth:

May all beings be happy at heart.

Let no one deceive another

or despise anyone anywhere,

or through anger or irritation

wish for another to suffer.

As a mother would risk her life

to protect her child, her only child,

even so should one cultivate

an immeasurable heart

with regard to all beings.

With good will for the entire cosmos,

cultivate an immeasurable heart:

Above, below, & all around,

unobstructed, without hostility or hate.

Whether standing, walking,

sitting, or lying down,

as long as one is alert,

one should be resolved on this mindfulness.

This is called a sublime abiding

here & now.

Not taken with views,

but virtuous & consummate in vision,

having subdued desire for sensual pleasures,

one never again

81
 will lie in the womb. — Khp 9

The Blessed One said, “Once upon a time, monks, a bamboo acrobat,

having erected a bamboo pole, addressed his assistant, Frying Pan: ‘Come,

my dear Frying Pan. Climb up the bamboo pole and stand on my shoulders.’

“‘As you say, Master,’ Frying Pan answered the bamboo acrobat and,

climbing the bamboo pole, stood on his shoulders.

“So then the bamboo acrobat said to his assistant, ‘Now you watch

after me, my dear Frying Pan, and I’ll watch after you. Thus, protecting one

another, watching after one another, we’ll show off our skill, receive our

reward, and come down safely from the bamboo pole.’

“When he had said this, Frying Pan said to him, ‘But that won’t do at

all, Master. You watch after yourself, and I’ll watch after myself, and thus

with each of us protecting ourselves, watching after ourselves, we’ll show off

our skill, receive our reward, and come down safely from the bamboo pole.’

“What Frying Pan, the assistant, said to her Master was the right way in

that case.

“Monks, the establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the

thought, ‘I’ll watch after myself.’ The establishing of mindfulness is to be

practiced with the thought, ‘I’ll watch after others.’ When watching after

yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch

after yourself.

“And how do you watch after others when watching after yourself?

Through pursuing [the practice], through developing it, through devoting

oneself to it. This is how you watch after others when watching after

yourself.

“And how do you watch after yourself when watching after others?

Through endurance, through harmlessness, through a mind of goodwill, &

through sympathy. This is how you watch after yourself when watching after

others.

“The establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced with the thought,

‘I’ll watch after myself.’ The establishing of mindfulness is to be practiced

with the thought, ‘I’ll watch after others.’ When watching after yourself, you

82
watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.”

— SN 47:19

“Wise & mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration

[i.e., concentration based on immeasurable good will, compassion,

empathetic joy, or equanimity]. When, wise & mindful, one has developed

immeasurable concentration, five realizations arise right within oneself.

Which five?

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘This concentration is

blissful in the present and will result in bliss in the future.’

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘This concentration is

noble & not connected with the baits of the flesh.’

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘This concentration is

not obtained by base people.’

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘This concentration is

peaceful, exquisite, the acquiring of serenity, the attainment of unity, not

kept in place by the fabrications of forceful restraint.’

“The realization arises right within oneself that ‘I enter into this

concentration mindfully, and mindfully I emerge from it.’

“Wise & mindful, you should develop immeasurable concentration.

When, wise & mindful, one has developed immeasurable concentration,

these five realizations arise right within oneself.” — AN 5:27

“Monks, for one whose awareness-release through good will is

cultivated, developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a

grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken, eleven benefits can

be expected. Which eleven?

“One sleeps easily, wakes easily, dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to

human beings, dear to non-human beings. The devas protect one. Neither

fire, poison, nor weapons can touch one. One’s mind gains concentration

quickly. One’s complexion is bright. One dies unconfused and—if

penetrating no higher—is headed for the Brahma worlds.

83
 “These are the eleven benefits that can be expected for one whose

awareness-release through good will is cultivated, developed, pursued, given

a means of transport, given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, and well-

undertaken.” — AN 11:16

“Having abandoned the taking of life, he [the disciple of the noble

ones] refrains from taking life… he refrains from stealing… he refrains

from sexual misconduct… he refrains from lies… he refrains from divisive

speech… he refrains from harsh speech… he refrains from idle chatter.

Having abandoned covetousness, he becomes uncovetous. Having

abandoned malevolence & anger, he becomes one with a mind of no

malevolence. Having abandoned wrong views, he becomes one who has

right views.

“That disciple of the noble ones, headman—thus devoid of

covetousness, devoid of malevolence, unbewildered, alert, mindful—keeps

pervading the first direction [the east] with an awareness imbued with good

will, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above,

below, & all around, everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-

encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will—

abundant, expansive, immeasurable, without hostility, without malevolence.

Just as a strong conch-trumpet blower can notify the four directions without

any difficulty, in the same way, when awareness-release through good will is

thus developed, thus pursued, any deed done to a limited extent no longer

remains there, no longer stays there.

“That disciple of the noble ones… keeps pervading the first direction

with an awareness imbued with compassion… empathetic joy… equanimity,

likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above,

below, & all around, everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-

encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity—

abundant, expansive, immeasurable, without hostility, without malevolence.

Just as a strong conch-trumpet blower can notify the four directions without

any difficulty, in the same way, when awareness-release through equanimity

is thus developed, thus pursued, any deed done to a limited extent no longer

remains there, no longer stays there.” — SN 42:8

84
 “Monks, I don’t speak of the wiping out of intentional actions that have

been done & accumulated without [their results] having been experienced,

either in the here & now or in a further state hereafter. Nor do I speak of the

act of putting an end to suffering and stress without having experienced [the

1
results of] intentional actions that have been done & accumulated.

“That disciple of the noble ones—thus devoid of covetousness, devoid

of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful—keeps pervading the first direction

[the east] with an awareness imbued with good will, likewise the second,

likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around,

everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos

with an awareness imbued with good will—abundant, expansive,

immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will. He discerns, ‘Before, this

mind of mine was limited & undeveloped. But now this mind of mine is

immeasurable & well developed. And whatever action that was done in a

measurable way does not remain there, does not linger there.’

“What do you think, monks: If that youth, from childhood, were to

develop awareness-release through good will, would he do any evil action?”

“No, lord.”

“Not doing any evil action, would he touch suffering?”

“No, lord, for when one does no evil action, from where would he

touch suffering?”

“This awareness-release through good will should be developed

whether one is a woman or a man. Neither a woman nor a man can go

taking this body along. Death, monks, is but a gap of a thought away. One

[who practices this awareness-release] discerns, ‘Whatever evil action has

been done by this body born of action, that will all be experienced here [in

this life]. It will not come to be hereafter.’ Thus developed, awareness-

release through good will leads to non-returning for the monk who has

gained gnosis here and has penetrated to no higher release.

“That disciple of the noble ones—thus devoid of covetousness, devoid

of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful—keeps pervading the first direction

[the east] with an awareness imbued with compassion.…

85
 “That disciple of the noble ones—thus devoid of covetousness, devoid

of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful—keeps pervading the first direction

[the east] with an awareness imbued with empathetic joy.…

“That disciple of the noble ones—thus devoid of covetousness, devoid

of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful—keeps pervading the first direction

[the east] with an awareness imbued with equanimity, likewise the second,

likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around,

everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos

with an awareness imbued with equanimity—abundant, expansive,

immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will. He discerns, ‘Before, this

mind of mine was limited & undeveloped. But now this mind of mine is

immeasurable & well developed. And whatever action that was done in a

measurable way does not remain there, does not linger there.’

“What do you think, monks: If that youth, from childhood, were to

develop awareness-release through equanimity, would he do any evil

action?”

“No, lord.”

“Not doing any evil action, would he touch suffering?”

“No, lord, for when one does no evil action, from where would he

touch suffering?”

“This awareness-release through equanimity should be developed

whether one is a woman or a man. Neither a woman nor a man can go

taking this body along. Death, monks, is but a gap of a thought away. One

[who practices this awareness-release] discerns, ‘Whatever evil action has

been done by this body born of action, that will all be experienced here [in

this life]. It will not come to be hereafter.’ Thus developed, awareness-

release through equanimity leads to non-returning for the monk who has

gained gnosis here and has penetrated to no higher release.”

NOT E: 1. F. L. Woodward—the Pali Text Society translator of the

Anguttara Tens and Elevens—notes that this sutta seems patched together from

various sources. As proof, he cites the abrupt breaks between this paragraph and the

next, and between the next and the one following it.

86
 — AN 10:208

“Monks, for anyone who says, ‘In whatever way a person makes

kamma, that is how it is experienced,’ there is no living of the holy life,

there is no opportunity for the right ending of stress. But for anyone who

says, ‘When a person makes kamma to be felt in such & such a way, that is

how its result is experienced,’ there is the living of the holy life, there is the

opportunity for the right ending of stress.

“There is the case where a trifling evil deed done by a certain

individual takes him to hell. There is the case where the very same sort of

trifling deed done by another individual is experienced in the here & now,

and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

“Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual takes him to

hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in body

[according to MN 36, this means that pleasure can invade his mind and

remain there], undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind [pain can invade

his mind and remain there]: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with

suffering. A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual takes him to

hell.

“Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual is

experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a

moment? There is the case where a certain individual is developed in body,

developed in virtue, developed in mind, developed in discernment:

unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the immeasurable [awareness-

release]. A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual is experienced in

the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

“Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of

water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become salty

because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?”

“Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in

the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to

drink.”

87
 “Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River

Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become

salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?”

“No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River

Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit to

drink.”

“In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by

one individual [the first] takes him to hell; and there is the case where the

very same sort of trifling deed done by the other individual is experienced in

the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.…

“There is the case where a certain person is thrown into jail for half a

dollar [kahapana], is thrown into jail for a dollar, is thrown into jail for one

hundred dollars. And there is the case where another person is not thrown

into jail for half a dollar, is not thrown into jail for a dollar, is not thrown

into jail for one hundred dollars. Now what sort of person is thrown into jail

for half a dollar… for a dollar… for one hundred dollars? There is the case

where a person is poor, of little wealth, of few possessions. This is the sort

of person who is thrown into jail for half a dollar… for a dollar… for one

hundred dollars. And what sort of person is not thrown into jail for half a

dollar… for a dollar… for one hundred dollars? There is the case where a

person is wealthy, with many belongings, many possessions. This is the sort

of person who is not thrown into jail for half a dollar.… for a dollar… for

one hundred dollars.

“In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by

one individual takes him to hell; and there is the case where the very same

sort of trifling deed done by the other individual is experienced in the here

& now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.…

“It’s just as when a goat butcher is empowered to beat or bind or slay or

treat as he likes a certain person who steals a goat, but is not empowered to

beat or bind or slay or treat as he likes another person who steals a goat.

Now, when what sort of person has stolen a goat is the goat butcher

empowered to beat him or bind him or slay him or treat him as he likes?

There is the case where a person is poor, of little wealth, of few possessions.

88
This is the sort of person who, when he has stolen a goat, the goat butcher is

empowered to beat or bind or slay or treat as he likes. And when what sort

of person has stolen a goat is the goat butcher not empowered to beat him or

bind him or slay him or treat him as he likes? There is the case where a

person is wealthy, with many belongings, many possessions; a king or a

king’s minister. This is the sort of person who, when he has stolen a goat,

the goat butcher is not empowered to beat or bind or slay or treat as he likes.

All he can do is go with his hands clasped before his heart and beg: ‘Please,

dear sir, give me a goat or the price of a goat.’

“In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by

one individual takes him to hell; and there is the case where the very same

sort of trifling deed done by the other individual is experienced in the here

& now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

“Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual takes him to

hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in body,

undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment:

restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering. A trifling evil deed done

by this sort of individual takes him to hell.

“Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual is

experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a

moment? There is the case where a certain individual is developed in body,

developed in virtue, developed in mind, developed in discernment:

unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the immeasurable [awareness-

release]. A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual is experienced in

the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

“Monks, for anyone who says, ‘In whatever way a person makes

kamma, that is how it is experienced,’ there is no living of the holy life,

there is no opportunity for the right ending of stress. But for anyone who

says, ‘When a person makes kamma to be felt in such & such a way, that is

how its result is experienced,’ there is the living of the holy life, there is the

opportunity for the right ending of stress.” — AN 3:101

89
 “There is the case where a monk might say, ‘Although good will has

been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied,

consolidated, and well-undertaken by me as my awareness-release, still ill

will keeps overpowering my mind.’ He should be told, ‘Don’t say that. You

shouldn’t speak in that way. Don’t misrepresent the Blessed One, for it’s not

right to misrepresent the Blessed One, and the Blessed One wouldn’t say

that. It’s impossible, there is no way that—when good will has been

developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied,

consolidated, and well-undertaken as an awareness-release—ill will would

still keep overpowering the mind. That possibility doesn’t exist, for this is

the escape from ill will: good will as an awareness-release.’

“Furthermore, there is the case where a monk might say, ‘Although

compassion has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis,

steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken by me as my awareness-release,

still viciousness keeps overpowering my mind.’ He should be told, ‘Don’t

say that. You shouldn’t speak in that way. Don’t misrepresent the Blessed

One, for it’s not right to misrepresent the Blessed One, and the Blessed One

wouldn’t say that. It’s impossible, there is no way that—when compassion

has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied,

consolidated, and well-undertaken as an awareness-release—viciousness

would still keep overpowering the mind. That possibility doesn’t exist, for

this is the escape from viciousness: compassion as an awareness-release.’

“Furthermore, there is the case where a monk might say, ‘Although

empathetic joy has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a

basis, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken by me as my awareness-

release, still resentment keeps overpowering my mind.’ He should be told,

‘Don’t say that. You shouldn’t speak in that way. Don’t misrepresent the

Blessed One, for it’s not right to misrepresent the Blessed One, and the

Blessed One wouldn’t say that. It’s impossible, there is no way that—when

empathetic joy has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a

basis, steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken as an awareness-release

—resentment would still keep overpowering the mind. That possibility

doesn’t exist, for this is the escape from resentment: empathetic joy as an

awareness-release.’

90
 “Furthermore, there is the case where a monk might say, ‘Although

equanimity has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis,

steadied, consolidated, and well-undertaken by me as my awareness-release,

still passion keeps overpowering my mind.’ He should be told, ‘Don’t say

that. You shouldn’t speak in that way. Don’t misrepresent the Blessed One,

for it’s not right to misrepresent the Blessed One, and the Blessed One

wouldn’t say that. It’s impossible, there is no way that—when equanimity

has been developed, pursued, handed the reins, taken as a basis, steadied,

consolidated, and well-undertaken as an awareness-release—passion would

still keep overpowering the mind. That possibility doesn’t exist, for this is

the escape from passion: equanimity as an awareness-release.’” — AN 6:13

“And how is awareness-release through good will developed, what is its

destiny, its excellence, its reward, & its consummation?

“There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for

Awakening accompanied by good will, dependent on seclusion…

dispassion… cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops analysis of

qualities as a factor for Awakening… persistence as a factor for

Awakening… rapture as a factor for Awakening… calm as a factor for

Awakening… concentration as a factor for Awakening… equanimity as a

factor for Awakening accompanied by good will, dependent on seclusion…

dispassion… cessation, resulting in letting go. If he wants, he remains

percipient of loathsomeness in the presence of what is not loathsome. If he

wants, he remains percipient of unloathsomeness in the presence of what is

loathsome. If he wants, he remains percipient of loathsomeness in the

presence of what is not loathsome & what is. If he wants, he remains

percipient of unloathsomeness in the presence of what is loathsome & what

is not. If he wants—in the presence of what is loathsome & what is not—

cutting himself off from both, he remains equanimous, alert, & mindful. Or

he may enter & remain in the beautiful liberation. I tell you, monks,

awareness-release through good will has the beautiful as its excellence—in

the case of one who has penetrated to no higher release.

“And how is awareness-release through compassion developed, what is

its destiny, its excellence, its reward, & its consummation?

91
 “There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for

Awakening accompanied by compassion… etc.… If he wants—in the

presence of what is loathsome & what is not—cutting himself off from both,

he remains equanimous, alert, & mindful. Or, with the complete

transcending of perceptions of [physical] form, with the disappearance of

perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, thinking,

‘Infinite space,’ he enters & remains in the sphere of the infinitude of space.

I tell you, monks, awareness-release through compassion has the sphere of

the infinitude of space as its excellence—in the case of one who has

penetrated to no higher release.

“And how is awareness-release through empathetic joy developed, what

is its destiny, its excellence, its reward, & its consummation?

“There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for

awakening accompanied by empathetic joy… etc.…If he wants—in the

presence of what is loathsome & what is not—cutting himself off from both,

he remains equanimous, alert, & mindful. Or, with the complete

transcending of the sphere of infinitude of space, thinking ‘Infinite

consciousness,’ he enters & remains in the sphere of the infinitude of

consciousness. I tell you, monks, awareness-release through empathetic joy

has the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness as its excellence—in the

case of one who has penetrated to no higher release.

“And how is awareness-release through equanimity developed, what is

its destiny, its excellence, its reward, & its consummation?

“There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for

Awakening accompanied by equanimity… etc.… If he wants—in the

presence of what is loathsome & what is not—cutting himself off from both,

he remains equanimous, alert, & mindful. Or, with the complete

transcending of the sphere of infinitude of consciousness, thinking ‘There is

nothing,’ he enters & remains in the sphere of nothingness. I tell you,

monks, awareness-release through equanimity has the sphere of nothingness

as its excellence—in the case of one who has penetrated to no higher

release.” — SN 46:54

92
 “There is the case where an individual keeps pervading the first

direction [the east]—as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth

—with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading

above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-

encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant,

expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will. He savors

that, longs for that, finds satisfaction through that. Staying there—fixed on

that, dwelling there often, not falling away from that—then when he dies he

reappears in conjunction with the devas of Brahma’s retinue. The devas of

Brahma’s retinue, monks, have a life-span of an aeon. A run-of-the-mill

person, having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas,

goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades. But a

disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all the life-

span of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. This, monks, is

the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor, between an

educated disciple of the noble ones and an uneducated run-of-the-mill

person, when there is a destination, a reappearing.

“Again, there is the case where an individual keeps pervading the first

direction—as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth—with an

awareness imbued with compassion.… Staying there—fixed on that,

dwelling there often, not falling away from that—then when he dies he

1
reappears in conjunction with the Abhassara [Radiant] devas. The

Abhassara devas, monks, have a life-span of two aeons. A run-of-the-mill

person, having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas,

goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades. But a

disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all the life-

span of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. This, monks, is

the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor, between an

educated disciple of the noble ones and an uneducated run-of-the-mill

2
person, when there is a destination, a reappearing.

“Again, there is the case where an individual keeps pervading the first

direction—as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth—with an

awareness imbued with empathetic joy.… Staying there—fixed on that,

93
dwelling there often, not falling away from that—then when he dies he

reappears in conjunction with the Subhakinha [Beautiful Black] devas. The

Subhakinha devas, monks, have a life-span of four aeons. A run-of-the-mill

person, having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those devas,

goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades. But a

disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all the life-

span of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. This, monks, is

the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor, between an

educated disciple of the noble ones and an uneducated run-of-the-mill

person, when there is a destination, a reappearing.

“Again, there is the case where an individual keeps pervading the first

direction [the east]—as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth

—with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading

above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-

encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity:

abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.

He savors that, longs for that, finds satisfaction through that. Staying there—

fixed on that, dwelling there often, not falling away from that—then when

he dies he reappears in conjunction with the Vehapphala [Sky-fruit] devas.

The Vehapphala devas, monks, have a life-span of 500 aeons. A run-of-the-

mill person, having stayed there, having used up all the life-span of those

devas, goes to hell, to the animal womb, to the state of the hungry shades.

But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there, having used up all

the life-span of those devas, is unbound right in that state of being. This,

monks, is the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor,

between an educated disciple of the noble ones and an uneducated run-of-

the-mill person, when there is a destination, a reappearing.

“These are four types of individuals to be found existing in the world.”

NOT E S

1. The Abhassara, Subhakinha, and Vehapphala devas are all Brahmas on the

level of form.

2. This sutta, read in conjunction with AN 4:123, has given rise to the belief

that the development of good will as an immeasurable state can lead only to the first

94
jhana, and that the next two immeasurable states—compassion and empathetic joy—

can lead, respectively, only to the second and third jhanas. However, as AN 8:63

shows below, all four immeasurable states can lead all the way to the fourth jhana.

The difference between that discourse and this lies in how the person practicing

these states relates to them. In that sutta, the person deliberately uses the state as a

basis for developing all the jhanas. In this sutta, the person simply enjoys the state

and remains in it.

— AN 4:125

Then a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having

bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the

Blessed One: “It would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the

Dhamma in brief so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I

might dwell alone in seclusion: heedful, ardent, & resolute.”

“But it is in just this way that some worthless men make a request but

then, having been told the Dhamma, think they should tag along right

behind me.”

“May the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma in brief! May the One

Well-gone teach me the Dhamma in brief! It may well be that I will

understand the Blessed One’s words. It may well be that I will become an

heir to the Blessed One’s words.”

“Then, monk, you should train yourself thus: ‘My mind will be

established inwardly, well-composed. No evil, unskillful qualities, once they

have arisen, will remain consuming the mind.’ That’s how you should train

yourself.

“Then you should train yourself thus: ‘Good will, as my awareness-

release, will be developed, pursued, given a means of transport, given a

grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken.’ That’s how you

should train yourself. When you have developed this concentration in this

way, you should develop this concentration with directed thought &

evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought & a modicum of

evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought & no evaluation,

you should develop it accompanied by rapture… not accompanied by

95
rapture… endowed with a sense of enjoyment; you should develop it

endowed with equanimity.

“When this concentration is thus developed, thus well-developed by

you, you should then train yourself thus: ‘Compassion, as my awareness-

release.… Empathetic joy, as my awareness-release.… Equanimity, as my

awareness-release, will be developed, pursued, given a means of transport,

given a grounding, steadied, consolidated, & well-undertaken.’ That’s how

you should train yourself. When you have developed this concentration in

this way, you should develop this concentration with directed thought &

evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought & a modicum of

evaluation, you should develop it with no directed thought & no evaluation,

you should develop it accompanied by rapture… not accompanied by

rapture… endowed with a sense of enjoyment; you should develop it

endowed with equanimity.

“When this concentration is thus developed, thus well-developed by

you, you should then train yourself thus: ‘I will remain focused on the body

in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—putting aside greed & distress with

reference to the world.’ That’s how you should train yourself. When you

have developed this concentration in this way, you should develop this

concentration with directed thought & evaluation, you should develop it

with no directed thought & a modicum of evaluation, you should develop it

with no directed thought & no evaluation, you should develop it

accompanied by rapture… not accompanied by rapture… endowed with a

sense of enjoyment; you should develop it endowed with equanimity.

“When this concentration is thus developed, thus well-developed by

you, you should train yourself: ‘I will remain focused on feelings in & of

themselves… the mind in & of itself… mental qualities in & of themselves

—ardent, alert, & mindful—putting aside greed & distress with reference to

the world.’ That’s how you should train yourself. When you have developed

this concentration in this way, you should develop this concentration with

directed thought & evaluation, you should develop it with no directed

thought & a modicum of evaluation, you should develop it with no directed

thought & no evaluation, you should develop it accompanied by rapture…

96
not accompanied by rapture… endowed with a sense of enjoyment; you

should develop it endowed with equanimity.

“When this concentration is thus developed, thus well-developed by

you, then wherever you go, you will go in comfort. Wherever you stand, you

will stand in comfort. Wherever you sit, you will sit in comfort. Wherever

you lie down, you will lie down in comfort.”

Then that monk, having been admonished by the admonishment from

the Blessed One, got up from his seat and bowed down to the Blessed One,

circled around him, keeping the Blessed One to his right side, and left.

Then, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, he in no long

time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which

clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing &

realizing it for himself in the here & now. He knew: “Birth is ended, the

holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this

world.” And thus he became another one of the Arahants. — AN 8:63

“There is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain peaceful

awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification, but as

he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind doesn’t leap

up, grow confident, steadfast, or firm in the cessation of self-identification.

For him the cessation of self-identification is not to be expected. Just as if a

man were to grasp a branch with his hand smeared with resin, his hand

would stick to it, grip it, adhere to it; in the same way, the monk enters &

remains in a certain peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation

of self-identification, but as he is attending to the cessation of self-

identification his mind doesn’t leap up, grow confident, steadfast, or firm in

the cessation of self-identification. For him the cessation of self-

identification is not to be expected.

“Now, there is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification,

and as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind leaps

up, grows confident, steadfast, & firm in the cessation of self-identification.

For him the cessation of self-identification is to be expected. Just as if a man

97
were to grasp a branch with a clean hand, his hand would not stick to it, grip

it, or adhere to it; in the same way, the monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the cessation of self-identification,

and as he is attending to the cessation of self-identification his mind leaps

up, grows confident, steadfast, & firm in the cessation of self-identification.

For him the cessation of self-identification is to be expected.

“Now, there is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the breaching of ignorance, but as

he is attending to the breaching of ignorance his mind doesn’t leap up, grow

confident, steadfast, or firm in the breaching of ignorance. For him the

breaching of ignorance is not to be expected. Just as if there were a waste-

water pool that had stood for countless years, where a man were to block all

the inlets and open all the outlets, and the sky were to not rain down in good

streams of rain: the breaching of the waste-water pool’s embankment would

not be expected; in the same way, the monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the breaching of ignorance, but as

he is attending to the breaching of ignorance his mind doesn’t leap up, grow

confident, steadfast, or firm in the breaching of ignorance. For him the

breaching of ignorance is not to be expected.

“Now, there is the case where a monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the breaching of ignorance, and as

he is attending to the breaching of ignorance his mind leaps up, grows

confident, steadfast, & firm in the breaching of ignorance. For him the

breaching of ignorance is to be expected. Just as if there were a waste-water

pool that had stood for countless years, where a man were to open all the

inlets and block all the outlets, and the sky were to rain down in good

streams of rain: the breaching of the waste-water pool’s embankment would

be expected; in the same way, the monk enters & remains in a certain

peaceful awareness-release. He attends to the breaching of ignorance, and as

he is attending to the breaching of ignorance his mind leaps up, grows

confident, steadfast, & firm in the breaching of ignorance. For him the

breaching of ignorance is to be expected.” — AN 4:178

98
 “There is the case where an individual keeps pervading the first

direction—as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth—with an

awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, &

all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos

with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive,

immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will. He regards whatever

phenomena there that are connected with form, feeling, perception,

fabrications, & consciousness, as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer,

an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a disintegration, an emptiness, not-

self. At the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in conjunction

with the devas of the Pure Abodes. This rebirth is not in common with run-

of-the-mill people.”

[Similarly with compassion, empathetic joy, & equanimity.]

— AN 4:126

“Then again, a monk keeps pervading the first direction with an

awareness imbued with good will, likewise the second, likewise the third,

likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around, everywhere, in its

entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos with an

awareness imbued with good will—abundant, expansive, immeasureable,

without hostility, without ill will. He reflects on this and discerns, ‘This

awareness-release through good will is fabricated & intended. Now whatever

is fabricated & intended is inconstant & subject to cessation.’ Staying right

there, he reaches the ending of the mental effluents. Or, if not, then—

through this very Dhamma-passion, this Dhamma-delight, and from the

total wasting away of the five lower fetters [self-identity views, uncertainty,

grasping at habits & practices, sensual passion, and irritation]—he is due to

be spontaneously reborn [in the Pure Abodes], there to be totally unbound,

never again to return from that world.

“This too, householder, is a single quality declared by the Blessed One

—the one who knows, the one who sees, worthy & rightly self-awakened—

where the unreleased mind of a monk who dwells there heedful, ardent, &

resolute becomes released, or his unended effluents go to their total ending,

99
or he attains the unexcelled security from the yoke that he had not attained

before.”

[Similarly with awareness-release through compassion, through

empathetic joy, & through equanimity.] — MN 52

100
 The Merit of Stream-entry

“Sariputta, ‘The stream, the stream’: thus it is said. And what,

Sariputta, is the stream?”

“This noble eightfold path, lord, is the stream: right view, right resolve,

right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness,

right concentration.”

“Very good, Sariputta! Very good! This noble eightfold path—right

view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,

right mindfulness, right concentration—is the stream.” — SN 55:5

“And what is right view? Knowledge in terms of stress, knowledge in

terms of the origination of stress, knowledge in terms of the cessation of

stress, knowledge in terms of the way of practice leading to the cessation of

stress: This is called right view.

“And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on non-ill

will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.

“And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive

speech, from harsh speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.

“And what is right action? Abstaining from taking life, from stealing, &

from sexual intercourse: This is called right action.

“And what is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple of the

noble ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going with

right livelihood. This is called right livelihood.

“And what is right effort? There is the case where a monk generates

desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the

sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen…

for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen…

101
for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen…

(and) for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development,

& culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This is called right

effort.

“And what is right mindfulness? There is the case where a monk

remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—

putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains

focused on feelings in & of themselves… the mind in & of itself… mental

qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—putting aside greed

& distress with reference to the world. This is called right mindfulness.

“And what is right concentration? There is the case where a monk—

quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities—enters &

remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion,

accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed

thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture &

pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness free from directed

thought & evaluation—internal assurance. With the fading of rapture he

remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body.

He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare,

‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’ With the abandoning of

pleasure & pain—as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress—

he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &

mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is called right concentration.”

— SN 45:8

“There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones [here meaning a

stream-enterer] is endowed with verified confidence in the Awakened One…

verified confidence in the Dhamma… verified confidence in the Sangha…

He/she is endowed with virtues that are appealing to the noble ones: untorn,

unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating, praised by the wise,

untarnished, leading to concentration.” — AN 10:92

102
 “Monks, there are these four bonanzas of merit, bonanzas of

skillfulness, nourishments of bliss. Which four?

“There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones is endowed

with verified confidence in the Awakened One: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is

worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct,

well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for

those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings,

awakened, blessed.’ This is the first bonanza of merit, bonanza, of

skillfulness, nourishment of bliss.

“Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified

confidence in the Dhamma: ‘The Dhamma is well-expounded by the

Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification,

pertinent, to be experienced by the observant for themselves.’ This is the

second bonanza of merit, bonanza, of skillfulness, nourishment of bliss.

“Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified

confidence in the Sangha: ‘The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples who

have practiced well… who have practiced straight-forwardly… who have

practiced methodically… who have practiced masterfully—in other words,

the four types of noble disciples when taken as pairs, the eight when taken

as individual types—they are the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples:

worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect,

the incomparable field of merit for the world.’ This is the third bonanza of

merit, bonanza, of skillfulness, nourishment of bliss.

“Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with virtues

that are appealing to the noble ones: untorn, unbroken, unspotted,

unsplattered, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished, leading to

concentration. This is the fourth bonanza of merit, bonanza, of skillfulness,

nourishment of bliss.

“These are four bonanzas of merit, bonanzas of skillfulness,

nourishments of bliss.” — SN 55:31

SN 55:32 defines the fourth bonanza of merit as follows:

“Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones lives at home with an

103
awareness cleansed of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, openhanded,

delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the

distribution of alms.

SN 55:33 defines it as follows: “Furthermore, the disciple of the noble

ones is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising & passing away—

noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.”

“Just as it’s not easy to take the measure of the water in the great ocean

as ‘just this many pails of water or hundreds of pails of water or thousands

of pails of water or hundreds of thousands of pails of water.’ It is reckoned

simply as a great mass of water that is unreckonable, immeasurable. In the

same way, when a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with these four

bonanzas of merit, bonanzas of skillfulness, it’s not easy to take the measure

of the merit as ‘just this much bonanza of merit, bonanza of skillfulness,

nourishment of bliss, heavenly, ripening in bliss leading to heaven, leading

to what is agreeable, pleasing, charming, happy, & beneficial.’ It is reckoned

simply as a great mass of merit that is unreckonable, immeasurable.”

— SN 55:41

[Ven. Ananda is speaking to Anathapindika concerning the first list of

bonanzas of merit:] “A well-instructed disciple of the noble ones, when

endowed with these four qualities, has no terror, no trepidation, no fear at

death with regard to the next life.” — SN 55:27

“Then there is the case of the person who has no doubt or perplexity,

who has arrived at certainty with regard to the True Dhamma. Then he

comes down with a serious disease. As he comes down with a serious

disease, the thought occurs to him, ‘I have no doubt or perplexity. I have

arrived at certainty with regard to the True Dhamma.’ He doesn’t grieve,

isn’t tormented; doesn’t weep, beat his breast, or grow delirious. This, too, is

a person who, subject to death, is not afraid or in terror of death.”

— AN 4:184

104
 [The Buddha is speaking to Nandaka, the chief minister of the

Licchavis, concerning the first list of bonanzas of merit:] “A disciple of the

noble ones endowed with these four qualities is a stream-winner, steadfast,

never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening.

“Furthermore, a disciple of the noble ones endowed with these four

qualities is linked with long life, human or divine; is linked with beauty,

human or divine; is linked with happiness, human or divine; is linked with

status, human or divine; is linked with influence, human or divine.

“I tell you this, Nandaka, not having heard it from any other brahman

or contemplative. Instead, I tell you this having known, seen, and realized it

for myself.”

When this was said, a certain man said to Nandaka, the chief minister

of the Licchavis, “It is now time for your bath, sir.”

[Nandaka responded,] “Enough, I say, with this external bath. I am

satisfied with this internal bath: confidence in the Blessed One.”

— SN 55:30

Then the Blessed One, picking up a little bit of dust with the tip of his

fingernail, said to the monks, “What do you think, monks? Which is greater:

the little bit of dust I have picked up with the tip of my fingernail, or the

great earth?”

“The great earth is far greater, lord. The little bit of dust the Blessed

One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail is next to nothing. It’s not a

hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-thousandth—this little bit of dust

the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail—when

compared with the great earth.”

“In the same way, monks, for a disciple of the noble ones who is

consummate in view, an individual who has broken through [to stream-

entry], the suffering & stress totally ended & extinguished is far greater.

That which remains in the state of having at most seven remaining lifetimes

is next to nothing: it’s not a hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-

thousandth, when compared with the previous mass of suffering. That’s how

105
great the benefit is of breaking through to the Dhamma, monks. That’s how

great the benefit is of obtaining the Dhamma eye.” — SN 13:1

“Monks, even though a wheel-turning emperor, having exercised

sovereign lordship over the four continents, on the break-up of the body,

after death, reappears in the good destination, the heavenly world, in the

company of the devas of the Thirty-three, and enjoys himself there in the

Nandana grove, surrounded by a consort of nymphs, well-supplied & replete

with the five strings of heavenly sensual pleasure, still—because he is not

endowed with four qualities—he is not freed from (the possibility of going

to) hell, not freed from the animal womb, not freed from the realm of

hungry shades, not freed from the plane of deprivation, the bad destinations,

the lower realms.

“And even though a disciple of the noble ones lives off lumps of alms

food and wears rag-robes, still—because he is endowed with four qualities

—he is freed from hell, freed from the animal womb, freed from the realm

of hungry shades, freed from the plane of deprivation, the bad destinations,

the lower realms.

“And what are the four? There is the case where the disciple of the

noble ones is endowed with verified confidence in the Awakened One:

‘Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy & rightly self-awakened, consummate in

clear-knowing & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the cosmos,

unexcelled trainer of people fit to be tamed, teacher of devas & human

beings, awakened, blessed.’

“He/she is endowed with verified confidence in the Dhamma: ‘The

Dhamma is well taught by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now,

timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be experienced by the observant

for themselves.’

“He/she is endowed with verified confidence in the Sangha: ‘The

Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples who have practiced well… who have

practiced straight-forwardly… who have practiced methodically… who have

practiced masterfully—in other words, the four types of noble disciples

when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types—they are the

106
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of

hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of

merit for the world.’

“He/she is endowed with virtues that are appealing to the noble ones:

untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating, praised by the

observant, ungrasped at, leading to concentration.

“He/she is endowed with these four qualities.

“And between the gaining of the four continents and the gaining of

these four qualities, the gaining of the four continents is not equal to one

sixteenth of the gaining of these four qualities.” — SN 55:1

Sole dominion over the earth,

going to heaven,

lordship over all worlds:

the fruit of Stream-entry

excels them. — Dhp 178

107
 Beyond Merit

As he was standing to one side, Uttara the deva’s son recited this verse

in the Blessed One’s presence:

“Life is swept along,

next-to-nothing its span.

For one swept on by aging

no shelters exist.

Perceiving this danger in death,

one should do deeds of merit

that bring about bliss.”

The Buddha:

“Life is swept along,

next-to-nothing its span.

For one swept to old age

no shelters exist.

Perceiving this danger in death,

one should drop the world’s bait

and look for peace.” — SN 2:19

For a person of unsoddened mind,

unassaulted awareness,

abandoning merit & evil,

wakeful,

there is

no danger

no fear. — Dhp 39

108
He has gone

beyond attachment here

for both merit & evil—

sorrowless, dustless, & pure:

he’s what I call

a brahman. — Dhp 412

109
 Glossary

Arahant:  A “worthy one” or “pure one”; a person whose mind is free of

defilement and is thus not subject to further rebirth. A title for the Buddha

and his highest level of noble disciples.

Asava:  Effluent; fermentation. Four qualities—sensuality, views, becoming,

and ignorance—that “flow out” of the mind and create the flood of the

round of death and rebirth.

Brahma:  An inhabitant of the highest heavenly realms of form and

formlessness.

Brahman:  A member of the priestly caste, which claimed to be the highest

caste in India, based on birth. In a specifically Buddhist usage, “brahman”

can also mean an arahant, conveying the point that excellence is based not

on birth or race, but on the qualities attained in the mind.

Deva (devata):  Literally, “shining one.” An inhabitant of the heavenly

realms.

Dhamma:  (1) Event; action; (2) a phenomenon in and of itself; (3) mental

quality; (4) doctrine, teaching; (5) nibbana (although there are passages

describing nibbana as the abandoning of all dhammas). Sanskrit form:

Dharma.

Jhana:  Mental absorption. A state of strong concentration focused on a

single sensation or mental notion. This term is related to the verb jhayati,

which means to burn with a still, steady flame.

Kamma:  Intentional action. Sanskrit form: Karma.

110
Nibbana:  Literally, the “unbinding” of the mind from passion, aversion,

and delusion, and from the entire round of death and rebirth. As this term

also denotes the extinguishing of a fire, it carries connotations of stilling,

cooling, and peace. Sanskrit form: Nirvana.

Sangha:  Community. On the conventional level, this term denotes the

communities of Buddhist monks and nuns. On the ideal level, it denotes

those followers of the Buddha, lay or ordained, who have attained at least

the first level of Awakening.

Sutta:  Discourse. Sanskrit form: Sutra.

Tathagata:  Literally, “one who has become authentic (tatha-agata)” or

“one who is truly gone (tatha-gata).” An epithet used in ancient India for a

person who has attained the highest religious goal. In Buddhism, it usually

denotes the Buddha, although occasionally it also denotes any of his arahant

disciples.

Vinaya:  The monastic discipline.

111
 Abbreviations

References are to texts from the

Pali Canon:

AN Anguttara Nikaya

Dhp Dhammapada

DN Digha Nikaya

Iti Itivuttaka

Khp Khuddakapatha

MN Majjhima Nikaya

Mv Mahavagga

SN Samyutta Nikaya

Sn Sutta Nipata

Ud Udana

112
Table of Contents

Titlepage 1

Copyright 2

Introduction 3

Basic Wisdom 5

Puñña: Merit 14

Dana: Giving 22

Sila: Virtue 47

Bhavana: Meditation 70

The Merit of Stream-entry 101

Beyond Merit 108

Glossary 110

Abbreviations 112

113