Puññakiriyavatthusutta — Reader

Grounds for Making Merit

Puññakiriyavatthusutta

“Mendicants, there are these three grounds for making merit. What three? Giving, ethical conduct, and meditation are all grounds for making merit. First, someone has practiced a little giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit.

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, puññakiriyavatthūni. Katamāni tīṇi? Dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu. Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu parittaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu parittaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti.

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn among disadvantaged humans. Next, someone has practiced a moderate amount of giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn among well-off humans.

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manussadobhagyaṁ upapajjati. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu mattaso kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu mattaso kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manussasobhagyaṁ upapajjati.

Next, someone has practiced to an extraordinary degree giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the four great kings. There, the four great kings themselves have practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So they surpass them in ten respects:

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā cātumahārājikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Tatra, bhikkhave, cattāro mahārājāno dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, cātumahārājike deve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhanti—

heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Next, someone has practiced to an extraordinary degree giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit.

dibbena āyunā, dibbena vaṇṇena, dibbena sukhena, dibbena yasena, dibbena ādhipateyyena, dibbehi rūpehi, dibbehi saddehi, dibbehi gandhehi, dibbehi rasehi, dibbehi phoṭṭhabbehi. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti.

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the thirty-three. There, Sakka, lord of gods, has practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So he surpasses them in ten respects …

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā tāvatiṁsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Tatra, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā tāvatiṁse deve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti— dibbena āyunā …pe… dibbehi phoṭṭhabbehi.

Next, someone has practiced to an extraordinary degree giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of Yama. There, the godling Suyāma has practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So he surpasses them in ten respects …

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā yāmānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Tatra, bhikkhave, suyāmo devaputto dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, yāme deve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti—

dibbena āyunā …pe… dibbehi phoṭṭhabbehi. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā tusitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.

There, the godling Santusita has practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So he surpasses them in ten respects … Next, someone has practiced to an extraordinary degree giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit.

Tatra, bhikkhave, santusito devaputto dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, tusite deve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti— dibbena āyunā …pe… dibbehi phoṭṭhabbehi. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti.

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods who love to create. There, the godling Sunimmita has practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So he surpasses them in ten respects …

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā nimmānaratīnaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Tatra, bhikkhave, sunimmito devaputto dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, nimmānaratīdeve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti— dibbena āyunā …pe… dibbehi phoṭṭhabbehi.

Next, someone has practiced to an extraordinary degree giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation as a ground for making merit. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods who control what is created by others. There, the godling Vasavattī has practiced giving and ethical conduct as grounds for making merit to a greater degree than the other gods. So he surpasses them in ten respects:

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthu adhimattaṁ kataṁ hoti, bhāvanāmayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ nābhisambhoti. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā paranimmitavasavattīnaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. Tatra, bhikkhave, vasavattī devaputto dānamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, sīlamayaṁ puññakiriyavatthuṁ atirekaṁ karitvā, paranimmitavasavattīdeve dasahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti—

heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. These are the three grounds for making merit.”