Samyutta Nikaya - Sotapatti Samyutta II

Samyutta Nikaya - Sotapatti Samyutta II

SN 55.31
Abhisanda Sutta
Bonanzas (1)
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: S v 391
CDB ii 1821



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 1994 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1994
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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"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 realized by the wise
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."



See also: SN 55.32; SN 55.33; SN 55.40.


SN 55.32
Abhisanda Sutta
Bonanzas (2)

"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 realized by the wise
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 lives at home with an awareness
cleansed of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in
being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of
alms. 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."



See also: SN 55.31; SN 55.33; SN 55.40.


SN 55.33
Abhisanda Sutta
Bonanzas (3)

"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 realized by the wise
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 discerning, endowed with
discernment of arising & passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right
ending of stress. 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."



See also: SN 55.31; SN 55.32; SN 55.40.


SN 55.40
Nandiya Sutta
To Nandiya

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans near Kapilavatthu
in Nigrodha's Park. Then Nandiya the Sakyan 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, "Lord, the disciple of the noble ones in whom the
factors of stream entry are altogether & in every way lacking: Is he called a
disciple of the noble ones who lives heedlessly?"
"Nandiya, the person in whom the factors of stream entry are altogether & in
every way lacking I call an outsider, one who stands in the faction of the
run-of-the-mill. But as to how a disciple of the noble ones lives heedlessly and
heedfully, listen well and pay attention, I will speak"
"As you say, lord," Nandiya the Sakyan responded.
The Blessed One said, "And how, Nandiya, does a disciple of the noble ones live
heedlessly? There is the case where a 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.' Content with
that verified confidence in the Awakened One, he does not exert himself further
in solitude by day or seclusion by night. For him, living thus heedlessly, there
is no joy. There being no joy, there is no rapture. There being no rapture,
there is no serenity. There being no serenity, he dwells in pain. When pained,
the mind does not become centered. When the mind is uncentered, phenomena do not
become manifest. When phenomena are not manifest, he is reckoned simply as one
who dwells heedlessly.
"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 realized by the wise
for themselves.' Content with that verified confidence in the Dhamma, he does
not exert himself further in solitude by day or seclusion by night. For him,
living thus heedlessly, there is no joy. There being no joy, there is no
rapture. There being no rapture, there is no serenity. There being no serenity,
he dwells in pain. When pained, the mind does not become centered. When the mind
is uncentered, phenomena do not become manifest. When phenomena are not
manifest, he is reckoned simply as one who dwells heedlessly.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence
in the '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.'
Content with that verified confidence in the Sangha, he does not exert himself
further in solitude by day or seclusion by night. For him, living thus
heedlessly, there is no joy. There being no joy, there is no rapture. There
being no rapture, there is no serenity. There being no serenity, he dwells in
pain. When pained, the mind does not become centered. When the mind is
uncentered, phenomena do not become manifest. When phenomena are not manifest,
he is reckoned simply as one who dwells heedlessly.
"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. Content
with those virtues pleasing to the noble ones, he does not exert himself further
in solitude by day or seclusion by night. For him, living thus heedlessly, there
is no joy. There being no joy, there is no rapture. There being no rapture,
there is no serenity. There being no serenity, he dwells in pain. When pained,
the mind does not become centered. When the mind is uncentered, phenomena do not
become manifest. When phenomena are not manifest, he is reckoned simply as one
who dwells heedlessly.
"This is how a disciple of the noble ones lives heedlessly.
"And how, Nandiya, does a disciple of the noble ones live heedfully? There is
the case where a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence
in the Awakened One... Not content with that verified confidence in the Awakened
One, he exerts himself further in solitude by day or seclusion by night. For
him, living thus heedfully, joy arises. In one who has joy, rapture arises. In
one who has rapture, the body becomes serene. When the body is serene, one feels
pleasure. Feeling pleasure, the mind becomes centered. When the mind is
centered, phenomena become manifest. When phenomena are manifest, he is reckoned
as one who dwells heedfully.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence
in the Dhamma... verified confidence in the Sangha... virtues that are appealing
to the noble ones: untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating,
praised by the wise, untarnished, leading to concentration. Not content with
those virtues pleasing to the noble ones, he exerts himself further in solitude
by day or seclusion by night. For him, living thus heedfully, joy arises. In one
who has joy, rapture arises. In one who has rapture, the body becomes serene.
When the body is serene, one feels pleasure. Feeling pleasure, the mind becomes
centered. When the mind is centered, phenomena become manifest. When phenomena
are manifest, he is reckoned as one who dwells heedfully.
"This is how a disciple of the noble ones lives heedfully."



See also: SN 3.17; SN 48.56.