by Sayagyi U Chit Tin
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Evam naram annadapanavatthadam
Just as various rivers serve communities of groups of men
a multitude of gems, so too,
Although the discourses are taught to bhikkhus, the lesson is
for laypeople, as it mainly concerns how laypeople can make merit by
supporting the Sangha. For two of the discourses (a,e), it is stated
that they were given by the Buddha when he was residing at Savatthi--and
it is probable that some or all of the others were given there as well.
The Buddha speaks of the floods of merit as being floods of good
(kusalabhisanda), bringing happiness, connected with the heavenly
worlds, resulting in happiness, leading to a heavenly world, leading to
one’s own welfare, to what is pleasant, pleasing, beneficial, beautiful,
agreeable (a,b,c,d). He says it would be difficult to measure the floods
of merit: they would be as hard to measure as the amount of water in the
ocean. Just as it would be difficult to say there are so many pails of
water, so many hundreds of pails of water, so many thousands of pails,
or so many hundreds of thousands of pails of water in the ocean, it is
also difficult to say how much the floods of merit are. They are to be
considered to be an incalculable, immeasurable, mighty mass of merit (a,
c,h,j,k). In one discourse, the Buddha adds that it is also as difficult
as trying to measure the water of the five great rivers in India that
flow together: the Ganges, Yamuna, Aciravati, Sarabhu, and Mahi (i).
Two of the lists of floods of merit consist in giving requisites to
bhikkhus (a,c).[3] The first list groups them under four headings
while the second list divides one type of requisite into two parts. The
requisites in the first list are: robes (civara), alms food (pindapata),
bed and chairs (senasana), and medicine for the sick (gilana-paccaya-bhesajja).
The second list subdivides "bed and chairs"--a term that is
often used to mean "lodging"--into: dwelling (vihara) and couch and
chair (mancapitha).
The Buddha says that these requisites should be offered to a
particular type of bhikkhu: one who uses the requisites in order to
attain and dwell with boundless mental concentration (ceto-samadhi).
Ashin Buddhaghosa explains in his commentary on this passage that this
means concentration on the Fruition State of Arahatship.[4] This gives
boundless floods of merit, he says, because the layman making the gift
can acquire boundless merit through his mental state as he says to
himself, "The robe I gave was used by one who is free of taints."
We may be disappointed in considering this list of floods of merit,
as it is not easy to encounter an Arahat today. In fact, some people
consider that there are no more Arahats on the human plane. But we can
still give requisites to the Sangha keeping in mind the Ariya
Sangha (the Noble Community Disciples), and in that way, no matter how
little has been attained by the individual bhikkhu or group of
bhikkhus to whom we give, our gift will still be made to those who
attained the highest goal.[5]
Most of the lists of four floods of merit have as the first three
items unwavering confidence in the Triple Gem: the Buddha, the Dhamma,
and the Sangha (b,d,e,f,g,h,i,j). This means a disciple has unwavering
confidence that the Blessed One is an Arahat, a fully-awakened Buddha,
endowed with wisdom and (right) conduct, the Perfect One, the knower of
the worlds, the incomparable trainer of men to be tamed, the Teacher of
devas and men, Awakened, and blessed.[6] He has unwavering
confidence that the Dhamma is well-proclaimed by the Blessed One; it
is visible here and now, timeless, inviting inspection, leading onward,
to be comprehended by the wise each one for himself. He has unwavering
confidence in the Sangha as being well-directed, of upright conduct, on
the right path, on the perfect path, as being made up of the four pairs
of persons--the eight kinds of humans;[7] it is worthy of offerings,
worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of veneration--an
unsurpassed field of merit in the world.
The fourth item in three discourses (b,e,h) is that the disciple is
possessed of the virtue pleasing to the Noble Ones (ariyakanta sila);
virtue that is unbroken, without defect, unspotted, without deficiency,
liberating, uncorrupted, and conducive to concentration.[8] These four
floods of merit are also known as the Path to the devas,[9] and
they are the qualities of a Stream-winner,[10] of one who is bound for
Awakening.[11]
In one discourse(d), the virtuous conduct of the disciple possessing
floods of merit is spelled out as consisting of the five precepts: not
taking life, not stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct, not lying,
and abstaining from taking intoxicants and drugs that are the basis of
carelessness.[12] These, the Buddha said, are five gifts, five great
gifts that come from former times, that are of long standing, known
through tradition, ancient, not confused now, just as they were not
confused in the past, not impure, nor will they become impure, and they
are not condemned by wise recluses and brahmans. Through observing
the five precepts, the Noble disciple gives to innumerable beings
freedom from fear (abhaya), freedom from hatred (avera), and freedom
from injury (avyapajjha). Acting in this way, he too partakes of freedom
from fear, hatred, and injury.
In two discourses (f,i), the fourth flood of merit added to
confidence in the Triple Gem is that the Noble disciple who lives the
life of a householder is free from the stain of avarice.[13] He is
freely generous, openhanded; he delights in relinquishing, is open to
requests, and rejoices in sharing. Ashin Buddhaghosa, in The Path of
Purification, explains freely generous to mean "liberally
generous." Open-handed means "with hands that are purified," that is
to say, with hands that are always washed in order to give gifts
carefully with one’s own hands. Delighting in relinquishing means
giving up (what is given). Open to requests (yacayoga) means
accustomed to being asked because he gives whatever others ask for.
Another reading for this term is devoted to sacrificing (yajayoga).
Rejoicing in sharing means the donor thinks, "I give gifts and I
share what is to be used by myself, and I rejoice in both."
Finally, two discourses (g,j) give confidence in the Triple Gem with
the fourth flood of merit being progress in practising insight. The
disciple who has this fourth flood of merit is possessed of wisdom
(pannava) and the full understanding of what makes for arising and
passing away, the Noble penetration that leads to the complete
destruction of all misery.
From these various lists of floods of merit, we can see that they
include all the aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path in its three
divisions of Virtue (sila), Concentration (samadhi), and Wisdom (panna).
We should develop in generosity, not only in giving material gifts but
also in giving the protection and security to other beings that will be
the result of observing the five precepts at all times. We must be able
to control our minds if we are to be truly generous when we make gifts.
And mental control will be essential if we are to be able to attain
insight into how all conditioned things come into being and disappear.
The task before us is not easy, but the rewards are more than worth the
sacrifices we must make if we are to follow the Teachings of the Buddha.
Sayagyi U Chit Tin
FOOTNOTES:
Published by the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, IMC-UK, Splatts House, Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0PE, England,
Copyright © 2000 Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, all rights reserved.
Mahodadhim aparimitam mahasaram
This poem concludes three discourses in which the Buddha explained
how laypeople can acquire "floods of merit" (punnabhisanda) (a,c,h).[2]
This same term is also used in several other discourses where various
lists of actions to be practised are given (b,d,e,f,g,i,j). In most of
these discourses, the lists include four actions.
bahubheravam ratanagananam alayam
Najjo yatha naraganasanghasevita[1]
puthu savanti upayanti sagaram
seyyanisajjattharanassa dayakam
Punnassa dhara upayanti panditam
najjo yatha varivaha va sagaram.
as they flow on and go to the ocean,
the immeasurable great
ocean, the great lake,
which is very terrible, the receptacle of
for the man giving food, drink and
clothes,
for the donor of bed, seat, and covers--
torrents of
merit like the rivers carrying water
to the ocean go to that wise
man.
Anguttara-nikaya II 55, III 52f.;
Samyutta-nikaya V 343
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