The Floods of Merit

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:

1. A III 52 has maccha-gana- ("groups of fish") with naragana- as variant reading.
2. References to texts are as follows:
   1. GS II 63f. (A II 54-56)
   2. GS II 65f. (A II 56f.)
   3. GS III 42-44 (A III 51)
   4. GS IV 167-169 (A IV 245f.)
   5. KS V 336 (S V 391)
   6. KS V 337 (S V 391f.)
   7. KS V 337 (S V 392)
   8. KS V 342 (S V 399-400)
   9. KS V 343f. (S V 401)
   10. KS V 344 (S V 402)
3. These are discussed in Points of Controversy, pp. 202f., where it is pointed out that the Theravada view on making gifts is that the merit is not made to grow the more the gift is used by the person it is given to (i.e., there must be mental volition for there to be merit).
4. Mp III 92.
5. See The Perfection of Generosity (Dhammadana Series 3), p. 43.
6. For these qualities of the Triple Gem we follow more or less closely the translation of The Mirror of the Dhamma (D II 93f.) by M. Walshe in THIH, p. 241.
7. This means those who have attained one of the four Paths or four Fruition States.
8. This is also included in the Mirror of the Dhamma.
9. KS V 337f.
10. KS V 345 and in The Mirror of the Dhamma.
11. KS V, 345.
12. This passage is discussed in Points of Controversy pp. 198ff.
13. These terms are commented on by Ashin Buddhaghosa in the Visuddhimagga, Chapter VII paras 111f. We follow more or less closely Bhikkhu Nanamoli’s translation in Path.

• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Buddhism As a Way of Life
• Some Aspects of How Sayagyi U Ba Khin Began His Mission
• Theravada Buddhist Meditation As Taught By Sayagyi U Ba Khin
• Leading Virtuous Lives As Laymen
• Making the Most of This Life
• The Two Guardians of the World: A Sense of Shame, A Fear of Blame (hiri-ottappa)
• The Triple Refuge (ti-sarana)
• Right Motivation and Right Action
• The Warning of the Deva-Messengers
• The Story of Pacceka Buddha Matanga
• The Person the Buddha Would Not Admonish
• Inevitable Suffering and the Hope of Nibbana
• The Three Traditional Destroyers
• The Five Best Opportunities That Are Difficult to Obtain
• Four Ways of Practising the Buddha-Dhamma
• The Light of the Dhamma
• Concerning Nibbana-dathu
• Honour to Whom Honour is Due, Examples to be Followed
• Aparihaniya Dhamma: The Conditions of Welfare
• Being Assured of Attaining Nibbana
• The Good Friend
• Insight Meditation: The Benefits to be Derived from Developing Vipassana
• The Middle Practice
• Practising the Buddha-Dhamma as Laymen
• Practising What We Preach
• Teaching the Buddha Dhamma
• The Life of the Buddha by Ven. Ledi Sayadaw

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