Ahara as depicted in the Pancanikaya
by Le Chanh | 2010 | 101,328 words
This is a critical study of Ahara and its importance as depicted in the Pancanikaya (Pancha Nikaya).—The concept of Ahara (“food�) in the context of Buddhism encompasses both physical and mental nourishment. The Panca Nikaya represents the five collections (of discourses) of the Sutta Pitaka within Buddhist literature. The present study emphasizes ...
14. Punnabhisanda-sutta (“Yields in Merit�)
328 Text 14: Punnabhisandasutta "Pancime, bhikkhave, punnabhisanda kusalabhisanda sukhassahara sovaggika sukhavipaka saggasamvattanika itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya samvattanti. "Katame panca? Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu civaram paribhunjamano appamanam cetosamadhim upasampajja viharati, appamano tassa punnabhisando kusalabhisando sukhassaharo sovaggiko sukhavipako saggasamvattaniko itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya samvattati. ... "Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pindapatam paribhunjamano... pe yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu viharam paribhunjamano pe yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mancapitham paribhunjamano... pe.... ... ... "Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilanapaccayabhesajjaparikkharam paribhunjamano appamanam cetosamadhim upasampajja viharati, appamano tassa punnabhisando kusalabhisando sukhassaharo sovaggiko sukhavipako saggasamvattaniko itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya samvattati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, panca punnabhisanda kusalabhisanda sukhassahara sovaggika sukhavipaka saggasamvattanika itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya sanvattanti. - "Imehi ca pana, bhikkhave, pancahi punnabhisandehit kusalabhisandehi samannagatassa ariyasavakassa na sukaram punnassa pamanam gahetum 'ettako punnabhisando kusalabhisando sukhassaharo sovaggiko sukhavipako saggasamvattaniko itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya samvattati'ti. Atha kho asankheyyo appameyyo mahapunnakkhandhotveva sankham gacchati. "Seyyathapi, bhikkhave, mahasamudde na sukaram udakassa pamanam gahetum 'ettakani udakalhakaniti va ettakani udakalhakasataniti va ettakani udakalhakasahassaniti va ettakani udakalhakasatasahassaniti va; atha kho asankheyyo appameyyo mahaudakakkhandhotveva sankham gacchati'. Evamevam kho, bhikkhave, imehi pancahi punnabhisandehi kusalabhisandehi samannagatassa ariyasavakassa na sukaram punnassa pamanam gahetum 'ettako punnabhisando kusalabhisando sukhassaharo sovaggiko sukhavipako saggasamvattaniko itthaya kantaya manapaya hitaya sukhaya sanvattati'ti. Atha kho asankheyyo appameyyo mahapunnakkhandhotveva sankham gacchati" ti." (Anguttaranikaya III, 51, Pancakanipatapali (V) Mundarajavaggo (5) Punnabhisandasutta, No.5 (45).
329 Yields in Merit "Monks, there are these five yields in merit, yields in goodness, the food of happiness, heavenly, ripening to happiness, leading heavenward, conducive to what is welcome, sought after, to the lovely, to good and to happiness. What five? Monks, whose robe a monk enjoys the use of, while entering and abiding in limitless mind-concentration - unto him shall come unlimited yield in merit, yield in goodness. The food of happiness, heavenly, ripening to happiness, leading heavenward, conducive to what in welcome, sought after, to the lovely, to good and to happiness. Monks, whose alms a monk enjoys ... whose loging ... whose bed and bench ... whose abiding in limitless mind-concentration - unto him shall come unlimited yield in merit, in goodness, the food of happiness... Monks, these are the five yields in merit, yields in goodness . . . Monks, of the Ariyan disciple, endowed with these five yields in merit, yields in goodness, it is not easy to grasp the measure of merit and to say: Thus much is the yield in merit, in goodness, the food of happiness but this great mass of merit is reckoned incalculable, immeasurable. Monks, just as it is not easy to grasp the amount of water in the mighty ocean and to say: There are so many pailfuls of water, or hundreds of pailfuls, or thousands of pailful, or hundreds of thousands of pailfuls of water, but the great mass of water is just reckoned incalculable, immeasurable; even so, monks, it is not easy to grasp the measure of merit of the Ariyan disciple endowed with these five yields of merit and goodness, and to say: Thus much is the yield in merit, the yield in goodness, the food of happiness, celestial, ripening to happiness, leading heavenward, conducive to what is welcome, sought after, lovely, good, and to happiness - but merely that this great mass of merit is reckoned incalculable, immeasurable." (Ed. E.M. Hare, tran. F.L. Woodward, The Book of The Gradual Sayings, vol. III, PTS, p.42-43.)