A blessing: friends when the need arises. A blessing: contentment with whatever there is. Merit at the ending of life is a blessing. A blessing: the abandoning of all suffering & stress. A blessing in the world: reverence to your mother. A blessing: reverence to your father as well. A blessing in the world: reverence to a contemplative. A blessing: reverence for a brahmin, too. A blessing into old age is virtue. A blessing: conviction established. A blessing: discernment attained. The non-doing of evil things is a blessing. — Dhp 331-333 This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: Monks, dont be afraid of acts of merit. This is another way of saying what is blissful, desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming — i.e., acts of merit. I am cognizant that, having long performed meritorious deeds, I long experienced desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming results. Having developed a mind of good will for seven years, then for seven aeons of contraction & expansion I didnt return to this world. Whenever the aeon was contracting, I went to the realm of Streaming Radiance. Whenever the aeon was expanding, I reappeared in an empty Brahma-abode. There I was the Great Brahman, the Unconquered Conqueror, All-seeing, & Wielder of Power. Then for thirty-six times I was Sakka, ruler of the gods. For many hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning emperor, a righteous king of Dhamma, conqueror of the four corners of the earth, maintaining stable control over the countryside, endowed with the seven treasures[*] — to say nothing of the times I was a local king. The thought occurred to me: Of what action of mine is this the fruit, of what action the result, that I now have such great power & might? Then the thought occurred to me: This is the fruit of my three [types of] action, the result of three types of action, that I now have such great power & might: i.e., generosity, self-control, & restraint. Train in acts of merit that bring long-lasting bliss — develop generosity, a life in tune, a mind of good-will. Developing these three things that bring about bliss, the wise reappear in a world of bliss unalloyed. — Iti 22 Note * The seven treasures are a divine wheel, an ideal jewel, an ideal elephant, an ideal horse, an ideal wife, an ideal treasurer, an ideal counselor. Here he rejoices he rejoices hereafter. In both worlds the merit-maker rejoices. He rejoices, is jubilant, seeing the purity of his deeds. Here he delights he delights hereafter. In both worlds the merit-maker delights. He delights at the thought, Ive made merit. Having gone to a good destination, he delights all the more. — Dhp 16, 18 Be quick in doing whats admirable. Restrain your mind from whats evil. When youre slow in making merit, evil delights the mind. — Dhp 116 Even the evil meet with good fortune as long as their evil has yet to mature. But when its matured thats when they meet with evil. Even the good meet with bad fortune as long as their good has yet to mature. But when its matured thats when they meet with good fortune. Dont be heedless of evil (It wont come to me). A water jar fills, even with water falling in drops. With evil — even if bit by bit, habitually — the fool fills himself full. Dont be heedless of merit (It wont come to me). A water jar fills, even with water falling in drops. With merit — even if bit by bit, habitually — the enlightened one fills himself full. — Dhp 119-122 This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: There are these three grounds for meritorious activity. Which three? The ground for meritorious activity made of generosity, the ground for meritorious activity made of virtue, and the ground for meritorious activity made of development [meditation]. These are the three grounds for meritorious activity. Train in acts of merit that bring long-lasting bliss — develop generosity, a life in tune, a mind of good-will. Developing these three things that bring about bliss, the wise reappear in a world of bliss unalloyed. — Iti 60 This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: I have seen beings who — endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, & mental good conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — at the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destination, the heavenly world. It is not from having heard this from other brahmans & contemplatives that I tell you that I have seen beings who — endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, & mental good conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — at the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destination, the heavenly world. It is from having known it myself, seen it myself, realized it myself that I tell you that I have seen beings who — endowed with bodily good conduct, verbal good conduct, & mental good conduct; who did not revile noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — at the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destination, the heavenly world. With mind rightly directed, speaking right speech, doing right deeds with the body: a person here of much learning, a doer of merit here in this life so short, at the break-up of the body, discerning, reappears in heaven. — Iti 71 As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: Just now, lord, while I was alone in seclusion, this train of thought arose in my awareness: Who are dear to themselves, and who are not dear to themselves? Then it occurred to me: Those who engage in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct are not dear to themselves. Even though they may say, We are dear to ourselves, still they arent dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as an enemy would act toward an enemy; thus they arent dear to themselves. But those who engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct are dear to themselves. Even though they may say, We arent dear to ourselves, still they are dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as a dear one would act toward a dear one; thus they are dear to themselves. Thats the way it is, great king! Thats the way it is! Those who engage in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct are not dear to themselves. Even though they may say, We are dear to ourselves, still they arent dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as an enemy would act toward an enemy; thus they arent dear to themselves. But those who engage in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct are dear to themselves. Even though they may say, We arent dear to ourselves, still they are dear to themselves. Why is that? Of their own accord, they act toward themselves as a dear one would act toward a dear one; thus they are dear to themselves. That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further: If you hold yourself dear then dont fetter yourself with evil, for happiness isnt easily gained by one who commits a wrong-doing. When seized by the End-maker as you abandon the human state, whats truly your own? What do you take along when you go? What follows behind you like a shadow that never leaves? Both the merit & evil that you as a mortal perform here: thats whats truly your own, what you take along when you go; thats what follows behind you like a shadow that never leaves. So do what is admirable, as an accumulation for the future life. Deeds of merit are the support for beings when they arise in the other world. — SN 3.4 As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: Is there, lord, any one quality that keeps both kinds of benefits secure — benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come? There is one quality, great king, that keeps both kinds of benefits secure — benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come. But what, venerable sir, is that one quality... ? Heedfulness, great king. Just as the footprints of all living beings with legs can be encompassed by the footprint of the elephant, and the elephants footprint is declared to be supreme among them in terms of its great size; in the same way, heedfulness is the one quality that keeps both kinds of benefits secure — benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come. That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further: For one who desires long life, health, beauty, heaven, & noble birth, — lavish delights, one after another — the wise praise heedfulness in doing acts of merit. When heedful, wise, you achieve both kinds of benefit: benefits in this life, & benefits in lives to come. By breaking through to your benefit, youre called enlightened, wise. — SN 3.17
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 08:51:32 +0000