“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness. “Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā, kusalābhisandā, sukhassāhārā. What four? Katame cattāro? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha … Idha, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgato hoti—itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Ayaṁ paṭhamo puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro. the teaching … Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako dhamme …pe… the Saṅgha … saṅghe …pe….

Furthermore, a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. This is the fourth kind of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness. Ayaṁ catuttho puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro. These are the four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurture happiness. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā.

When a noble disciple has these four kinds of overflowing merit and goodness, it’s not easy to measure how much merit they have by saying that Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gaṇetuṁ: this is the extent of their overflowing merit, overflowing goodness that nurtures happiness. ‘ettako puññābhisando, kusalābhisando, sukhassāhāro’ti. It’s simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.” Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatī”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: satthā:

“One who desires merit, grounded in the skillful, “Yo puññakāmo kusale patiṭṭhito, develops the path to realize freedom from death. Bhāveti maggaṁ amatassa pattiyā; Once they’ve reached the heart of the teaching, <j>delighting in ending, So dhammasārādhigamo khaye rato, they don’t tremble at the approach <j>of the King of Death.” Na vedhati maccurājāgamanasmin”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.