Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Awakened One, as I have heard:
“Mā, bhikkhave, puññānaṁ bhāyittha. Sukhassetaṁ, bhikkhave, adhivacanaṁ iṭṭhassa kantassa piyassa manāpassa yadidaṁ puññāni. Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ iṭṭhaṁ kantaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ vipākaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ. Satta vassāni mettacittaṁ bhāvetvā satta saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe nayimaṁ lokaṁ punarāgamāsiṁ. Saṁvaṭṭamāne sudaṁ, bhikkhave, kappe ābhassarūpago homi; vivaṭṭamāne kappe suññaṁ brahmavimānaṁ upapajjāmi.
“Do not fear merit. Merit is an expression for happiness, for what is desired, lovely, dear, and agreeable. I directly know that for a long time I have experienced the desired, lovely, dear, and agreeable results of merit performed long ago. Having cultivated a mind of loving-kindness for seven years, I did not return to this world for seven aeons of contraction and expansion. When the aeon was contracting, I went to the realm of the Gods of Streaming Radiance. When the aeon was expanding, I was reborn in an empty Brahma mansion.
Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā homi mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī. Chattiṁsakkhattuṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko ahosiṁ devānamindo; anekasatakkhattuṁ rājā ahosiṁ cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato. Ko pana vādo padesarajjassa.
There, I was Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-Seeing, the Wielder of Power. Thirty-six times, I was Sakka, lord of the gods. Many hundreds of times I was a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king ruling by the Dhamma, a conqueror of the four quarters, having established stability in the realm, endowed with the seven treasures. What to speak of mere local kingship!
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘kissa nu kho me idaṁ kammassa phalaṁ, kissa kammassa vipāko, yenāhaṁ etarahi evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo’ti? Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘tiṇṇaṁ kho me idaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ, tiṇṇaṁ kammānaṁ vipāko, yenāhaṁ etarahi evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvoti, seyyathidaṁ— dānassa, damassa, saññamassā’”ti.
Then this thought occurred to me: ‘Of what action is this the fruit, of what action is this the result, by which I now have such great psychic power and such great might?’ Then, this thought occurred to me: ‘This is the fruit of three actions, the result of three actions, by which I now have such great psychic power and such great might, namely: giving, taming, and self-control.’”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Puññameva so sikkheyya,
āyataggaṁ sukhudrayaṁ;
Dānañca samacariyañca,
mettacittañca bhāvaye.
“One should train only in merit,
which yields long-lasting happiness.
One should develop giving, harmonious conduct,
and a mind of loving-kindness.
Ete dhamme bhāvayitvā,
tayo sukhasamuddaye;
Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ lokaṁ,
paṇḍito upapajjatī”ti.
Having developed these three qualities
that bring about happiness,
the wise person is reborn
in an unafflicted, happy world.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.