Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so 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.
“Bhikkhus, do not be afraid of |merits::good deeds [puññā]|. Merits, bhikkhus are a synonym for |happiness::ease, contentment [sukha]|, for what is desirable, lovely, pleasing, and agreeable. I personally know that for a long time, bhikkhus, I have experienced the desirable, lovely, pleasing, and agreeable results of merits accumulated over a long time. For seven years, I developed a |mind of loving-kindness::mind of benevolence, friendly heart [mettacitta]|. As a result, for seven cycles of [universal] contraction and expansion, I did not return to this world. During the cycles of universal contraction, bhikkhus, I was reborn in the |radiant::shining [ābhassara]| Brahmā world. During the cycles of universal expansion, bhikkhus, I was reborn in an empty Brahmā palace.
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.
Bhikkhus, at that time, I was Brahmā, the great Brahmā, the conqueror, unconquered, all seeing, and sovereign ruler. Bhikkhus, thirty-six times I was Sakka, lord of the gods. Many hundreds of times, I was a king, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and righteous ruler of the four quarters, victorious, who had achieved stability over the land, and possessing the seven treasures. What need is there to speak of regional rulership.
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.
Bhikkhus, this thought occurred to me: ‘Of what kind of deed of mine is this the fruit? Of what deed’s result is it that I now possess such great power and influence?’ Then, it occurred to me: ‘This is the fruit of three [kinds of] deeds, the result of three kinds of deeds that I now possess such great power and influence. These are: |giving::the act of giving or donating, with an intention to give [dāna]|, |discipline::taming [dama]|, and |comprehensive restraint::holistic ethical discipline [saññama]|.’”
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 in only good deeds,
whose pleasant consequences stretch for a long time to come;
Giving, and wholesome conduct,
and developing a mind of loving-kindness.
Ete dhamme bhāvayitvā,
tayo sukhasamuddaye;
Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ lokaṁ,
paṇḍito upapajjatī”ti.
Having developed these three mental qualities,
which produce happiness;
The wise one is reborn,
in a |friendly::benevolent, harmless [abyāpajja]|, happy world.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.