9.
The Discourse on Streams
39.
"Monks, there are these eight streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness.
What are the eight?
Here, monks, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the Buddha.
This, monks, is the first stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness.
"Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the Teaching. This, monks, is the second stream of merit, etc. leads to.
"Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the Community. This, monks, is the third stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness.
"There are, monks, these five gifts, great gifts that are primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. Which five? Here, monks, a noble disciple, having abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings. A noble disciple who abstains from killing living beings, monks, gives safety to immeasurable beings, gives freedom from enmity, gives freedom from affliction. Having given safety to immeasurable beings, having given freedom from enmity, having given freedom from affliction, he becomes a partaker of immeasurable safety, freedom from enmity, freedom from affliction. This, monks, is the first gift, great gift that is primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which is not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which is not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. This, monks, is the fourth stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness.
"Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple, having abandoned taking what is not given, abstains from taking what is not given, etc. having abandoned sexual misconduct, abstains from sexual misconduct, etc. having abandoned lying, abstains from lying, etc. having abandoned spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence. A noble disciple who abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, monks, gives safety to immeasurable beings, gives freedom from enmity, gives freedom from affliction. Having given safety to immeasurable beings, having given freedom from enmity, having given freedom from affliction, he becomes a partaker of immeasurable safety, freedom from enmity, freedom from affliction. This, monks, is the fifth gift, great gift that is primal, of long standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated and never before adulterated, which is not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which is not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. This, monks, is the eighth stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness. These, monks, are the eight streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness, leading to heaven, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to the desirable, to the pleasant, to the agreeable, to welfare, to happiness." The ninth.