Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

VI. Overflowing Merit — AN 4.58: Sudatta

1Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:


2“Householder, when a noble disciple gives food, they give the recipients four things. What four? Long life, beauty, happiness, and strength. Giving long life, they have long life as a god or human. … Giving beauty … happiness … strength … When a noble disciple gives food, they give the recipients these four things.


3Carefully giving food at the right time,
to those who are disciplined, eating only what others give,
you provide them with four things:
long life, beauty, happiness, and strength.

4A person who gives long life, beauty,
happiness, and strength,
has long life and fame
wherever they’re reborn.”

1Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:


2"Bhojanaṁ, gahapati, dadamāno ariyasāvako paṭiggāhakānaṁ cattāri ṭhānāni deti. Katamāni cattāri? Āyuṁ deti, vaṇṇaṁ deti, sukhaṁ deti, balaṁ deti. Āyuṁ kho pana datvā āyussa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā. Vaṇṇaṁ datvā … sukhaṁ datvā … balaṁ datvā balassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā. Bhojanaṁ, gahapati, dadamāno ariyasāvako paṭiggāhakānaṁ imāni cattāri ṭhānāni detīti.


3Yo saññatānaṁ paradattabhojinaṁ,
Kālena sakkacca dadāti bhojanaṁ;
Cattāri ṭhānāni anuppavecchati,
Āyuñca vaṇṇañca sukhaṁ balañca.

4So āyudāyī vaṇṇadāyī,
sukhaṁ balaṁ dado naro;
Dīghāyu yasavā hoti,
yattha yatthūpapajjatī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.