The Benefits of Love · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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this was saidVuttañhetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā said by the Perfected Onevuttamarahatāti by meme heardsutaṁ:
This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
do not“Mā,
O mendicantsbhikkhave,
of good deedspuññānaṁ
fearbhāyittha.
for this is a term for happinessSukhassetaṁ,
O mendicantsbhikkhave,
a termadhivacanaṁ
for what is likableiṭṭhassa
for what is desirablekantassa
for what is agreeablepiyassa
for what is pleasingmanāpassa
that isyadidaṁ
good deedspuññāni.
I recallAbhijānāmi
indeedkho
and Ipanāhaṁ,
O mendicantsbhikkhave,
for a long timedīgharattaṁ
of performedkatānaṁ
of good deedspuññānaṁ
likableiṭṭhaṁ
desirablekantaṁ
agreeablepiyaṁ
pleasingmanāpaṁ
resultvipākaṁ
undergonepaccanubhūtaṁ.
sevenSatta
yearsvassāni
a mind of lovemettacittaṁ
having developedbhāvetvā
sevensatta
eons of the cosmos contracting and expandingsaṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe
I did not return again to thisnayimaṁ
worldlokaṁ
I came againpunarāgamāsiṁ.
while contractingSaṁvaṭṭamāne
thensudaṁ,
O mendicantsbhikkhave,
in the eonkappe
gone to the realm of sublime luminosityābhassarūpago
I amhomi;
while expandingvivaṭṭamāne
in the eonkappe
emptysuññaṁ
mansion of divinitybrahmavimānaṁ
I am rebornupapajjāmi.
“Mendicants, don’t fear good deeds. For ‘good deeds’ is a term for happiness, for what is likable, desirable, and agreeable. I recall undergoing for a long time the likable, desirable, and agreeable results of good deeds performed over a long time. Having developed a mind of love for seven years, for seven eons of the cosmos contracting and expanding I didn’t return to this world again. As the eon contracted I went to the realm of sublime luminosity. As it expanded I was reborn in an empty mansion of divinity.
thereTatra
indeedsudaṁ,
monksbhikkhave,
Brahmabrahmā
I amhomi
Great Brahmamahābrahmā
vanquisherabhibhū
unvanquishedanabhibhūto
universal seeraññadatthudaso
wielder of powervasavattī.
thirty-six timesChattiṁsakkhattuṁ
indeedkho
and Ipanāhaṁ,
monksbhikkhave,
Sakkasakko
I wasahosiṁ
lord of godsdevānamindo;
many hundreds of timesanekasatakkhattuṁ
kingrājā
I wasahosiṁ
wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī
righteousdhammiko
just kingdhammarājā
whose dominion extended to all four sidescāturanto
victoriousvijitāvī
achieved stability in the countryjanapadatthāvariyappatto
possessed of the seven treasuressattaratanasamannāgato.
whatKo
thenpana
to be saidvādo
of regional kingshippadesarajjassa.
There I was the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of power. I was Sakka, lord of gods, thirty-six times. Many hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. My dominion extended to all four sides, I achieved stability in the country, and I possessed the seven treasures. Not to mention regional kingship!
of thatTassa
to memayhaṁ,
monksbhikkhave,
this occurredetadahosi:
of what‘kissa
thennu
indeedkho
of mineme
thisidaṁ
of deedkammassa
the fruitphalaṁ,
of whatkissa
of deedkammassa
the resultvipāko,
whereby Iyenāhaṁ
nowetarahi
of such great powerevaṁmahiddhiko
of such great majestyevaṁmahānubhāvo’ti?
of thatTassa
to memayhaṁ,
monksbhikkhave,
this occurredetadahosi:
of three‘tiṇṇaṁ
indeedkho
of mineme
thisidaṁ
of deedskammānaṁ
the fruitphalaṁ,
of threetiṇṇaṁ
of deedskammānaṁ
the resultvipāko,
whereby Iyenāhaṁ
nowetarahi
of such great powerevaṁmahiddhiko
of such great majestyevaṁmahānubhāvoti,
that is to sayseyyathidaṁ—
of givingdānassa,
of self-controldamassa,
of restraintsaññamassā’”ti.
this matterEtamatthaṁ
the Blessed Onebhagavā
spokeavoca.
there thisTatthetaṁ
thusiti
is saidvuccati:
Then I thought, ‘Of what deed of mine is this the fruit and result, that I am now so mighty and powerful?’ Then I thought, ‘It is the fruit and result of three kinds of deeds: giving, self-control, and restraint.’” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:
good deeds indeed“Puññameva
heso
should practicesikkheyya,
whose outcome stretches aheadāyataggaṁ
happy outcomesukhudrayaṁ;
and givingDānañca
and moral conductsamacariyañca,
and a mind of lovemettacittañca
developingbhāvaye.
“One should practice only good deeds, whose happy outcome stretches ahead. Giving and moral conduct, developing a mind of love:
theseEte
thingsdhamme
having developedbhāvayitvā,
threetayo
yielding happinesssukhasamuddaye;
pleasingAbyāpajjaṁ
happysukhaṁ
worldlokaṁ,
astute onepaṇḍito
is rebornupapajjatī”ti.
having developed these three things yielding happiness, that astute one is reborn in a happy, pleasing world.”
this tooAyampi
matterattho
spokenvutto
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā,
thusiti
by meme
was heardsutanti.
the secondDutiyaṁ.
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
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