The Field of Merit for the World - In the Buddha’s Words [S3E32]

Sutta 1 - Eight Persons Worthy of Gifts

Mendicants, these eight individuals are worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and are the supreme field of merit for the world. What eight? The stream-enterer and the one practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. The once-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of once-return. The non-returner and the one practicing to realize the fruit of non-return. The perfected one, and the one practicing for perfection. These are the eight individuals who are worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and are the supreme field of merit for the world.

AN 8:59

Sutta 2 - Differentiation by Faculties

Mendicants, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. These are the five faculties.

Someone who has completed and fulfilled these five faculties is a perfected one. If they are weaker than that, they’re practicing to realize the fruit of perfection … a non-returner … practicing to realize the fruit of non-return … a once-returner … practicing to realize the fruit of once-return … a stream-enterer … practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. Someone who totally and utterly lacks these five faculties stands outside in the faction of ordinary persons, I say.rr

SN 48:18

Sutta 3 - In the Dhamma Well Expounded

The teaching well-explained thus by me is clarified, revealed, illuminated, and stripped of patchwork. In this teaching thus well-explained, for those mendicants who are perfected, who have ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and are rightly freed through enlightenment, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found. …

In this teaching thus well-explained, those mendicants who have given up the five lower fetters are all reborn spontaneously. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. …

In this teaching thus well-explained, those mendicants who, having given up three fetters, and weakened greed, hate, and delusion, are all once-returners. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. …

In this teaching thus well-explained, those mendicants who have ended three fetters are all stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening. …

In this teaching thus well-explained, those mendicants who are followers of teachings or followers by faith are all are assured, destined for awakening.

The teaching well-explained thus by me is clarified, revealed, illuminated, and stripped of patchwork. In this teaching thus well-explained, those who have a degree of faith and love for me are all bound for heaven.

MN 22 - Alagaddupama Sutta (abridged)

Sutta 4 - The Completeness of the Teaching

When a mendicant has given up craving so it is cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future, that mendicant is perfected. They’ve ended the defilements, completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and are rightly freed through enlightenment.”

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama, is there even a single monk disciple of Worthy Gotama who has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and lives having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements?”

“There are not just one hundred such monks who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama and the monks, is there even a single nun disciple of Worthy Gotama who has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and lives having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements?”

“There are not just one hundred such nuns who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“Leaving aside the worthy Gotama, the monks, and the nuns, is there even a single layman disciple of Worthy Gotama—white-clothed and chaste—who, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, to be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world?”

“There are not just one hundred such chaste laymen who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“Leaving aside Worthy Gotama, the monks, the nuns, and the chaste laymen, is there even a single layman disciple of the worthy Gotama—white-clothed, enjoying sensual pleasures, following instructions, and responding to advice—who has gone beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and lives self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instruction?”

“There are not just one hundred such laymen enjoying sensual pleasures who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“Leaving aside Worthy Gotama, the monks, the nuns, the chaste laymen, and the laymen enjoying sensual pleasures, is there even a single laywoman disciple of Worthy Gotama—white-clothed and chaste—who, with the ending of the five lower fetters, is reborn spontaneously, to be extinguished there, not liable to return from that world?”

“There are not just one hundred such chaste laywomen who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“Leaving aside Worthy Gotama, the monks, the nuns, the chaste laymen, the laymen enjoying sensual pleasures, and the chaste laywomen, is there even a single laywoman disciple of the worthy Gotama—white-clothed, enjoying sensual pleasures, following instructions, and responding to advice—who has gone beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and lives self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instruction?”

“There are not just one hundred such laywomen enjoying sensual pleasures who are my disciples, Vaccha, or two or three or four or five hundred, but many more than that.”

“If the worthy Gotama was the only one to succeed in this teaching, not any monks, then this spiritual path would be incomplete in that respect. But because both the worthy Gotama and monks have succeeded in this teaching, this spiritual path is complete in that respect.

If the worthy Gotama and the monks were the only ones to succeed in this teaching, not any nuns … chaste laymen … laymen enjoying sensual pleasures … chaste laywomen …

laywomen enjoying sensual pleasures, then this spiritual path would be incomplete in that respect. But because Worthy Gotama, monks, nuns, chaste laymen, laymen enjoying sensual pleasures, chaste laywomen, and laywomen enjoying sensual pleasures have all succeeded in this teaching, this spiritual path is complete in that respect.

Just as the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines toward the ocean, and keeps pressing into the ocean, in the same way Worthy Gotama’s assembly—with both laypeople and renunciates—slants, slopes, and inclines toward extinguishment, and keeps pressing upon extinguishment.

MN 73 - Mahavacchagotta Sutta (abridged)

Sutta 5 - Seven Kinds of Noble Persons

Mendicants, I don’t say that all these mendicants still have work to do with diligence. Nor do I say that all these mendicants have no work to do with diligence. I say that mendicants don’t have work to do with diligence if they are perfected, with defilements ended, having completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and become rightly freed through enlightenment. Why is that? They’ve done their work with diligence. They’re incapable of being negligent.

I say that mendicants still have work to do with diligence if they are trainees, who haven’t achieved their heart’s desire, but live aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for those mendicants, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

Mendicants, these seven individuals are found in the world. What seven? One freed both ways, one freed by wisdom, a direct witness, one attained to view, one freed by faith, a follower of teachings, and a follower by faith.

And what individual is freed both ways? It’s an individual who has direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements have come to an end. This individual is called freed both ways. And I say that this mendicant has no work to do with diligence. Why is that? They’ve done their work with diligence. They’re incapable of being negligent.

And what individual is freed by wisdom? It’s an individual who does not have direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. Nevertheless, having seen with wisdom, their defilements have come to an end. This individual is called freed by wisdom. I say that this mendicant has no work to do with diligence. Why is that? They’ve done their work with diligence. They’re incapable of being negligent.

And what individual is a direct witness? It’s an individual who has direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. And, having seen with wisdom, some of their defilements have come to an end. This individual is called a direct witness. I say that this mendicant still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for this mendicant, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

And what individual is attained to view? It’s an individual who doesn’t have direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. Nevertheless, having seen with wisdom, some of their defilements have come to an end. And they have clearly seen and clearly contemplated with wisdom the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. This individual is called attained to view. I say that this mendicant also still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for this mendicant, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

And what individual is freed by faith? It’s an individual who doesn’t have direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. Nevertheless, having seen with wisdom, some of their defilements have come to an end. And their faith is settled, rooted, and planted in the Realized One. This individual is called freed by faith. I say that this mendicant also still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for this mendicant, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

And what individual is a follower of teachings? It’s an individual who doesn’t have direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. And having seen with wisdom, their defilements have not come to an end. And they accept the teachings proclaimed by the Realized One after deliberating them with a degree of wisdom. And they have the following qualities: the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. This individual is called a follower of teachings. I say that this mendicant also still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for this mendicant, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

And what individual is a follower by faith? It’s an individual who doesn’t have direct meditative experience of the peaceful liberations that are formless, transcending form. And having seen with wisdom, their defilements have not come to an end. And they have a degree of faith and fondness for the Realized One. And they have the following qualities: the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. This individual is called a follower by faith. I say that this mendicant also still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Thinking: ‘Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties. Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’ Seeing this fruit of diligence for this mendicant, I say that they still have work to do with diligence.

MN 70 Kitagiri Sutta (abridged)