The Benefits of Love

“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 streaming radiance. As it expanded I was reborn in an empty mansion of divinity.

“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.

“Mendicants, don’t fear good deeds. “Mā, bhikkhave, puññānaṁ bhāyittha. For ‘good deeds’ is a term for happiness, for what is likable, desirable, and agreeable. Sukhassetaṁ, bhikkhave, adhivacanaṁ iṭṭhassa kantassa piyassa manāpassa yadidaṁ puññāni. I recall undergoing for a long time the likable, desirable, and agreeable results of good deeds performed over a long time. Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ iṭṭhaṁ kantaṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ vipākaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ. 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. Satta vassāni mettacittaṁ bhāvetvā satta saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe nayimaṁ lokaṁ punarāgamāsiṁ. As the eon contracted I went to the realm of streaming radiance. Saṁvaṭṭamāne sudaṁ, bhikkhave, kappe ābhassarūpago homi; As it expanded I was reborn in an empty mansion of divinity. vivaṭṭamāne kappe suññaṁ brahmavimānaṁ upapajjāmi.

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!

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmābrahmāUn habitante de los cielos no-sensuales de la forma o de lo sin forma. Considerado por sí mismo y por los brahmines como Señor y creador del universo.Ver en el glosario 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.

There I was the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of power. Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmābrahmāUn habitante de los cielos no-sensuales de la forma o de lo sin forma. Considerado por sí mismo y por los brahmines como Señor y creador del universo.Ver en el glosario homi mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī. I was Sakka, lord of gods, thirty-six times. Chattiṁsakkhattuṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko ahosiṁ devānamindo; 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. anekasatakkhattuṁ rājā ahosiṁ cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato. Not to mention regional kingship! Ko pana vādo padesarajjassa.

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.’”

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—*seyyathidaṁ → seyyathīdaṁ (bj, sya-all, km, pts-vp-pli1) dānassa, damassa, saññamassā’”ti.

Then I thought, Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘Of what deed of mine is this the fruit and result, that I am now so mighty and powerful?’ ‘kissa nu kho me idaṁ kammassa phalaṁ, kissa kammassa vipāko, yenāhaṁ etarahi evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo’ti? Then I thought, Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘It is the fruit and result of three kinds of deeds: ‘tiṇṇaṁ kho me idaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ, tiṇṇaṁ kammānaṁ vipāko, yenāhaṁ etarahi evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvoti, seyyathidaṁ—*seyyathidaṁ → seyyathīdaṁ (bj, sya-all, km, pts-vp-pli1)giving, self-control, and restraint.’” dānassa, damassa, saññamassā’”ti.

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

The Buddha spoke this matter. Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. On this it is said: Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati: