Bahūpakārasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.234

Numbered Discourses 5.234

24. Āvāsikavagga

24. A Resident Mendicant

Bahūpakārasutta

Very Helpful

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato āvāsiko bhikkhu āvāsassa bahūpakāro hoti.

“Mendicants, a resident mendicant with five qualities is very helpful to the monastery.

Katamehi pañcahi?

What five?

Sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;

They’re ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

bahussuto hoti …pe… diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;

They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.

khaṇḍaphullaṁ paṭisaṅkharoti;

They repair what is decayed and damaged.

mahā kho pana bhikkhusaṅgho abhikkanto nānāverajjakā bhikkhū gihīnaṁ upasaṅkamitvā āroceti:

When a large mendicant Saṅgha is arriving with mendicants from abroad, they go to the lay people and announce:

‘mahā kho, āvuso, bhikkhusaṅgho abhikkanto nānāverajjakā bhikkhū, karotha puññāni, samayo puññāni kātun’ti;

‘A large mendicant Saṅgha is arriving with mendicants from abroad. Make merit! Now is the time to make merit!’

catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī.

They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato āvāsiko bhikkhu āvāsassa bahūpakāro hotī”ti.

A resident mendicant with these five qualities is very helpful to the monastery.”

Catutthaṁ.