[51] Bhikkhus, there are these four streams of merit (puññābhisanda), streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven, which lead to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness. What four? Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu enters and dwells in an immeasurable concentration of mind (cetosamādhi) while using the robe of a certain person, for that person the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, is immeasurable — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness. Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, while using the almsfood of a certain person … Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, while using the lodging of a certain person … Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu enters and dwells in an immeasurable concentration of mind while using the medicinal requisites for the sick of a certain person, for that person the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, is immeasurable — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven, leading to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness. These, bhikkhus, are the four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven, which lead to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness.
Moreover, bhikkhus, when a noble disciple is endowed with these four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, it is not easy to grasp the measure of his merit thus: 'So great is the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, the nutriment of happiness — heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven — leading to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness'; rather, it is simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit. Just as, bhikkhus, in the great ocean it is not easy to grasp the measure of the water thus: 'There are so many āḷhakas of water,' or 'so many hundreds of āḷhakas of water,' or 'so many thousands of āḷhakas of water,' or 'so many hundreds of thousands of āḷhakas of water'; rather, it is simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water — even so, bhikkhus, when a noble disciple is endowed with these four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, it is not easy to grasp the measure of his merit thus: 'So great is the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, the nutriment of happiness — heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven — leading to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness'; rather, it is simply reckoned as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.
Just as rivers, frequented by shoals and hosts of fish,
flowing in their multitudes, go on to the ocean —
the great water, the boundless, the mighty lake,
abounding in terrors, the abode of hosts of gems —
even so do streams of merit flow to the wise man
who gives food, drink, and clothing,
the giver of beds, seats, and coverings,
as rivers, bearers of water, flow to the sea.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.