[45] Bhikkhus, there are these five streams of merit (puññābhisanda), streams of the wholesome (kusalābhisanda), which are nutriments of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, leading to heaven, and which conduce to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness. What five?
Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, using the robe of a certain person, enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind (cetosamādhi), then for that person the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, is measureless — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, leading to heaven — and it conduces to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness. Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, using the almsfood of a certain person … Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, using the dwelling of a certain person … Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, using the bed and seat of a certain person … Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu, using the medicinal requisites for the sick of a certain person, enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind, then for that person the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome, is measureless — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, leading to heaven — and it conduces to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness.
These, bhikkhus, are the five streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, which are nutriments of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, leading to heaven, and which conduce to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness.
And, bhikkhus, when a noble disciple possesses these five streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, it is not easy to take the measure of his merit thus: "Just so much is the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness, leading to heaven — which conduces to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness"; rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable great mass of merit. Just as, bhikkhus, in the great ocean it is not easy to take the measure of the water thus: "There are just so many āḷhakas of water," or "There are just so many hundreds of āḷhakas of water," or "There are just so many thousands of āḷhakas of water," or "There are just so many hundreds of thousands of āḷhakas of water"; rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable great mass of water — even so, bhikkhus, when a noble disciple possesses these five streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, it is not easy to take the measure of his merit thus: "Just so much is the stream of merit, the stream of the wholesome — a nutriment of happiness, heavenly, ripening in happiness — which conduces to what is wished for, desirable, and agreeable, to welfare and to happiness"; rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable great mass of merit, leading to heaven.
Just as rivers, resorted to by shoals and hosts of fish,
flowing in their multitudes, reach the sea —
the great deep, the boundless great reservoir,
holding many terrors, the abode of hosts of gems —
even so the streams of merit reach the wise man
who gives food, drink, and clothing,
the giver of beds, seats, and coverings,
as rivers, bearers of water, reach the sea.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.