1"Bhikkhus, these five benefits come to a clansman endowed with faith. What five? (1) When the good persons in the world show compassion,[n.1017] They "show compassion" (anukampeyyuṁ) to them by offering them an opportunity to give alms and thereby acquire merit. Thus it is not so much the laypeople who show compassion to the monastics by giving them alms (though this is true), but the monastic who shows compassion to laypeople by approaching their homes to receive their offerings. By giving alms laypeople create the seeds for a happy rebirth and the attainment of nibbāna. The monastics may also teach the Dhamma to the laypeople and in this way give them access to the teachings. they first show compassion to the person with faith, not so to the person without faith. (2) When they approach anyone, they first approach the person with faith, not so the person without faith. (3) When they receive alms, they first receive alms from the person with faith, not so from the person without faith. (4) When they teach the Dhamma, they first teach the Dhamma to the person with faith, not so to the person without faith. (5) With the breakup of the body, after death, a person with faith is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. These are the five benefits that come to a clansman who has faith.

1"Pañcime, bhikkhave, saddhe kulaputte ānisaṁsā. Katame pañca? Ye te, bhikkhave, loke santo sappurisā te saddhaññeva paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampanti, no tathā assaddhaṁ; saddhaññeva paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkamanti, no tathā assaddhaṁ; saddhaññeva paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇhanti, no tathā assaddhaṁ; saddhaññeva paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā desenti, no tathā assaddhaṁ; saddho kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca saddhe kulaputte ānisaṁsā.

2"Just as at a crossroads on level ground, a great banyan tree becomes the resort for birds all around, so the clansman endowed with faith becomes the resort for many people: for bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, male lay followers, and female lay followers."

2Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, subhūmiyaṁ catumahāpathe mahānigrodho samantā pakkhīnaṁ paṭisaraṇaṁ hoti; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saddho kulaputto bahuno janassa paṭisaraṇaṁ hoti bhikkhūnaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ upāsakānaṁ upāsikānanti.

3A large tree with a mighty trunk,
branches, leaves, and fruit,
firm roots, and bearing fruit,
is a support for many birds.

3Sākhāpattaphalūpeto,
khandhimāva mahādumo;
Mūlavā phalasampanno,
patiṭṭhā hoti pakkhinaṁ.

4Having flown across the sky,
the birds resort to this delightful base:
those in need of shade partake of its shade;
those needing fruit enjoy its fruit.

4Manorame āyatane,
sevanti naṁ vihaṅgamā;
Chāyaṁ chāyatthikā yanti,
phalatthā phalabhojino.

5Just so, when a person is virtuous,
endowed with faith,
of humble manner, compliant,
gentle, welcoming, soft,

5Tatheva sīlasampannaṁ,
saddhaṁ purisapuggalaṁ;
Nivātavuttiṁ atthaddhaṁ,
sorataṁ sakhilaṁ muduṁ.

6those in the world who are fields of merit—
devoid of lust and hatred,
devoid of delusion, taintless—
resort to such a person.

6Vītarāgā vītadosā,
vītamohā anāsavā;
Puññakkhettāni lokasmiṁ,
sevanti tādisaṁ naraṁ.

7They teach him the Dhamma
that dispels all suffering,
having understood which
the taintless one here attains nibbāna.

7Te tassa dhammaṁ desenti,
Sabbadukkhāpanūdanaṁ;
Yaṁ so dhammaṁ idhaññāya,
Parinibbāti anāsavo"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.