59(9)Eiglit Persons(1)·
"Bhikkhus,these eight persons are worthy of gifts,worthy ofhospitality,worthy of offerings,worthy of reverential salutation,an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.
What eight?
The stream-enterer,the one practicing for realization of the fruit of stream-entry;the once-returner,the one practicing for realization of the fruit of once-returning;the non-returner,the one practicing for realization of the fruit of non-returning;thearahant,the onepracticing for realization of the fruit of arahantship.
Text here has arahattaphalasacchikiriyaya patipanno,whereas 8:19has arahatfaya patipanno.
These eight persons,bhikkhus,are worthy of gifts,worthy of hospitality,worthy of offerings,worthy of reverential salutation,an unsurpassed field of merit for the world."
The four practicing the way
The verses are also-at SN11:16,I233.
and the four established in the fruit:
this is the upright Sangha—composed in wisdom and virtuous behavior.
Pannasilasamahito.Mp glosses:pannaya ca silena ca samannagato.Though this takes samahito to mean"possessing"rather than attainment of samadhi,by translating it as "composed" we can see how the word indirectly refers to samadhi.
For people intent on sacrifice,for living beings seeking merit,
making merit that ripens in the acquisitions,
Karotam opadhikam purinam.The word opadhikam means that the merit ripens in upadhi,a future acquisition of the five aggregates, and that the deed conduces to well-being in the round of rebirths rather than to liberation.what is given to the Sangha bears great fruit.