“Mendicants, these three individuals are very helpful to another. “Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā puggalassa bahukārā. What three? Katame tayo?

The individual who has enabled you to go for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha. Yaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalaṁ āgamma puggalo buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gato hoti, dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gato hoti, saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gato hoti; This individual is very helpful to another. ayaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo imassa puggalassa bahukāro.

Furthermore, the individual who has enabled you to truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yaṁ puggalaṁ āgamma puggalo ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; This individual is very helpful to another. ayaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo imassa puggalassa bahukāro.

Furthermore, the individual who has enabled you to realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with your own insight due to the ending of defilements. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, yaṁ puggalaṁ āgamma puggalo āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati; This individual is very helpful to another. ayaṁ, bhikkhave, puggalo imassa puggalassa bahukāro.

These are the three individuals who are very helpful to another individual. Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā puggalassa bahukārā.

And I say that there is no-one more helpful to another than these three individuals. Imehi ca pana, bhikkhave, tīhi puggalehi imassa puggalassa natthañño puggalo bahukāroti vadāmi. And I also say that it’s not easy to repay these three individuals by bowing down to them, rising up for them, greeting them with joined palms, and observing proper etiquette for them; or by providing them with robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.” Imesaṁ pana, bhikkhave, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ iminā puggalena na suppatikāraṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ abhivādanapaccuṭṭhānaañjalikammasāmīcikammacīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhārānuppadānenā”ti.

Catutthaṁ.