“Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, puggalā āhuneyyā pāhuneyyā dakkhiṇeyyā añjalikaraṇīyā anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa? Katame aṭṭha? Sotāpanno, sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno, sakadāgāmī, sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno, anāgāmī, anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno, arahā, arahattāya paṭipanno. Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha puggalā āhuneyyā pāhuneyyā dakkhiṇeyyā añjalikaraṇīyā anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassāti.
Bhikkhus, these eight persons are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What eight? The stream-enterer, one practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, the once-returner, one practicing for the realization of the fruit of once-returning, the non-returner, one practicing for the realization of the fruit of non-returning, the arahant, one practicing for arahantship. These, bhikkhus, are the eight persons who are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.
Verse
Cattāro ca paṭipannā,
cattāro ca phale ṭhitā;
Esa saṅgho ujubhūto,
paññāsīlasamāhito.
Four are practicing,
and four are established in their fruits;
This Saṅgha is upright,
endowed with wisdom and virtue.
Yajamānānaṁ manussānaṁ,
Puññapekkhāna pāṇinaṁ;
Karotaṁ opadhikaṁ puññaṁ,
Saṅghe dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.
For the humans offering sacrifices,
those beings seeking merit;
Performing attachment-related merit,
what is given to the Saṅgha yields great fruit.