Confidence in the Buddha's Ways and in Impermanence as well as the end of all defilements bring one to Nibbana.
SN 55.43 Tatiya Asaṇkheyya Sutta: Incalculable 3
“Monks, there are four kinds of streams of merit and streams of wholesomeness that generate happiness. What four?
1. The first is when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Buddha… This is the first stream of merit and stream of wholesomeness that generates happiness.
2. The second is when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Dhamma… This is the second stream of merit and stream of wholesomeness that generates happiness.
3. The third is when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Saṅgha… This is the third stream of merit and stream of wholesomeness that generates happiness.
4. The fourth is when a noble disciple is wise. He has the wisdom of understanding the arising and passing away of all conditioned things. That wisdom is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is the fourth stream of merit and stream of wholesomeness that generates happiness.
These are the four streams of merit and streams of wholesomeness that generate happiness.
“When a noble disciple has these four streams of merit and streams of wholesomeness, it’s not easy to measure how much merit he has by saying, ‘This is the amount of happiness generated by his stream of merit and stream of wholesomeness.’ His merit simply is incalculable, immeasurable and is vast.”
That is what the Buddha said. Then the Blessed One further said,
“The person who desires merit
and is established in wholesomeness,
develops the Eightfold Path
for realizing Nibbāna.
Once he’s reached the core of the Dhamma,
delighting in destroying defilements,
he doesn’t tremble at the approach of Māra.”
