Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta

142 Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta

The Exposition of Offerings

(Bhikkhu Bodhi)

1. THUS HAVE I HEARD: On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha's Park.

2. Then Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī took a new pair of cloths and went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, she sat down at one side and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, this new pair of cloths has been spun by me, woven by me, especially for the Blessed One. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One accept it from me out of compassion."

When this was said, the Blessed One told her: "Give it to the Saṅgha, Gotamī. When you give it to the Saṅgha, the offering will be made both to me and to the Saṅgha."

A second time and a third time she said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir,...accept it from me out of compassion."

A second time and a third time the Blessed One told her: "Give it to the Saṅgha, Gotamī. When you give it to the Saṅgha, the offering will be made both to me and to the Saṅgha."

3. Then the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, let the Blessed One accept the new pair of cloths from Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has been very helpful to the Blessed One, venerable sir. As his mother's sister, she was his nurse, his foster mother, the one who gave him milk. She suckled the Blessed One when his own mother died. The Blessed One too has been very helpful to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, venerable sir. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamīabstains from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, and from wine, liquor, and intoxicants, which are the basis of negli­gence. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī possesses perfect confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, and that she possesses the virtues loved by noble ones. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī is free from doubt about suffering, about the origin of suffering, about the cessation of suffering, and about the way leading to the cessation of suffering. The Blessed One has been very helpful to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī."

4. "That is so, Ānanda, that is so! When one person, owing to another, has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamsna, and the Saṅgha, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him, rising up for him, according him reverential salutation and polite services, and by providing robes, alms food, resting places, and medicinal requisites.

       "When one person, owing to another, has come to abstain from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, and from wine, liquor, and intoxicants, which are the basis of negligence, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him ... and medicinal requisites.

       "When one person, owing to another, has come to possess perfect confidence in the Buddha, the Dharnma, and the Saṅgha, and to possess the virtues loved by noble ones, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him ... and medicinal requisites.

       "When one person, owing to another, has become free from doubt about suffering, about the origin of suffering, about the cessation of suffering, and about the way leading to the cessa­tion of suffering, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him ... and medicinal requisites.

5. "There are fourteen kinds of personal offerings, Ānanda. One gives a gift to the_{_}Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened; this is the first kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a paccekabuddha; this is the second kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an arahantdisciple of the Tathāgata; this is the third kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of arahantship; this is the fourth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a non-returner; is the fifth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of non-return; this is the sixth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift toonce-returner; this is the seventh kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruitof once-return; this is the eighth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to stream-enterer; this is the ninth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry;this is the tenth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one outside [the Dispensation] who is free from lust for sensual pleasures;this is the eleventh kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a virtuous ordinary person; This is the twelfth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an immoral ordinary person; this is the thirteenth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an animal; this is the fourteenth kind of personal offering.

6. "Herein, Ānanda, by giving a gift to an animal, the offer­ing may be expected to repay a hundredfold. By giving a gift to an immoral ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a thousand fold. By giving a gift to a virtu­ous ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a hundred-thousand fold. By giving a gift to one outside [the Dispensation] who is free from lust for sensual pleasures, the offering may be expected to repay a hundred-thousand times a hundred-thousand fold.

"By giving a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, the offering may be ex­pected to repay incalculably, immeasurably. What, then, should be said about giving a gift to a stream-enterer? What should be said about giving a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of once-return ... to a once-returner... to one who has entered upon the way to the realization of the fruit of non-return ... to a non-returner... to one who has entered upon the way to the realization  of the fruit of Arahantship...to an Arahant...to a Paccekabuddha? What should be said about giving a gift to a Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened?

7. "There are seven kinds of offerings made to the Saṅgha, Ānanda. One gives a gift to a Saṅgha of both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunis] headed by the Buddha; this is the first kind of offer­ing made to the Saṅgha. One gives a gift to a Saṅghaof both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunis] after the Tathāgata has attained final Nibbāna; this is the second kind of offering made to the Saṅgha"

One gives a gift to a Saṅgha of bhikkhus; this is the third kind of offering made to the Saṅgha. One gives a gift to a Saṅghaof bhikkhunis; this is the fourth kind of offering made to the Saṅgha. One gives a gift, saying: 'Appoint so many bhikkhus and bhikkhunis for me from the Saṅgha'; this is the fifth kind of offering made to the Saṅgha. One gives a gift, saying: 'Appoint so many bhikkhus for me from the Saṅgha'; this is the sixth kind of offering made to the Saṅgha. One gives a gift, say­ing: 'Appoint so many bhikkhunis for me from the Saṅgha'; this is the seventh kind of offering made to the Saṅgha.

8. 'In future times, Ānanda , there will be members of the clan who are 'yellow-necks,' immoral, of evil character. People will give gifts to those immoral persons for the sake of the Saṅgha. Even then, I say, an offering made to the Saṅgha is incalculable, immeasurable. And I say that in no way does a gift to a person individually ever have greater fruit than an offering made to the Saṅgha.

9. "There are four kinds of purification of offering. What four? There is the offering that is purified by the giver, not by the receiver. There is the offering that is purified by the receiver, not by the giver. There is the offering that is purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver. There is the offering that is puri­fied both by the giver and by the receiver.

10. "And what is the offering that is purified by the giver, not by the receiver? Here the giver is virtuous, of good character, and the receiver is immoral, of evil character. Thus the offering is purified by the giver, not by the receiver.

11. "And what is the offering that is purified by the receiver, not by the giver? Here the giver is immoral, of evil character, and the receiver is virtuous, of good character. Thus the offering is purified by the receiver, not by the giver.

12. "And what is the offering that is purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver? Here the giver is immoral, of evil character, and the receiver is immoral, of evil character. Thus the offering is purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver.

13. "And what is the offering that is purified both by the giver and by the receiver? Here the giver is virtuous, of good charac­ter, and the receiver is virtuous, of good character. Thus the offering is purified both by the giver and by the receiver. These are the four kinds of purification of offering."