Majjhima Nikaya - Dakkhinavibhanga Sutta

142. Dakkhinavibhanga Sutta - English
MAJJHIMA NIKAYA III
4. 12. Dakkhiõàvibhaõgasuttaü
(142) Classification of Offerings

I heard thus.
At one time the Blessed One lived with the Sakyas in Nigrodha's monastery in
Kapilavatthu. Then Mahapajapati Gotami taking a set of new clothes approached
the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said. `Venerable sir to make this
set of clothes for the Blessed One I spun and wove the cloth. May the Blessed
One accept this set of clothes from me, out of compassion,' The Blessed One
said. `Gotami, offer it to the Community. When offered to the Community, it will
be offered to me as well,' For the second time Mahapajapati Gotami said
`Venerable sir to make this set of clothes for the Blessed One, I spun and wove
the cloth. May the Blessed One accept this set of clothes from me, out of
compassion,' For the second time the Blessed One said. `Gotami, offer it to the
Community. When offered to the Community, it will be offered to me as well,' For
the third time Mahapajàpati Gotami said `Venerable sir to make this set of
clothes for the Blessed One I spun and wove the cloth. May the Blessed One
accept this set of clothes from me, out of compassion,' For the third time the
Blessed One said. `Gotamã, offer it to the Community. When offered to the
Community, it will be offered to me as well.û
Hearing this venerable ânanda said to the Blessed One. `Venerable sir, accept
the set of new clothes from Mahapajàpatã Gotami. She was of much help to you, as
stepmother, supporter, the one who fed milk, when the Blessed One's mother died.
The Blessed One too was of great help to Mahapajàpati Gotamã Come to the Blessed
One she took refuge in the Enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community.
Come to the Blessed One she abstained from, taking the life of living things,
taking what is not given, misbehaving sexually, telling lies and taking
intoxicating drinks. Come to the Blessed One Mahapajàpati Gotami got established
in unwavering faith in Enlightenment, in the Teaching and the Community. Come to
the Blessed One Mahajàpati Gotamã dispelled doubts about the truth of
unpleasantness, its arising, its cessation and the path and method leading to
its cessation. Thus the Blessed One was of great help to Mahapajàpati Gotamiû
ßThat is so. ânanda, if a person come to another person, took refuge in the
Enlightenment, the Teaching and the Community. I say the gratitude he has to
return to that second person, is not repaid by joining hands in veneration,
getting up and offering a seat on arrival, exchanging pleasant conversation and
offering robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisites when ill. ânanda, if a
person come to another person, abstained, from taking the life of living things,
taking what is not given, misbehaving sexually, telling lies and taking
intoxicating drinks. I say the gratitude he has to return to that second person,
is not repaid by joining hands in veneration, getting up and offering a seat on
arrival, exchanging pleasant conversation and offering robes, morsel food,
dwellings and requisites when ill. ânanda, if a person come to another person,
is established in unwavering faith in the Enlightenment, the Teaching and the
Community. I say the gratitude he has to return to that second person, is not
repaid by joining hands in veneration, getting up and offering a seat on
arrival, exchanging pleasant conversation and offering robes, morsel food,
dwellings and requisites when ill. ânanda, if a person meeting another person,
became virtuous. I say the gratitude he has to return to that second person, is
not repaid by joining hands in veneration, getting up and offering a seat on
arrival, exchanging pleasant conversation and offering robes, morsel food,
dwellings and requisites when ill. ânanda, if a person, met another person and
dispelled his doubts about the Enlightenment, the Teaching and the Community. I
say the gratitude he has to return to that second person, is not repaid by
joining hands in veneration, getting up and offering a seat on arrival,
exchanging pleasant conversation and offering robes, morsel food, dwellings and
requisites when ill.
ânanda, there are fourteen personal offerings that could be made. An offering
made to the Thus Gone One, worthy and rightfully enlightened is the first
personal offering. An offering made to the silent Enlightened One, is the second
personal offering. An offering made to a worthy disciple, *1) is the third
personal offering. An offering made to a person fallen to the method of
realizing worthiness, *2) is the fourth personal offering. An offering made to a
non-returner, *3) is the fifth personal offering. An offering made to a person
fallen to the method of realizing the state of non-returning is the sixth
personal offering. An offering made to one, returning once, *4) is the seventh
personal offering. An offering made to a person fallen to the method of
realizing the state of returning once is the eighth personal offering. An
offering made to one who has entered the stream of the Teaching is the ninth
personal offering. An offering made to a person fallen to the method of
realizing the state of entry into the stream of the Teaching is the tenth
personal offering. An offering made to one, not greedy and turned away from
sensuality is the eleventh personal offering. An offering made to an ordinary
virtuous person is the twelfth personal offering. An offering made to an
ordinary not virtuous person is the thirteenth personal offering. An offering
made to an animal is the fourteenth personal offering.
ânanda, of an offering made to an animal the results expected are by hundreds.
Of an offering made to an ordinary not virtuous person the results expected are
by thousands. Of an offering made to an ordinary virtuous person the results
expected are by hundred -thousands Of an offering made to a not greedy one,
turned away from sensuality the results expected are by hundred thousand
millions. Of an offering made to a person fallen to the method of realizing the
state of entry into the stream of the Teaching, the results expected are
innumerable and unlimited. What would be the results for offering a gift to a
stream entrant of the Teaching? Or one fallen to the method of realizing the
state of not returning? Or one who would not return? Or one fallen to the method
of realizing worthiness? Or a worthy disciple of the Thus Gone One? Or the
silent enlightened One? Or the worthy, rightfully enlightened Thus Gone One?
ânanda, these seven are the offerings made to the Community. An offering to both
bhikkhus and bhikkhunis headed by the Blessed One. This is the first offering
made to the Community. After the demise of the Blessed One, an offering made to
both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. This is the second offering made to the Community.
An offering made to the bhikkhus. This is the third offering to the Community.
An offering made to the bhikkhunis. This is the fourth offering to the
Community. An offering made indicating the number of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.
This is the fifth offering to the Community. An offering made indicating the
number of bhikkhus. This is the sixth offering to the Community. An offering
made indicating the number of bhikkhunis. This is the seventh offering to the
Community.
ânanda, in the future there will be the last bhikkhus in the lineage, not
virtuous with evil things, wearing yellow strings round their necks. I say, even
the results of an offering made to them on account of the Community is
innumerable and limitless. I would not tell you, how an offering made to the
Community is more fruitful than a personal offering.
ânanda, there are four kinds of purity in an offering. An offering is pure, on
the side of the donor, not the receiver. An offering is pure, on the side of the
receiver, not the donor. An offering is neither pure on the side of the donor,
nor the receiver. An offering is pure, on the side of the donor, as well as the
receiver.
ânanda, how is the offering pure, on the side of the donor and not the receiver?
Here the donor is virtuous with good thoughts, the receiver is not virtuous with
evil thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the donor and not the
receiver.
ânanda, how is the offering pure, on the side of the receiver and not the donor?
Here the receiver is virtuous with good thoughts, the donor is not virtuous with
evil thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the receiver and not
the donor.
ânanda, how is the offering neither pure on the side of the donor nor the
receiver? Here the donor is not virtuous with evil thoughts and the receiver is
not virtuous with evil thoughts. Thus the offering is neither pure, on the side
of the donor nor the receiver
ânanda, how is the offering pure on the side of the donor as well as the
receiver? Here the donor is virtuous with good thoughts and the receiver is
virtuous with good thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the donor
as well as the receiver.û
The Blessed One said. `These are the four kinds of purity and further said
A virtuous donor offers to one without virtues, things obtained righteously,
with a pleasant mind,
Believing the results of actions. That offering is purified on the side of the
donor.
A not virtuous donor offers to the virtuous, things not obtained righteously,
with an unpleasant mind,
Disbelieving the results of actions. That offering is purified on the side of
the receiver
A not virtuous donor offers to the not virtuous, things not obtained
righteously, with an unpleasant mind,
Disbelieving the results of actions. That offering is not purified on either
side.
A virtuous donor offers to the virtuous, things obtained righteously, with a
pleasant mind,
Believing the results of actions. I say, that offering brings great results
One not greedy offers to those not greedy, things obtained righteously, with a
pleasant mind,
Believing the results of actions. I say, that is the highest material offeringû
Notes. 1. An offering made to a worthy disciple of the Thus Gone One.
`Tathàgatasàvake arahante dànaü deti' A worthy disciple of the Thus Gone One has
attained the noble state `arahatta' which he aims to attain
2. A person fallen to the method of realizing worthiness.
`Arahattaphalasacchikiriyàya pañipanne,' Before attaining worthiness the bhikkhu
has to make much effort to attain worthiness.
3. An offering made to a non-returner. `Anàgàmissa dànaü deti,' A non-returner
would not be born in the sensual world, to enjoy the five strands of sensual
pleasures.
4. An offering made to one returning once. `Sakadàgàmissa dànaü deti,' A certain
one is born in this world only once, to fulfil a certain aspiration.