Khuddaka Nikaya - Sutta Nipata - Magha Sutta

5. MAGHASUTTA.
Buddha on being asked tells Magha of those worthy of offerings and the
blessing of offering.
So it was heard by me:
At one time Bhagavat dwelt at Ragagaha, in the mountain (called) the
Vulture's Peak (Gigghakûta).
Then the young man Magha went to Bhagavat, and having gone to him he talked
pleasantly with him, and after having had some pleasant, remarkable conversation
with him he sat down apart; sitting down apart the young man Magha spoke this to
Bhagavat:
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'O venerable Gotama, I am a liberal giver, bountiful, suitable to beg of;
justly I seek for riches, and having sought for riches justly, I give out of the
justly obtained and justly acquired riches to one, to two, to three, to four, to
five, to six, to seven, to eight, to nine, to ten, to twenty, to thirty, to
forty, to fifty, to a hundred, I give still more. (I should like to know), O
venerable Gotama, whether I, while so giving, so offering, produce much good.'
'Certainly, O young man, dost thou in so offering produce much good; he, O
young man, who is a liberal giver, bountiful, suitable to beg of, and who justly
seeks for riches, and having sought for riches justly, gives out of his justly
obtained and justly acquired riches to one, to two, to three, to four, to five,
to six, to seven, to eight, to nine, to ten, to twenty, to thirty, to forty, to
fifty, to a hundred, and gives still more, produces much good.'
Then the young man Magha addressed Bhagavat in stanzas:
1. 'I ask the venerable Gotama, the bountiful,'--so said the young man
Magha,--'wearing the yellow robe, wandering about houseless:' 'He who is a
householder, suitable to beg of, a donor, who, desirous of good, offers having
what is good in view, and giving to others in this world food and drink,--where
(i.e. on whom bestowed) will the oblation of such an offerer prosper?' (487)
2. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor, O Magha,'--so said
Bhagavat,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and
giving to others in this world food and drink, such a one will prosper with
those worthy of offerings.' (488)
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3. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor,'--so said the young
man,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and giving to
others in this world food and drink,--tell me (I being such a one), O Bhagavat,
of those worthy of offerings.' (489)
4. Bhagavat: 'Those indeed who wander about in the world without clinging to
anything and without possessing anything, perfect, self-restrained, on such in
due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works)
in view, offer. (490)
5. 'Those who have cut through all bonds and fetters, who are subdued,
liberated, free from pain, and free from desire, on such in due time people
should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer.
(491)
6. 'Those who are released from all bonds, who are subdued, liberated, free
from pain, and free from desire on such in due time people should bestow
oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (492)
7. 'Those who, having forsaken both passion and hatred and folly, have
destroyed their desires and lead a religious life, on such in due time people
should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view,
offer[1]. (493)
8. 'Those in whom there lives no deceit, no arrogance, who are free from
cupidity, free from selfishness, free from desire, on such in due time people
should bestew oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer.
(494)
9. 'Those indeed who without being lost in desire,
[1. Comp. Dhp. v. 20.]
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after crossing the stream (of existence), wander about free from selfishness, on
such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good
(works) in view, offer. (495)
10. 'Those in whom there is no desire for anything in the world, nor for
existence after existence here or in the other world, on such in due time people
should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer.
(496)
11. 'Those who, after leaving sensual pleasures, wander about houseless, well
restrained, being like a straight shuttle, on such in due time people should
bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (497)
12. 'Those whose passions are gone, whose senses are well composed, who are
liberated like the moon out of the grasp of Rahu, on such in due time people
should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer.
(498)
13. 'Those who are calm, whose passions are gone, who are without anger, and
for whom there is no transmigration after having left here, on such in due time
people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view,
offer. (499)
14. 'Those who, after leaving birth and death altogether, have conquered all
doubt, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who
has good (works) in view, offer. (500)
15. 'Those who wander about in the world with themselves for a light, not
possessed of anything, in every respect liberated, on such in due time people
should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer.
(501)
16. 'Those who in this world rightly understand
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this: "This is the last (birth), there is no re-birth," on such in due time
people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view,
offer. (502)
17. 'He who is accomplished, and delights in meditation, thoughtful,
possessed of thorough enlightenment, a refuge for many, on such a one in due
time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in
view, offer.' (503)
18. 'Certainly my question was not in vain, Bhagavat has told me of those
worthy of offerings; for thou truly knowest this in this world, as surely to
thee this Dhamma is known. (504)
19. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor,'--so said the
young man Magha,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view,
and giving to others in this world food and drink,--tell me (I being such a
one), O Bhagavat, of the blessing of offering.' (505)
20. 'Offer, O Magha,'--so said Bhagavat,--'and while offering make calm thy
mind in all things; the object of the one that offers is the oblation, standing
fast in this he leaves hatred behind. (506)
21. 'Such a one whose passion is gone will repress hatred, cultivating an
unbounded friendly mind; continually strenuous night and day he will spread
infinite goodness through all regions.' (507)
22. Magha: 'Who prospers? who is liberated and who is bound? In which way can
one by himself go to Brahmaloka? Tell this to me who does not know, O Muni, when
asked. Bhagavat is indeed my witness that Brahman is seen by me to-day, for thou
art to us equal to Brahman, this is the truth; how can one attain Brahmaloka, O
thou glorious one?' (508)
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23. 'He who offers the threefold blessing of oblation, O Magha,'--so said
Bhagavat,--'such a one will prosper with those worthy of offerings; so, having
offered properly, he who is suitable to beg of attains Brahmaloka, so I say.'
(509)
This having been said, Magha the young man spoke as follows to Bhagavat:
'Excellent, O venerable Gotama! Excellent, O venerable Gotama! As one raises
what has been overthrown, or reveals what has been hidden, or tells the way to
him who has gone astray, or holds out an oil lamp in the dark that those who
have eyes may see the objects, even so by the venerable Gotama in manifold ways
the Dhamma has been illustrated; I take refuge in the venerable Gotama and in
the Dhamma and in the Assembly of Bhikkhus. Let the venerable Gotama accept me
as an upasaka (a follower, me), who henceforth for all my life have taken refuge
(in him).'
Maghasutta is ended.