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The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

Page 122

by Bhikkhu Nanamoli


  6. “Herein, Ānanda, by giving a gift to an animal, the offering may be expected to repay a hundredfold.1297 By giving a gift to an immoral ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a thousandfold. By giving a gift to a virtuous ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a hundred-thousandfold. 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-thousandfold.

  “By giving a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation 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 realisation of the fruit of once-return…to a once-returner…to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of non-return…to a non-returner…to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation 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?1298

  7. “There are seven kinds of offerings made to the Sangha, Ānanda. One gives a gift to a Sangha of both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs] headed by the Buddha; this is the first kind of offering made to the Sangha.1299 One gives a gift to a Sangha of both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs] after the Tathāgata has attained final Nibbāna; this is the second kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift to a Sangha of bhikkhus; this is the third kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift to a Sangha of bhikkhunīs; this is the fourth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs for me from the Sangha’; [256] this is the fifth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhus for me from the Sangha’; this is the sixth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhunīs for me from the Sangha’; this is the seventh kind of offering made to the Sangha.

  8. “In future times, Ānanda, there will be members of the clan who are ‘yellow-necks,’ immoral, of evil character.1300 People will give gifts to those immoral persons for the sake of the Sangha. Even then, I say, an offering made to the Sangha is incalculable, immeasurable.1301 And I say that in no way is a gift to a person individually ever more fruitful than an offering made to the Sangha.1302

  9. “There are, Ānanda, four kinds of purification of offering. What four? There is the offering that is purified by the giver, not by the receiver.1303 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 how is the offering 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 how is the offering 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 how is the offering 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 how is the offering 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. [257] Thus the offering is purified both by the giver and by the receiver. These are the four kinds of purification of offering.”

  14. That is what the Blessed One said. When the Sublime One had said that, the Teacher said further:“When a virtuous person to an immoral person gives

  With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,

  Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,

  The giver’s virtue purifies the offering.

  When an immoral person to a virtuous person gives

  With untrusting heart a gift unrighteously obtained,

  Nor places faith that the fruit of action is great,

  The receiver’s virtue purifies the offering.

  When an immoral person to an immoral person gives

  With untrusting heart a gift unrighteously obtained,

  Nor places faith that the fruit of action is great,

  Neither’s virtue purifies the offering.

  When a virtuous person to a virtuous person gives

  With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,

  Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,

  That gift, I say, will come to full fruition.

  When a passionless person to a passionless person gives

  With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,

  Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,

  That gift, I say, is the best of worldly gifts.”1304

  5

  The Division of the Sixfold Base

  (Sạ̄yatanavagga)

  Anāthapiṇḍikovāda Sutta

  Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika

  [258] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

  2. Now on that occasion the householder Anāthapiṇḍika was afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill. Then he addressed a certain man thus: “Come, good man, go to the Blessed One, pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable sir, the householder Anāthapiṇḍika is afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the Blessed One’s feet.’ Then go to the venerable Sāriputta, pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, and say: ‘Venerable sir, the householder Anāthapiṇḍika is afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill; he pays homage with his head at the venerable Sāriputta’s feet.’ Then say: ‘It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the residence of the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, out of compassion.’”

  “Yes, sir,” the man replied, and he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side and delivered his message. Then he went to the venerable Sāriputta, and after paying homage to the venerable Sāriputta, he delivered his message, saying: “It would be good, venerable sir, if the venerable Sāriputta would come to the residence of the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, out of compassion.” The venerable Sāriputta consented in silence.

  3. Then the venerable Sāriputta dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, went to the residence of the householder Anāthapiṇḍika with the venerable Ānanda as his attendant. Having gone there, [259] he sat down on a seat made ready and said to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika: “I hope you are getting well, householder, I hope you are comfortable. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is apparent.”

  4. “Venerable Sāriputta, I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding; their increase and not their subsiding is apparent. Just as if a strong man were splitting my head open with a sharp sword, so too, violent winds cut through my head. I am not getting well…Just as if a strong man were tightening a tough leather strap around my head as a headband, so too, there are violent pains in my head. I am not getting well…Just as if a skilled butcher or his apprentice were to carve up an ox’s belly with a sharp butcher’s knife, so too, violent winds are carving up my belly. I am not getting well…Just as if two strong men were to seize a weaker man by both arms and roast him over a pit of hot coals, so too, there is a violent burning in my body. I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding; their increase and not their subsiding is apparent.”

  5. “Then, householder, you should train thus: �
��I will not cling to the eye, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the eye.’1305 Thus you should train. You should train thus: ‘I will not cling to the ear…I will not cling to the nose…I will not cling to the tongue…I will not cling to the body…I will not cling to the mind, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the mind.’ Thus you should train.

  6. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to forms…I will not cling to sounds…I will not cling to odours…I will not cling to flavours…I will not cling to tangibles…I will not cling to mind-objects, and my consciousness will not be dependent on mind-objects.’ Thus you should train.

  7. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to eye-consciousness…I will not cling to ear-consciousness…I will not cling to nose-consciousness…I will not cling to tongueconsciousness…I will not cling to body-consciousness…I will not cling to mind-consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on mind-consciousness.’ Thus you should train.

  8. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to eye-contact…[260]…I will not cling to ear-contact…I will not cling to nose-contact…I will not cling to tongue-contact…I will not cling to body-contact…I will not cling to mind-contact, and my consciousness will not be dependent on mind-contact.’ Thus you should train.

  9. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to feeling born of eye-contact…I will not cling to feeling born of ear-contact…I will not cling to feeling born of nose-contact…I will not cling to feeling born of tongue-contact…I will not cling to feeling born of body-contact…I will not cling to feeling born of mind-contact, and my consciousness will not be dependent on feeling born of mind-contact.’ Thus you should train.

  10. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to the earth element…I will not cling to the water element…I will not cling to the fire element…I will not cling to the air element…I will not cling to the space element…I will not cling to the consciousness element, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the consciousness element.’ Thus you should train.

  11. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to material form…I will not cling to feeling…I will not cling to perception…I will not cling to formations…I will not cling to consciousness, and my consciousness will not be dependent on consciousness.’ Thus you should train.

  12. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to the base of infinite space…I will not cling to the base of infinite consciousness…I will not cling to the base of nothingness [261]…I will not cling to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.’ Thus you should train.

  13. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to this world, and my consciousness will not be dependent on this world. I will not cling to the world beyond, and my consciousness will not be dependent on the world beyond.’ Thus you should train.

  14. “Householder, you should train thus: ‘I will not cling to what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, encountered, sought after, and examined by the mind, and my consciousness will not be dependent on that.’ Thus you should train.”

  15. When this was said, the householder Anāthapiṇḍika wept and shed tears. Then the venerable Ānanda asked him: “Are you foundering, householder, are you sinking?”

  “I am not foundering, venerable Ānanda, I am not sinking. But although I have long waited upon the Teacher and bhikkhus worthy of esteem, never before have I heard such a talk on the Dhamma.”

  “Such talk on the Dhamma, householder, is not given to lay people clothed in white. Such talk on the Dhamma is given to those who have gone forth.”1306

  “Well then, venerable Sāriputta, let such talk on the Dhamma be given to lay people clothed in white. There are clansmen with little dust in their eyes who are wasting away through not hearing [such talk on] the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma.”

  16. Then, after giving the householder Anāthapiṇḍika this advice, the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Ānanda rose from their seats and departed. Soon after they had left, [262] the householder Anāthapiṇḍika died and reappeared in the Tusita heaven.

  17. Then, when the night was well advanced, Anāthapiṇḍika, now a young god of beautiful appearance, went to the Blessed One, illuminating the whole of Jeta’s Grove. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he stood at one side and addressed the Blessed One in stanzas:“Oh blessed is this Jeta’s Grove,

  Dwelt in by the sagely Sangha,

  Wherein resides the King of Dhamma,

  The fount of all my happiness.

  By action, knowledge and Dhamma,

  By virtue and noble way of life—

  By these are mortals purified,

  Not by lineage or wealth.

  Therefore a wise person who sees

  What truly leads to his own good,

  Should investigate the Dhamma

  And purify himself with it.

  Sāriputta has reached the peak

  In virtue, peace, and wisdom’s ways;

  Any bhikkhu who has gone beyond

  At best can only equal him.”

  18. That is what the young god Anāthapiṇḍika said, and the Teacher approved. Then the young god Anāthapiṇḍika, thinking: “The Teacher has approved of me,” paid homage to the Blessed One, and keeping him on his right, he vanished at once.

  19. When the night had ended, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, last night when the night was well advanced, there came to me a certain young god of beautiful appearance who illuminated the whole of Jeta’s Grove. After paying homage to me, he stood at one side and addressed me in stanzas thus:‘Oh blessed is this Jeta’s Grove…

  At best can only equal him.’ [263]

  That is what the young god said. Then the young god, thinking: ‘The Teacher has approved of me,’ paid homage to me, and keeping me on his right, he vanished at once.”

  20. When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Surely, venerable sir, that young god must have been Anāthapiṇḍika. For the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had perfect confidence in the venerable Sāriputta.”

  “Good, good, Ānanda! As far as reasoning goes you have drawn the right conclusion. That young god was Anāthapiṇḍika, no one else.”

  That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

  Channovāda Sutta

  Advice to Channa

  1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.

  2. Now on that occasion the venerable Sāriputta, the venerable Mahā Cunda, and the venerable Channa were living on the mountain Vulture Peak.

  3. On that occasion the venerable Channa was afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Sāriputta rose from meditation, went to the venerable Mahā Cunda, and said to him: “Friend Cunda, let us go to the venerable Channa and ask about his illness.”—“Yes, friend,” the venerable Mahā Cunda replied.

  4. Then the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Mahā Cunda went to the venerable Channa and exchanged greetings with him. When [264] this courteous and amiable talk was finished, they sat down at one side and the venerable Sāriputta said to the venerable Channa: “I hope you are getting well, friend Channa, I hope you are comfortable. I hope your painful feelings are subsiding and not increasing, and that their subsiding, not their increase, is apparent.”

  5. “Friend Sāriputta, I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding;…(as Sutta 143, §4)...their increase and not their subsiding is apparent. I shall use the knife,1307 friend Sāriputta; I have no desire to live.”

  6. “Let the venerable Channa not use the knife. Let the venerable Chan
na live. We want the venerable Channa to live. If he lacks suitable food, I will go in search of suitable food for him. If he lacks suitable medicine, I will go in search of suitable medicine for him. If he lacks a proper attendant, I will attend on him. Let the venerable Channa not use the knife. Let the venerable Channa live. We want the venerable Channa to live.”

  7. “Friend Sāriputta, it is not that I have no suitable food and medicine or no proper attendant. But rather, friend Sāriputta, the Teacher has long been worshipped by me with love, not without love; for it is proper for the disciple to worship the Teacher with love, not without love. Friend Sāriputta, remember this: the bhikkhu Channa will use the knife blamelessly.”1308

  8. “We would ask the venerable Channa certain questions, if the venerable Channa finds it opportune to reply.” “Ask, friend Sāriputta. When I have heard, I shall know.”

 

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