Issattasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti? “Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti. “Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti? “Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti? Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle. Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho. Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti. “Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe… atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe… atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe… na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Sir, where should a gift be given?” “Wherever your heart feels inspired, Great King.” “But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?” “Where a gift should be given is one thing, Great King, but where a gift is very fruitful is another. A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person. Well then, Great King, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, Great King? Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle. Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee. Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?” “No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.” “What about a brahmin youth, a peasant youth, or a menial youth who was similar?” “No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho. Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti. “Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe… atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe… atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī. Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti? “Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.

“What do you think, Great King? Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle. Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground. Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?” “Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.” “What about a brahmin youth, a peasant youth, or a menial youth who was similar? Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?” “Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti. Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti? Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti. Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti. Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti. Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… satthā:

“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from. What are the five factors they’ve given up? Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. These are the five factors they’ve given up. What are the five factors they possess? The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom. These are the five factors they possess. I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca, yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave; Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā, nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.

“Any youth skilled at archery, powerful and vigorous, would be employed by a king going to war— one is not a coward by reason of birth.

Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ, dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā; Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ, hīnajaccampi pūjaye.

Just so, whoever is settled in the qualities of patience and gentleness, an intelligent person with noble conduct, should be venerated even if they’re low born.

Kāraye assame ramme, vāsayettha bahussute; Papañca vivane kayirā, dugge saṅkamanāni ca.

You should build lovely hermitages and settle learned people in them. You should set up water supplies in barren regions and passages in places hard to travel.

Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ, vatthasenāsanāni ca; Dadeyya ujubhūtesu, vippasannena cetasā.

Food, drink, edibles, clothes, and lodgings should be given to the upright ones, with a clear and confident heart.

Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ, vijjumālī satakkaku; Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti, abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.

The thundering rain cloud, its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning, pours down over the rich earth, soaking the uplands and valleys.

Tatheva saddho sutavā, abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ; Vanibbake tappayati, annapānena paṇḍito.

So too an astute person, faithful and learned, should prepare a meal to satisfy supplicants with food and drink.

Āmodamāno pakireti, detha dethāti bhāsati; Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti, devasseva pavassato; Sā puññadhārā vipulā, dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.

Rejoicing, they strew gifts about, saying, ‘Give! Give!’ For that is their thunder, like rain sent from the heavens. That stream of merit so abundant showers down on the giver.”