Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 142

Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta

The Analysis of Religious Donations · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Puthujjanadussīle dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ terasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.
Tiracchānagate dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ cuddasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇāti.

One gives a gift to an ordinary person who has bad ethical conduct. This is the thirteenth religious donation to an individual. One gives a gift to an animal. This is the fourteenth religious donation to an individual.

Tatrānanda, tiracchānagate dānaṁ datvā sataguṇā dakkhiṇā pāṭikaṅkhitabbā, puthujjanadussīle dānaṁ datvā sahassaguṇā dakkhiṇā pāṭikaṅkhitabbā, puthujjanasīlavante dānaṁ datvā satasahassaguṇā dakkhiṇā pāṭikaṅkhitabbā, bāhirake kāmesu vītarāge dānaṁ datvā koṭisatasahassaguṇā dakkhiṇā pāṭikaṅkhitabbā, sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne dānaṁ datvā asaṅkheyyā appameyyā dakkhiṇā pāṭikaṅkhitabbā, ko pana vādo sotāpanne, ko pana vādo sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne, ko pana vādo sakadāgāmissa, ko pana vādo anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne, ko pana vādo anāgāmissa, ko pana vādo arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne, ko pana vādo arahante, ko pana vādo paccekasambuddhe, ko pana vādo tathāgate arahante sammāsambuddhe.

Now, Ānanda, gifts to the following persons may be expected to yield the following returns. To an animal, a hundred times. To an unethical ordinary person, a thousand. To an ethical ordinary person, a hundred thousand. To an outsider free of desire for sensual pleasures, 10,000,000,000. But a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry may be expected to yield incalculable, immeasurable returns. How much more so a gift to a stream-enterer, someone practicing to realize the fruit of once-return, a once-returner, someone practicing to realize the fruit of non-return, a non-returner, someone practicing to realize the fruit of perfection, a perfected one, or an independent Buddha? How much more so a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha?

Satta kho panimānanda, saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
Katamā satta?
Buddhappamukhe ubhatosaṅghe dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ paṭhamā saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
Tathāgate parinibbute ubhatosaṅghe dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ dutiyā saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
Bhikkhusaṅghe dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ tatiyā saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
Bhikkhunisaṅghe dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ catutthī saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
‘Ettakā me bhikkhū ca bhikkhuniyo ca saṅghato uddissathā’ti dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ pañcamī saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
‘Ettakā me bhikkhū saṅghato uddissathā’ti dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ chaṭṭhī saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.
‘Ettakā me bhikkhuniyo saṅghato uddissathā’ti dānaṁ deti—
ayaṁ sattamī saṅghagatā dakkhiṇā.

But there are, Ānanda, seven religious donations bestowed on a Saṅgha. What seven? One gives a gift to the communities of both monks and nuns headed by the Buddha. This is the first religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift to the communities of both monks and nuns after the Buddha has finally become quenched. This is the second religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift to the Saṅgha of monks. This is the third religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift to the Saṅgha of nuns. This is the fourth religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift, thinking: ‘Appoint this many monks and nuns for me from the Saṅgha.’ This is the fifth religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift, thinking: ‘Appoint this many monks for me from the Saṅgha.’ This is the sixth religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha. One gives a gift, thinking: ‘Appoint this many nuns for me from the Saṅgha.’ This is the seventh religious donation bestowed on a Saṅgha.

Bhavissanti kho panānanda, anāgatamaddhānaṁ gotrabhuno kāsāvakaṇṭhā dussīlā pāpadhammā.
Tesu dussīlesu saṅghaṁ uddissa dānaṁ dassanti.
Tadāpāhaṁ, ānanda, saṅghagataṁ dakkhiṇaṁ asaṅkheyyaṁ appameyyaṁ vadāmi.
Na tvevāhaṁ, ānanda, kenaci pariyāyena saṅghagatāya dakkhiṇāya pāṭipuggalikaṁ dānaṁ mahapphalataraṁ vadāmi.

In times to come there will be lambs of the flock wearing a scrap of ocher cloth, unethical and of bad character. People will give gifts to those unethical people in the name of the Saṅgha. Then too, I say, a religious donation bestowed on the Saṅgha is incalculable and immeasurable. But in any case, there is no way a personal offering can be more fruitful than one bestowed on a Saṅgha, I say.

Catasso kho imā, ānanda, dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo.
Katamā catasso?
Atthānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato.
Atthānanda, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati no dāyakato.
Atthānanda, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato.
Atthānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.

Ānanda, there are these four ways of purifying a religious donation. What four? There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the giver, not the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the recipient, not the giver. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by neither the giver nor the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by both the giver and the recipient.

Kathañcānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato?
Idhānanda, dāyako hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo, paṭiggāhakā honti dussīlā pāpadhammā—
evaṁ kho, ānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by the giver, not the recipient? It’s when the giver is ethical, of good character, but the recipient is unethical, of bad character.

Kathañcānanda, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati no dāyakato?
Idhānanda, dāyako hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo, paṭiggāhakā honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā—
evaṁ kho, ānanda, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati no dāyakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by the recipient, not the giver? It’s when the giver is unethical, of bad character, but the recipient is ethical, of good character.

Kathañcānanda, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato?
Idhānanda, dāyako ca hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo, paṭiggāhakā ca honti dussīlā pāpadhammā—
evaṁ kho, ānanda, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati no paṭiggāhakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by neither the giver nor the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are unethical, of bad character.

Kathañcānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca?
Idhānanda, dāyako ca hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo, paṭiggāhakā ca honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā—
evaṁ kho, ānanda, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.
Imā kho, ānanda, catasso dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo”ti.

And how is a religious donation purified by both the giver and the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are ethical, of good character. These are the four ways of purifying a religious donation.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.
Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
“Yo sīlavā dussīlesu dadāti dānaṁ,
Dhammena laddhaṁ supasannacitto;
Abhisaddahaṁ kammaphalaṁ uḷāraṁ,
Sā dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati.
Yo dussīlo sīlavantesu dadāti dānaṁ,
Adhammena laddhaṁ appasannacitto;
Anabhisaddahaṁ kammaphalaṁ uḷāraṁ,
Sā dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati.
Yo dussīlo dussīlesu dadāti dānaṁ,
Adhammena laddhaṁ appasannacitto;
Anabhisaddahaṁ kammaphalaṁ uḷāraṁ,
Na taṁ dānaṁ vipulapphalanti brūmi.
Yo sīlavā sīlavantesu dadāti dānaṁ,
Dhammena laddhaṁ supasannacitto;
Abhisaddahaṁ kammaphalaṁ uḷāraṁ,
Taṁ ve dānaṁ vipulapphalanti brūmi.
Yo vītarāgo vītarāgesu dadāti dānaṁ,
Dhammena laddhaṁ supasannacitto;
Abhisaddahaṁ kammaphalaṁ uḷāraṁ,
Taṁ ve dānaṁ āmisadānānamaggan”ti.
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dvādasamaṁ.
Vibhaṅgavaggo niṭṭhito catuttho.

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: “When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to unethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the giver. When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to ethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that offering is purified by the receivers. When an unethical and untrusting person, gives an improper gift to unethical persons, not trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is not very fruitful. When an ethical person with trusting heart gives a proper gift to ethical persons, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, I declare that gift is abundantly fruitful. But when a passionless one gives to the passionless a proper gift with trusting heart, trusting in the ample fruit of deeds, that’s truly the best of material gifts.”

Tassuddānaṁ
Bhaddekānandakaccāna,
Lomasakaṅgiyāsubho;
Mahākammasaḷāyatanavibhaṅgā,
Uddesaaraṇā dhātu saccaṁ.
Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasuttanti.

Its summary: Bhaddeka, Ananda, Kaccana, Lomasakangiya, Subha; the Great Kamma, the Sixfold Base, the Analysis; the Exposition, the Non-conflict, the element, the truth. The Discourse on the Analysis of Religious Donations.

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