Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 142

Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta

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

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to an ordinary person of bad conductPuthujjanadussīle a giftdānaṁ givesdeti—
thisayaṁ thirteenthterasamī to an individualpāṭipuggalikā religious donationdakkhiṇā.
to an animalTiracchānagate a giftdānaṁ givesdeti—
thisayaṁ fourteenthcuddasamī to an individualpāṭipuggalikā religious donationdakkhiṇāti.

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.

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?

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.

there will beBhavissanti indeedkho and again, Ānanda,panānanda, in the futureanāgatamaddhānaṁ lambs of the flockgotrabhuno wearing a scrap of ocher clothkāsāvakaṇṭhā unethicaldussīlā of bad character.pāpadhammā.
to thoseTesu unethical onesdussīlesu to the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ in the name ofuddissa a giftdānaṁ they will givedassanti.
then too ITadāpāhaṁ, Ānanda,ānanda, bestowed on the Saṅghasaṅghagataṁ a religious donationdakkhiṇaṁ incalculableasaṅkheyyaṁ immeasurableappameyyaṁ I sayvadāmi.
notNa but indeed Itvevāhaṁ, Ānanda,ānanda, by anykenaci waypariyāyena one bestowed on a Saṅghasaṅghagatāya than a religious donationdakkhiṇāya a personal offeringpāṭipuggalikaṁ a giftdānaṁ more fruitfulmahapphalataraṁ I sayvadāmi.

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.

fourCatasso indeedkho theseimā, Ānandaānanda, religious donationdakkhiṇā purificationsvisuddhiyo.
whatKatamā fourcatasso?
there is, ĀnandaAtthānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato.
there is, ĀnandaAtthānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the giverdāyakato.
there is, ĀnandaAtthānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā neitherneva by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato.
there is, ĀnandaAtthānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato indeedceva is purifiedvisujjhati by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato andca.

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.

and howKathañcānanda, religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato?
hereIdhānanda, giverdāyako ishoti ethicalsīlavā of good characterkalyāṇadhammo, recipientspaṭiggāhakā arehonti unethicaldussīlā of bad characterpāpadhammā—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato.

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.

and how, ĀnandaKathañcānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the giverdāyakato?
here, ĀnandaIdhānanda, a giverdāyako ishoti unethicaldussīlo of bad characterpāpadhammo, recipientspaṭiggāhakā arehonti ethicalsīlavanto of good characterkalyāṇadhammā—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato is purifiedvisujjhati notno by the giverdāyakato.

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.

and how, Ānanda,Kathañcānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā neitherneva by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati norno by the recipient?paṭiggāhakato?
here, Ānanda,Idhānanda, the giverdāyako andca ishoti unethicaldussīlo of bad character,pāpadhammo, the recipientspaṭiggāhakā andca arehonti unethicaldussīlā of bad character—pāpadhammā—
thusevaṁ indeed,kho, Ānanda,ānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā neitherneva by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati norno by the recipient.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.

and how, ĀnandaKathañcānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato andceva is purifiedvisujjhati by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato and?ca?
here, ĀnandaIdhānanda, a giverdāyako andca ishoti ethicalsīlavā of good characterkalyāṇadhammo, recipientspaṭiggāhakā andca arehonti ethicalsīlavanto of good character—kalyāṇadhammā—
thusevaṁ indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, a religious donationdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato andceva is purifiedvisujjhati by the recipientpaṭiggāhakato and.ca.
theseImā indeedkho, Ānandaānanda, fourcatasso religious donationsdakkhiṇā ways of purifyingvisuddhiyo”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.”

this he saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
thisIdaṁ having saidvatvāna the Holy Onesugato then furtherathāparaṁ this he saidetadavoca the Teachersatthā:
whoever“Yo ethicalsīlavā to unethical personsdussīlesu givesdadāti a giftdānaṁ,
by the teachingDhammena obtainedladdhaṁ with trusting heartsupasannacitto;
trustingAbhisaddahaṁ in the fruit of deedskammaphalaṁ ampleuḷāraṁ,
thatSā offeringdakkhiṇā by the giverdāyakato is purifiedvisujjhati.
whoeverYo unethicaldussīlo to ethical personssīlavantesu givesdadāti a giftdānaṁ,
not by the teachingAdhammena obtainedladdhaṁ untrusting heartappasannacitto;
not trustingAnabhisaddahaṁ in the fruit of deedskammaphalaṁ ampleuḷāraṁ,
thatSā offeringdakkhiṇā by the receiverspaṭiggāhakato is purifiedvisujjhati.
whoeverYo unethicaldussīlo to unethical personsdussīlesu givesdadāti a giftdānaṁ,
not by the teachingAdhammena obtainedladdhaṁ untrusting heartappasannacitto;
not trustingAnabhisaddahaṁ in the fruit of deedskammaphalaṁ ampleuḷāraṁ,
notNa thattaṁ giftdānaṁ very fruitfulvipulapphalanti I declarebrūmi.
whoeverYo ethicalsīlavā to ethical personssīlavantesu givesdadāti a giftdānaṁ,
by the teachingDhammena obtainedladdhaṁ with trusting heartsupasannacitto;
trustingAbhisaddahaṁ in the fruit of deedskammaphalaṁ ampleuḷāraṁ,
thatTaṁ indeedve giftdānaṁ abundantly fruitfulvipulapphalanti I declarebrūmi.
whoeverYo passionlessvītarāgo to the passionlessvītarāgesu givesdadāti a giftdānaṁ,
by the teachingDhammena obtainedladdhaṁ with trusting heartsupasannacitto;
trustingAbhisaddahaṁ in the fruit of deedskammaphalaṁ ampleuḷāraṁ,
thatTaṁ indeedve giftdānaṁ of material gifts the bestāmisadānānamaggan”ti.
The Analysis of Religious DonationsDakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the twelfthdvādasamaṁ.
the Chapter on AnalysisVibhaṅgavaggo finishedniṭṭhito the fourthcatuttho.

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.”

its summaryTassuddānaṁ
Bhaddeka, Ananda, KaccanaBhaddekānandakaccāna,
Lomasakangiya, SubhaLomasakaṅgiyāsubho;
the Great Kamma, the Sixfold Base, the AnalysisMahākammasaḷāyatanavibhaṅgā,
the Exposition, the Non-conflictUddesaaraṇā elementdhātu truthsaccaṁ.
the Discourse on the Analysis of Religious DonationsDakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasuttanti.

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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