Dhammadāyādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 3

Heirs in the Teaching · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Dhammadāyādā me, bhikkhave, bhavatha, mā āmisadāyādā.
Atthi me tumhesu anukampā:
‘kinti me sāvakā dhammadāyādā bhaveyyuṁ, no āmisadāyādā’ti.
Tumhe ca me, bhikkhave, āmisadāyādā bhaveyyātha no dhammadāyādā, tumhepi tena ādiyā bhaveyyātha:
‘āmisadāyādā satthusāvakā viharanti, no dhammadāyādā’ti;
ahampi tena ādiyo bhaveyyaṁ:
‘āmisadāyādā satthusāvakā viharanti, no dhammadāyādā’ti.
Tumhe ca me, bhikkhave, dhammadāyādā bhaveyyātha, no āmisadāyādā, tumhepi tena na ādiyā bhaveyyātha:
‘dhammadāyādā satthusāvakā viharanti, no āmisadāyādā’ti;
ahampi tena na ādiyo bhaveyyaṁ:
‘dhammadāyādā satthusāvakā viharanti, no āmisadāyādā’ti.
Tasmātiha me, bhikkhave, dhammadāyādā bhavatha, mā āmisadāyādā.
Atthi me tumhesu anukampā:
‘kinti me sāvakā dhammadāyādā bhaveyyuṁ, no āmisadāyādā’ti.

“Mendicants, be my heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh. Out of sympathy for you, I think, ‘How can my disciples become heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh?’ If you become heirs in things of the flesh, not in the teaching, that will make you liable to the accusation: ‘The Teacher’s disciples live as heirs in things of the flesh, not in the teaching.’ And it will make me liable to the accusation: ‘The Teacher’s disciples live as heirs in things of the flesh, not in the teaching.’ If you become heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh, that will make you not liable to the accusation: ‘The Teacher’s disciples live as heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh.’ And it will make me not liable to the accusation: ‘The Teacher’s disciples live as heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh.’ So, mendicants, be my heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh. Out of sympathy for you, I think, ‘How can my disciples become heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh?’

Idhāhaṁ, bhikkhave, bhuttāvī assaṁ pavārito paripuṇṇo pariyosito suhito yāvadattho;
siyā ca me piṇḍapāto atirekadhammo chaḍḍanīyadhammo.
Atha dve bhikkhū āgaccheyyuṁ jighacchādubbalyaparetā.
Tyāhaṁ evaṁ vadeyyaṁ:
‘ahaṁ khomhi, bhikkhave, bhuttāvī pavārito paripuṇṇo pariyosito suhito yāvadattho;
atthi ca me ayaṁ piṇḍapāto atirekadhammo chaḍḍanīyadhammo.
Sace ākaṅkhatha, bhuñjatha, no ce tumhe bhuñjissatha, idānāhaṁ appaharite vā chaḍḍessāmi, appāṇake vā udake opilāpessāmī’ti.
Tatrekassa bhikkhuno evamassa:
‘bhagavā kho bhuttāvī pavārito paripuṇṇo pariyosito suhito yāvadattho;
atthi cāyaṁ bhagavato piṇḍapāto atirekadhammo chaḍḍanīyadhammo.
Sace mayaṁ na bhuñjissāma, idāni bhagavā appaharite vā chaḍḍessati, appāṇake vā udake opilāpessati.
Vuttaṁ kho panetaṁ bhagavatā:
“dhammadāyādā me, bhikkhave, bhavatha, mā āmisadāyādā”ti.
Āmisaññataraṁ kho panetaṁ, yadidaṁ piṇḍapāto.
Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ abhuñjitvā imināva jighacchādubbalyena evaṁ imaṁ rattindivaṁ vītināmeyyan’ti.
So taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ abhuñjitvā teneva jighacchādubbalyena evaṁ taṁ rattindivaṁ vītināmeyya.
Atha dutiyassa bhikkhuno evamassa:
‘bhagavā kho bhuttāvī pavārito paripuṇṇo pariyosito suhito yāvadattho;
atthi cāyaṁ bhagavato piṇḍapāto atirekadhammo chaḍḍanīyadhammo.
Sace mayaṁ na bhuñjissāma, idāni bhagavā appaharite vā chaḍḍessati, appāṇake vā udake opilāpessati.
Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjitvā jighacchādubbalyaṁ paṭivinodetvā evaṁ imaṁ rattindivaṁ vītināmeyyan’ti.
So taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjitvā jighacchādubbalyaṁ paṭivinodetvā evaṁ taṁ rattindivaṁ vītināmeyya.
Kiñcāpi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu taṁ piṇḍapātaṁ bhuñjitvā jighacchādubbalyaṁ paṭivinodetvā evaṁ taṁ rattindivaṁ vītināmeyya, atha kho asuyeva me purimo bhikkhu pujjataro ca pāsaṁsataro ca.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Tañhi tassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno dīgharattaṁ appicchatāya santuṭṭhiyā sallekhāya subharatāya vīriyārambhāya saṁvattissati.
Tasmātiha me, bhikkhave, dhammadāyādā bhavatha, mā āmisadāyādā.
Atthi me tumhesu anukampā:
‘kinti me sāvakā dhammadāyādā bhaveyyuṁ, no āmisadāyādā’”ti.

Suppose that I had eaten and refused more food, being replete, and having had as much as I needed. And there was some extra almsfood that was going to be thrown away. Then two mendicants were to come who were weak with hunger. I’d say to them, ‘Mendicants, I have eaten and refused more food, being replete, and having had as much as I need. And there is this extra almsfood that’s going to be thrown away. Eat it if you like. Otherwise I’ll throw it out where there is little that grows, or drop it into water that has no living creatures.’ Then one of those mendicants thought, ‘The Buddha has eaten and refused more food. And he has some extra almsfood that’s going to be thrown away. If we don’t eat it he’ll throw it away. But the Buddha has also said: “Be my heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh.” And almsfood is one of the things of the flesh. Instead of eating this almsfood, why don’t I spend this day and night weak with hunger?’ And that’s what they did. Then the second of those mendicants thought, ‘The Buddha has eaten and refused more food. And he has some extra almsfood that’s going to be thrown away. If we don’t eat it he’ll throw it away. Why don’t I eat this almsfood, then spend the day and night having dispelled my hunger and weakness?’ And that’s what they did. Even though that mendicant, after eating the almsfood, spent the day and night having dispelled hunger and weakness, it is the former mendicant who is more worthy of respect and praise. Why is that? Because for a long time that will conduce to that mendicant being of few wishes, content, self-effacing, unburdensome, and energetic. So, mendicants, be my heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh. Out of sympathy for you, I think, ‘How can my disciples become heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh?’”

Idamavoca bhagavā.
Idaṁ vatvāna sugato uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ pāvisi.
Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto acirapakkantassa bhagavato bhikkhū āmantesi:
“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.
“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

That is what the Buddha said. When he had spoken, the Holy One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling. Then, not long after the Buddha left, Venerable Sāriputta said to the mendicants, “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

“Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, satthu pavivittassa viharato sāvakā vivekaṁ nānusikkhanti, kittāvatā ca pana satthu pavivittassa viharato sāvakā vivekamanusikkhantī”ti?
“Dūratopi kho mayaṁ, āvuso, āgacchāma āyasmato sāriputtassa santike etassa bhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ.
Sādhu vatāyasmantaṁyeva sāriputtaṁ paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho;
āyasmato sāriputtassa sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Tena hāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Reverends, how do the disciples of a Teacher who lives in seclusion not train in seclusion? And how do they train in seclusion?” “Reverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sāriputta. May Venerable Sāriputta himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, reverends, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version