SUTTA-NIPATA 3.5

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Adapted From the Translation by V. Fausboll(1881)

Buddha on being asked tells Magha of those worthy of offerings and the blessing of offering.

So it was heard by me:

At one time Bhagava(Lord Buddha) dwelt at Rajagaha, in the mountain (called) the Vulture's Peak (Gijjhakuta).

Then the young man Magha went to Bhagava(Lord Buddha), and having gone to him he talked pleasantly with him, and after having had some pleasant, remarkable conversation with him he sat down apart; sitting down apart the young man Magha spoke this to Bhagava(Lord Buddha) :

'O venerable Gotama(Buddha), I am a liberal giver, bountiful, suitable to beg of; justly I seek for riches, and having sought for riches justly, I give out of the justly obtained and justly acquired riches to one, to two, to three, to four, to five, to six, to seven, to eight, to nine, to ten, to twenty, to thirty, to forty, to fifty, to a hundred, I give still more. (I should like to know), O venerable Gotama(Buddha), whether I, while so giving, so offering, produce much good.'

'Certainly, O young man, do you in so offering produce much good; he, O young man, who is a liberal giver, bountiful, suitable to beg of, and who justly seeks for riches, and having sought for riches justly, gives out of his justly obtained and justly acquired riches to one, to two, to three, to four, to five, to six, to seven, to eight, to nine, to ten, to twenty, to thirty, to forty, to fifty, to a hundred, and gives still more, produces much good.'

Then the young man Magha addressed Bhagava(Lord Buddha) in stanzas:

1. 'I ask the venerable Gotama(Buddha), the bountiful,'--so said the young man Magha,--'wearing the yellow robe, wandering about houseless:' 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor, who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and giving to others in this world food and drink,--where (i.e. on whom bestowed) will the oblation of such an offerer prosper?' (491)

2. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor, O Magha,'--so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and giving to others in this world food and drink, such a one will prosper with those worthy of offerings.' (492)

3. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor,'--so said the young man,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and giving to others in this world food and drink,--tell me (I being such a one), O Bhagava(Lord Buddha), of those worthy of offerings.' (493)

4. Bhagava(Lord Buddha) : 'Those indeed who wander about in the world without clinging to anything and without possessing anything, perfect, self-restrained, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer. (494)

5. 'Those who have cut through all bonds and fetters, who are subdued, liberated, free from pain, and free from desire, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (495)

6. 'Those who are released from all bonds, who are subdued, liberated, free from pain, and free from desire on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (496)

7. 'Those who, having forsaken both passion(likings) and aversion and folly, have destroyed their desires and lead a celibate life, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer. (497)

8. 'Those in whom there lives no deceit, no arrogance, who are free from cravings, free from selfishness, free from sexual desire, on such in due time people should bestew oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (498)

9. 'Those indeed who without being lost in greed, after crossing the stream (of existence), wander about free from selfishness,free from sexual desire, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (499)

10. 'Those in whom there is no desire for anything in the world, nor for existence after existence here or in the other world, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (500-501)

11. 'Those who, after leaving sensual pleasures, wander about houseless, well restrained, being like a straight shuttle, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (502)

12. 'Those whose passions are gone, whose senses are well composed, who are liberated like the moon out of the grasp of Rahu, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer. (503)

13. 'Those who are calm, whose passions are gone, who are without anger, and for whom there is no transmigration after having left here, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer. (504)

14. 'Those who, after leaving rebirths and death altogether, have conquered all doubt, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (505)

15. 'Those who wander about in the world with themselves for a light, not possessed of anything, in every respect liberated, on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (506)

16. 'Those who in this world rightly understand this: "This is the last (life), there is no (more) re-birth," on such in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Bramana who has good (works) in view, offer. (507)

17. 'He who is accomplished, and delights in self absorptive meditation, thoughtful, possessed of thorough enlightenment, a refuge for many, on such a one in due time people should bestow oblations; let the Brahmana who has good (works) in view, offer.' (508)

18. 'Certainly my question was not in vain, Bhagava(Lord Buddha) has told me of those worthy of offerings; for you truly know this in this world, as surely to you this Dhamma is known. (509)

19. 'He who is a householder, suitable to beg of, a donor,'--so said the young man Magha,--'who, desirous of good, offers having what is good in view, and giving to others in this world food and drink,--tell me (I being such a one), O Bhagava(Lord Buddha), of the blessing of offering.' (510)

20. 'Offer, O Magha,'--so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,--'and while offering make calm your mind in all things; the object of the one that offers is the oblation, standing fast in this he leaves aversion(dosa, dvesha) behind. (511)

21. 'Such a one whose passion(Raag) is gone will repress aversion(dvesh, dosa), cultivating an unbounded friendly mind; continually strenuous night and day he will spread infinite goodness through all regions.' (512)

22. Magha: 'Who prospers? who is liberated and who is bound? In which way can one by himself go to Brahmaloka(world of Archangels)? Tell this to me who does not know, O Muni(saint), when asked. Bhagava(Lord Buddha) is indeed my witness that Brahma(Archangel) is seen by me to-day, for you are to us equal to Brahma(Archangel), this is the truth; how can one attain Brahmaloka, O you glorious one?' (513)

23. 'He who offers the threefold blessing of oblation, O Magha,'--so said Bhagava(Lord Buddha) ,'such a one will prosper with those worthy of offerings; so, having offered properly, he who is suitable to beg of attains Brahmaloka, so I say.' (514)

This having been said, Magha the young man spoke as follows to Bhagava(Lord Buddha) : 'Excellent, O venerable Gotama(Buddha)! Excellent, O venerable Gotama(Buddha)! As one raises what has been overthrown, or reveals what has been hidden, or tells the way to him who has gone astray, or holds out an oil lamp in the dark that those who have eyes may see the objects, even so by the venerable Gotama(Buddha) in manifold ways the Dhamma has been illustrated; I take refuge in the venerable Gotama(Buddha) and in the Dhamma and in the Assembly of Bhikkhus. Let the venerable Gotama(Buddha) accept me as an upasaka (a follower), who henceforth for all my life have taken refuge (in him).'

Maghasutta is ended.