Issatta Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. In Sàvatthi

2. King Pasenadi of Kosala, approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, to whom, should gifts be given?"

3. "Great king, gifts given to them, where the mind is pleased, is of great fruit."

4. "Venerable sir, gifts, given to whom, are of much fruit?"

5. "Great king, to whom, should gifts be given is one thing and given to whom are gifts of much fruit is another. Gifts given to virtuous bhikkhus, are of great fruit, gifts given to bhikkhus who are not virtuous are not so fruitful. I will cross question you on this same and you may reply, as it pleases you.

6. "Great king, you have a battle to be fought, then warrior princes not trained and without experience in archery, who would be frightened and would run away from the battle field, come. Would you recruit them, would they serve the purpose?"

7. "Venerable sir, I will not recruit them and they would not serve my purpose."

8. "Then Brahmin princes, ... re ... householder princes, ... re ... outcaste princes, not trained and without experience in archery, who would be frightened and would run away from the battle field, come. Would you recruit them, would they serve the purpose?"


 * "Venerable sir, I will not recruit them and they would not serve my purpose."

9. "Great king, you have a battle to be fought, then warrior princes trained and experienced in archery, who would not be frightened and would not run away from the battle field, come. Would you recruit them, would they serve the purpose?"

10. "Venerable sir, I will recruit them and they would serve my purpose."

11. "Then Brahmin princes, ... re ... householder princes, ... re ... outcaste princes, trained and experienced in archery, who would not be frightened and would not run away from the battle field, come. Would you recruit them, would they serve the purpose?"

12. "Venerable sir, I will recruit them, they would serve my purpose."

13. "Great king, in the same manner, leaving whatever clans they left home and became homeless, given to them who have dispelled five factors and are endowed with five factors are fruitful.

14. "What are the five factors dispelled? They have dispelled sensual greed, anger, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and doubts. They have dispelled these five factors.

15. "With what five factors are they endowed? With the mass of virtues, concentration, wisdom, release and the knowledge and insight of release of one gone beyond the training They are endowed with these five factors.

16. "Thus gifts given to those who have dispelled five factors and are endowed with five factors are fruitful."

17. The Blessed One, the Teacher further said:

Seeing, archery and manly power in humans,
 * The king recruits them, for the battle, not the pure, by birth.
 * In the same manner, if the wise leading the holy life,
 * Are patient and gentle, even if born low, are worshipped
 * Make pleasant hermitages, establish learned ones, they will
 * End the diffused ness and cross the difficult path.
 * With a non distracted, pleasant mind give them,
 * Eatables, drinks, nourishments, clothes and dwellings,
 * Like the rainy cloud which brings lightening
 * In hundreds and fills the highlands and lowlands,
 * The wise one who is learned and has faith
 * Prepares food and pleases the wayfarers
 * Giving them eatables and drinks
 * Rejoicing ones scatter there and shout for food,
 * That is the thunder, for the rains to fall,
 * The down pours of merit are immense for the giver."