分別布施經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the Nyagrodha Grove near the city of Kapilavastu, the abode of the Śākya clan, together with a full assembly of bhikṣus.

At that time there was a bhikṣuṇī named Mahāprajāpatī who, bearing a new robe, came to where the Buddha was. Having arrived where the Buddha was, she bowed her head at the Buddha's feet, then stood to one side and addressed the Buddha:

"World-Honored One, this new robe is woven of golden thread and sewn by my own hands, that I may offer it up to the World-Honored One. I humbly beseech the World-Honored One to accept it, so that I may forever gain great benefit and joy."

Then the Buddha said to Mahāprajāpatī:

"You may bestow this robe upon the great assembly as alms, and you will gain benefit and joy just the same as offering it to me; there will be no difference at all."

Thereupon the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī again addressed the Buddha:

"My original intention in making this robe was solely to offer it to the World-Honored One. I humbly beseech the Buddha to accept it, so that I may forever gain great benefit and joy."

Three times she earnestly entreated him thus, and three times the Buddha likewise replied:

"You should bestow it impartially upon the great assembly as alms, and you will attain benefit and joy no different from giving it to me."

At that time the Venerable Ānanda, who was standing in attendance beside the Buddha, having seen this, came forward and addressed the Buddha, saying:

"World-Honored One, this bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī is a kinswoman and a benefactor who has shown kindness to the Buddha. I humbly beseech the Buddha to know in his own heart that she has offered this robe in hope of the Buddha. Now, the time being right, may he accept it, so that Mahāprajāpatī may forever gain great benefit and joy."

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"So it is, so it is! This Mahāprajāpatī is a kinswoman who has shown me great kindness, and I too know this in my own heart. With her very own hands she has made this robe to offer to me; this is an exceedingly difficult thing. Why is this so? Ānanda should know that if there be any pudgala able to give rise to pure faith, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, that is very difficult.

"Furthermore, if such a person is able to keep the precepts—not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to speak falsely, not to drink intoxicants—and to draw near to and honor the moral discipline, then such a pudgala is again able to do what is difficult to do. How much more so, with regard to the Buddha, the World-Honored One, to join the palms in reverence and practice giving; and, having given, to be purely faithful toward the Buddha without doubt, and likewise to have no doubt or perplexity toward the Dharma and the Saṅgha, and even, as for the principle of the Four Noble Truths—Suffering, Origination, Cessation, and the Path—to have forever cut off doubtful views.

"Ānanda, now this bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī is able to give rise to faith, pure, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha; she upholds the precepts—not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to speak falsely, not to drink intoxicants—and, having received the precepts of a lay devotee, is further able, with regard to the Buddha, the Dharma, the Saṅgha, and even the principle of the Four Noble Truths—Suffering, Origination, Cessation, and the Path—to have cut off doubt and perplexity. This bhikṣuṇī is able to do what is difficult to do, and the Buddha too knows this in his own heart.

"Ānanda, there are fourteen kinds by which giving may be measured. What are the fourteen?

1. To practice giving toward one who is sick and suffering.

2. To practice giving toward one who has broken the precepts.

3. To practice giving toward one who upholds the precepts.

4. To practice giving toward one who has left defilement behind.

5. To practice giving toward one on the path to the fruit of stream-entry (Srotāpanna).

6. To practice giving toward one who has attained the fruit of stream-entry (Srotāpanna).

7. To practice giving toward one on the path to the fruit of once-returning (Sakṛdāgāmin).

8. To practice giving toward one who has attained the fruit of once-returning (Sakṛdāgāmin).

9. To practice giving toward one on the path to the fruit of non-returning (Anāgāmin).

10. To practice giving toward one who has attained the fruit of non-returning (Anāgāmin).

11. To practice giving toward one on the path to the fruit of arhatship (Arhat).

12. To practice giving toward one who has attained the fruit of arhatship (Arhat).

13. To practice giving toward the Pratyekabuddhas.

14. To practice giving toward the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

"Ānanda, now you should know: giving to one who is sick and suffering yields blessings twofold; giving to one who has broken the precepts yields blessings a hundredfold; giving to one who upholds the precepts yields blessings a thousandfold; giving to one who has left defilement (desire) behind yields blessings a hundred-thousandfold. Giving to one on the path to the fruit of stream-entry yields immeasurable blessings—how much more so giving to one who has attained the fruit of once-returning.

Giving to one on the path to the fruit of non-returning yields immeasurable blessings—how much more so giving to one who has attained the fruit of non-returning. Giving to one on the path to the fruit of arhatship yields immeasurable blessings—how much more so giving to one who has attained the fruit of arhatship. Giving to a Pratyekabuddha yields immeasurable blessings—how much more so giving to the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

This is what is called the measuring of the fourteen merits of giving.

"Furthermore, Ānanda, you should know that giving to the great assembly is of seven kinds:

1. Giving to the assembly of bhikṣus while the Buddha is yet present.

2. Giving to the assembly of bhikṣus after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

3. Giving to the assembly of bhikṣuṇīs after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

4. Giving to both assemblies of bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

5. Giving to the assemblies of bhikṣus traveling abroad to carry out the practice after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

6. Giving to the assembly of bhikṣuṇīs traveling abroad to carry out the practice after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

7. Giving to both assemblies of bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs traveling abroad to carry out the practice after the Buddha has passed into nirvāṇa.

"This is what is called the seven kinds of great assembly to whom one should give.

"Furthermore, Ānanda, you should know that there are four kinds of pure giving. What are the four?

1. When the giver is pure, then no receiver is seen.

2. When the thing given is pure, then no receiver is seen.

3. When the receiver is pure, then no giver is seen.

4. When the thing received is pure, then no giver is seen.

"Ānanda, what is meant by 'when the giver is pure, then no receiver is seen'?

"This is because the giver does not grasp at form and characteristics; therefore the karma of body is pure, the karma of speech is pure, the karma of mind is pure, right livelihood is pure, and view too is pure. Being thus complete, there is then no mark of giving; because there is no giver, there is likewise no receiver. If the giver perceives marks, then the three karmas of body, speech, and mind are not pure, livelihood too is not pure, and view too is not pure. If one departs far from this mark, then the giver and the receiver are both pure.

"Furthermore, what is meant by 'when the thing given is pure, then no receiver is seen'?

"If the receiver's karma of body is not pure, the karma of speech not pure, the karma of mind not pure, livelihood not pure, and view not pure, then there is a mark upon the object of giving. If the receiver's three karmas are pure, livelihood pure, and view pure—being thus complete—then there is no mark upon the object of giving. Because one has departed far from marks, the object of giving is pure.

"Furthermore, what is meant by 'when the receiver is pure, then there is no giver'?

"If the receiver's three karmas of body, speech, and mind are not pure, livelihood too not pure, and view too not pure, then there is a mark of the receiver. If one departs from that mark, then there is no giver.

"Furthermore, what is meant by 'when the thing received is pure, then there is no giver'?

"This is because the giver's three karmas of body, speech, and mind are pure, livelihood pure, and view too pure—then there is no thing given. Because one departs from the giver, there is then no one who receives. Therefore the object received is pure.

"Ānanda, if one is able to understand clearly in this way, one then attains the four kinds of pure giving."

At that time the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī, having heard the Buddha proclaim these teachings on giving, then took up that robe and offered it to the great assembly.

Thereupon the assembly of bhikṣus accepted it. The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"In ages to come, if there be a good son... whose faith is able, toward the great assembly, to give rise to a mind of pure faith and to practice giving, know that such a one will gain immeasurable blessings—how much more so one who practices giving in the very present."

At that time the Venerable Ānanda and the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī, having heard what the Buddha said, were joyful and uplifted; in faith they received it and reverently put it into practice.

THE SŪTRA SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA ON THE DISCRIMINATION OF GIVING