Without the Walls

Kp 7 · Khuddaka Nikāya — The Minor Collection

A question to carry today

The full moon. To whom would you dedicate the good of these seven days — someone beside you, or someone who has passed?

The reading

– Basic Passages 7

Outside the Walls

Outside the walls they stand and wait,at the junctions and the crossroads.Returning to their former homesthey wait beside the door posts.But when lavish food and drinkof many kinds is set out, no-one remembers them at all,because of those beings’s deeds.That’s why those who have compassiongive to their relativesfood and drink at the right time,that’s clean, delicious, and suitable.“May this be for our relatives!May our relatives be happy!”Those ghosts who have gathered there,the departed relatives who have comefor the lavish food and drinkgratefully express appreciation:“May our relatives live long!For those to whom we owe this gain,who have given honor to us,it will not be fruitless for the donor.”There is no farming there,no cow pasture can be found;likewise there’s no trading,and no commerce in gold coin.The departed, the dead in that placelive on what is given here.Just as water that rains on highflows down to the plains,so too what is given hereaids the departed ghosts.Just as the rivers fullswell the ocean seasso too what is given hereaids the departed ghosts.Thinking: “They gave to me, they did for me,they were my family, friend, comrade”,give offerings to departed kin,remembering past deeds.For neither tears nor griefor other lamentationsare of any use to the departed,so long as their relatives stay like this.This offering that has been given,well placed in the Saṅgha,is for their lasting welfare,and aids them right away.The relative’s duty has now been shown:how high honor to departed is performed,how the mendicants can be kept strong,and how no little merit is produced by you.

Licence: CC0-1.0 (Sujato) · personal-use (Minh Châu)The translation belongs to the translator/source credited above. Please attribute when quoting.

Read in the library (bilingual, with chanting mode) →

See the whole path

Missing a day is fine — simply read on.