須達經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Bhagavān was dwelling in the Garden of the Jeta Grove, the Park of Anāthapiṇḍada (Jeṭavaṇe'nāthapiṇḍadasyārāma), in the city of Śrāvastī (Śrāvastya). At that time, the lay devotee Sudatta (Anāthapiṇḍada: the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, "Feeder of the Orphaned and Solitary") came to the place where the World-Honored One was dwelling. Having arrived, he bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One and then withdrew to sit to one side. The lay devotee Sudatta, having withdrawn and sat to one side—

_ The World-Honored One said: "Can there be a householder lay devotee who gives away wealth and goods (gives in charity)?"

"Indeed, World-Honored One! A householder does give in charity, yet he cannot give exquisite food and drink (marvelous food). He can only mix barley and sesame seeds to make a broth; or a single root of ginger… and give that away."

_ (The World-Honored One said) "O Lay Devotee! The one who gives away things that are not excellent (the giving of what is not marvelous) and the one who gives away things that are excellent (the giving of what is marvelous)—both alike have their fruit and recompense.

O Lay Devotee! As for the one who gives away things that are not excellent (the giving of what is not marvelous): that person has no faith when he gives, he gives at an improper time, he does not give with his own hand, he does not himself go to the place of giving, he does not understand, he has no faith, and he does not know that there is a recompense as he practices giving (the practice of charity)… know that there is such a recompense as this.

His mind, too, does not dwell in houses and chambers that pertain to Marvelous Existence (the existence belonging to that which is not truly existent). His mind, too, does not dwell in fine and excellent things. His mind, too, does not dwell in clothing, nor does it dwell in fragrant and savory food.

His mind, too, does not dwell in the five lustful pleasures (the deluding delights of the five desires or the five sense-passions). Why is this so? Because this lay devotee practices the Non-Giving Recompense (it is not a recompense arising from giving with true sincerity).

_ O Lay Devotee! The one who practices Non-Giving (? giving what is not fragrant, savory, and excellent), should he then have faith, give according to the proper Time, give with his own hand, go all the way to the place of giving, have understanding, have faith, and give knowing that there is a cause-and-condition recompense—know that this brings about this recompense. His mind then does not dwell upon the karmic reward of an excellent house, of most excellent utensils, of most excellent clothing, of most excellent food; nor does his mind engage in the five lustful pleasures (the deluding delights of the five desires or the five sense-passions). Why is this so? O Lay Devotee! Know that this person has a true giving (a real act of giving).

_ O Lay Devotee! The one who practices Marvelous Giving (giving what is fragrant, savory, and excellent) yet has no faith when he gives, gives at an improper time, does not give with his own hand, does not go to the place of giving, neither understands nor has faith, nor knows that there are Causes and Conditions that flow on and produce a fruit and recompense as he practices his giving—know that such a person receives such a recompense as this.

His mind does not dwell upon the karma of an excellent house, his mind too does not dwell in excellent clothing, his mind too does not dwell in excellent food, his mind too does not dwell in the five lustful pleasures (the deluding delights of the five desires or the five sense-passions). Why is this so? O Lay Devotee!

This is a giving that is not true (a Non-Giving).

_ O Lay Devotee! The Marvelously Fine Giving (the excellent and sublime act of giving) is to give with faith and joyful delight, to give with one's own hand, to go all the way to the place of giving, to have understanding, to have faith, and to give knowing that there is a fruit and recompense of the flowing-on and production of effects. Know that such a person obtains such a recompense as this. His mind dwells upon the karma of an excellent house, and so on up to the excellent five lustful pleasures (the deluding delights of the five desires or the five sense-passions); his mind dwells upon food. Why is this so? O Lay Devotee! It should be thus: according to the time, one obtains the Giving Recompense (the recompense arising from giving with true sincerity).

Why is this so? O Lay Devotee! Long ago, in a past age, there was a Great Brahmin named Velāma, of vast wealth and great riches, with much money and property and many sundry goods.

He, in this manner, performed Great Giving (vast and extensive almsgiving). He took eighty-four thousand bowls made of gold, filled full with fragments of silver. He, in this manner, performed Great Giving.

He took eighty-four thousand bowls made of silver, filled full with fragments of gold. He, in this manner, performed Great Giving. He took eighty-four thousand elephants, with all their adornments and trappings, white as snow.

He, in this manner, performed Great Giving. He took eighty-four thousand horses, with all their adornments and trappings, with halters of pure gold. In this manner he performed Great Giving.

He took eighty-four thousand oxen, bound and fastened with cloth, with vessels filled full of husks to feed the oxen. He, in this manner, performed Great Giving. He took eighty-four thousand Jade Maidens, upright and beautiful, all of them most richly adorned with strands of ornaments.

In this manner he performed Great Giving. As for what remained, the food together with the other things could not be counted.

_ O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed Great Giving in this manner, giving it to the ordinary worldlings of the continent of Jambudvīpa (Jampu-dvīpa), it would not be as good as giving to a single Sage (Ṛṣi) there, which would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed Great Giving in this manner, giving it to the Sages of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to a single Stream-Enterer (Srotāpanna); this would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma gave to the ordinary worldlings together with the Sages and a hundred Stream-Enterers of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to a single Once-Returner (Sakṛdāgāmi); this would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma did thus, giving to the ordinary worldlings, the Sages, a hundred Stream-Enterers, and a hundred Once-Returners of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to a single Non-Returner (Anāgāmi); this would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma gave to the ordinary worldlings, and so on up to a hundred Non-Returners of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to a single Arhat (Arhat), which would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma did thus, giving to the ordinary worldlings, and so on up to a hundred Arhats of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to a single Pratyeka-buddha (Pratyeka-buddha), which would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed such almsgiving, giving to the ordinary worldlings, and so on up to a hundred Pratyeka-buddhas of the continent of Jambudvīpa, it would not equal giving to the Tathāgata, the One Without Attachment, the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One (Tathāgata-arhate-samyaksaṃbuddha); this would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed such almsgiving, giving to the ordinary worldlings, and so on up to a hundred Pratyeka-buddhas of the continent of Jambudvīpa, (it would not equal) building dwelling-chambers and giving them to the Saṅgha of the Four Quarters (Cātur-diśa: chambers set aside for the monks of the four directions), which would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed such almsgiving, giving to the ordinary worldlings of the continent of Jambudvīpa, and so on up to building dwelling-chambers and giving them to the Saṅgha of the Four Quarters (the assembly of monks of the four directions), it would not equal—with a pure mind—taking the three Refuges: in the Buddha (Buddha), in the Dharma (Dharma), and in the Saṅgha of Bhikṣus (Bhikṣu-saṃgha), and receiving those Precepts. This would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma performed Great Giving in this manner, giving to the ordinary worldlings of the continent of Jambudvīpa, and so on up to—with pure conduct—the three Refuges: in the Buddha (Buddha), in the Dharma (Dharma), and in the Saṅgha of Bhikṣus (Bhikṣu-saṃgha), and receiving those Precepts… it would not equal practicing loving-kindness and beneficence (Maitra: loving-kindness) toward all sentient beings, even for the span of milking a cow. This would obtain far more merit.

O Lay Devotee! Although that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin Velāma did thus, giving to the ordinary worldlings of the continent of Jambudvīpa, and so on up to practicing loving-kindness and beneficence (Maitra: loving-kindness) toward all sentient beings, down even to the span of milking a cow—to declare: "All Formations (Saṃskāra: that which is fashioned and made) are Impermanent (Anitya: without abiding permanence), are Suffering (Duḥkha: that which is evil because it is empty, unreal, imperfect, impermanent, false, and does not bring satisfaction), are Empty (Śūnya: void and empty), are Without Self (Anātman, or Nir-ātman: without any Self)"—and then to contemplate and reflect upon this, down even to the span of a snap of the fingers, this would obtain far more merit.

_ O Lay Devotee! You might form this thought: "Who else was that exceedingly wealthy lay devotee, the Brahmin Velāma?" Do not form this thought, for I myself was that exceedingly wealthy Brahmin named Velāma.

Thus it is, O Lay Devotee! (At that time I) benefited myself and benefited others, brought benefit to many people, was concerned for and cared for the world, and brought meaning, brought joy, and brought peace and security to the gods and to humankind. Thus, for their sake, I spoke the Dharma, yet it had not reached the ultimate exhaustion, had not reached the ultimate freedom from defilement, had not reached the ultimate Holy Life (Brahma-caryā), had not reached the ultimate practice of the Holy Life. Because of this, they were not freed from birth, old age, sickness, anxiety, craving, and discontent… I say they were not yet freed from suffering.

O Lay Devotee! The Tathāgata (Tathāgata) is the One who has gone forth from the world; the One Without Attachment (Arhat: the One who has no point of clinging and attachment, that is, the Arhat); the Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One (Samyak-saṃbuddha: the One who rightly and truly understands all Dharmas); the One Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct (Vidyā-caraṇa-saṃpanna: the One fully endowed with Wisdom and Virtue); the Well-Gone One (Sugata: the One who skillfully goes to the good destination); the Knower of the World (Loka-vid: the One who has thoroughly understood the world); the Unsurpassed One (Anuttara: the supreme One whom no one surpasses);

the Guide and Tamer of the Way of the Dharma [or the Tamer of Persons to Be Tamed (Puruṣa-damya-sārathi), that is, the One who has tamed himself and humankind]; the Teacher of Gods and Humans (Śāstra-deva-manuṣyānāṃ: the Teacher of the realm of the gods and the realm of humans); the Buddha, the World-Honored One (Buddha-lokanātha: the One possessed of Enlightened Wisdom, revered by the world).

Now, doing it myself, for the sake of others, for the sake of many people, concerned for and caring for the world… therefore I bring meaning, bring joy, and bring peace and security to the gods and to humankind.

Now I, for your sake, speak the Dharma that goes straight to the ultimate exhaustion, goes straight to the ultimate freedom from defilement, goes straight to the ultimate Holy Life, goes straight to the ultimate practice of the Holy Life. Now it has attained freedom from birth, old age, sickness, anxiety, craving, discontent, and suffering… I say it has departed from suffering."

The Buddha spoke thus. The lay devotee Sudatta, having heard what the Buddha had spoken, was joyful and delighted.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SŪTRA OF SUDATTA

The End