142. Dakkhiṇāvibhanga Sutta

1.[253] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha’s Park.

2.Then Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī took a new pair of cloths and went to the Blessed One.¹²⁹¹ Mahāpajāpatı̄ Gotamı̄ was the younger sister of Queen Mahāmāyā, the Buddha’s mother, and was also the wife of King Suddhodana. After Mahāmāyā’s death, she became the Buddha’s foster mother. The present sutta takes place at an early point in the Buddha’s ministry, on one of his return visits to his native city. After King Suddhodana’s death, Mahāpajāpatı̄ pleaded with the Buddha to admit women into the Sangha, and her acceptance marked the beginning of the Bhikkhunı̄ Sangha, the Order of Nuns. The story is found at Vin Cv Kh 10/ii.253–5 6 (see Ñā˚amoli, The Life of the Buddha, pp. 104–7).

An interesting anachronism in this sutta was brought to my notice by Ven. Ajahn Sucitto of Cittaviveka Monastery. The sutta depicts Mahāpajāpatı̄ Gotamı̄ as a devout lay Buddhist and refers to the Bhikkhunı̄ Sangha as if it were an existing reality, yet the canonical account of the founding of the Bhikkhunı̄ Sangha shows Mahāpajāpatı̄ to have been the first historical bhikkhunı̄. Thus the Bhikkhunı̄ Sangha could not have existed at the time the sutta was spoken if Mahāpajāpatı̄ was still a lay woman. We might resolve the discrepancy (unnoticed by the commentator) by supposing that the original discourse was later modified after the founding of the Bhikkhunı̄ Sangha to bring the latter into the scheme of offerings to the Sangha. After paying homage to him, she sat down at one side and said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, this new pair of cloths has been spun by me, woven by me, especially for the Blessed One. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One accept it from me out of compassion.”

When this was said, the Blessed One told her: “Give it to the Sangha, Gotamī. When you give it to the Sangha, both I and the Sangha will be honoured.”¹²⁹² MA: The Buddha asked her to give the gift to the Sangha because he wanted her volition of generosity to be directed both to the Sangha and to himself, as the combined volition would yield merit conducive to her welfare and happiness for a long time to come. He also said this so that later generations would be inspired to show respect towards the Sangha, and by supporting the Sangha with the four physical requisites would contribute towards the longevity of the Dispensation.

A second time and a third time she said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir,…accept it from me out of compassion.”

A second time and a third time the Blessed One told her: “Give it to the Sangha, Gotamī. When you give it to the Sangha, both I and the Sangha will be honoured.”

3.Then the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, let the Blessed One accept the new pair of cloths from Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has been very helpful to the Blessed One, venerable sir. As his mother’s sister, she was his nurse, his foster mother, the one who gave him milk. She suckled the Blessed One when his own mother died. The Blessed One too has been very helpful to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, venerable sir. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī abstains from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, and from wine, liquor, and intoxicants, which are the basis of negligence. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī possesses unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, and that she possesses [254] the virtues loved by noble ones.¹²⁹³ These are the four factors of stream-entry. Thus it is clear that at the time this sutta takes place, Mahāpajāpatı̄ Gotamı̄ was already a stream-enterer. It is owing to the Blessed One that Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī is free from doubt about suffering, about the origin of suffering, about the cessation of suffering, and about the way leading to the cessation of suffering. The Blessed One has been very helpful to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī.”

4.“That is so, Ānanda, that is so! When one person, owing to another, has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him, rising up for him, according him reverential salutation and polite services, and by providing robes, almsfood, resting places, and medicinal requisites.

“When one person, owing to another, has come to abstain from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, and from wine, liquor, and intoxicants, which are the basis of negligence, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him…and medicinal requisites.

“When one person, owing to another, has come to possess unwavering confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, and to possess the virtues loved by noble ones, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him…and medicinal requisites.

“When one person, owing to another, has become free from doubt about suffering, about the origin of suffering, about the cessation of suffering, and about the way leading to the cessation of suffering, I say that it is not easy for the former to repay the latter by paying homage to him…and medicinal requisites.

5.“There are fourteen kinds of personal offerings, Ānanda.¹²⁹⁴ MA: The Buddha undertakes this teaching because the sutta began with a personal gift presented to him, and he wishes to make clear the comparative value of personal gifts and gifts offered to the Sangha. One gives a gift to the Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened; this is the first kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a paccekabuddha; this is the second kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an arahant disciple of the Tathāgata; this is the third kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of arahantship; this is the fourth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a non-returner; this is the fifth kind of personal offering. [255] One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of non-return; this is the sixth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a once-returner; this is the seventh kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of once-return; this is the eighth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a stream-enterer; this is the ninth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of stream-entry;¹²⁹⁵ MA and MṬ explain that this term can be loosely extended to include even a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Triple Gem, as well as lay people and monks intent on fulfilling the moral training and the practice of concentration and insight. In the strict technical sense it refers only to those possessing the supramundane path of stream-entry. this is the tenth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to one outside [the Dispensation] who is free from lust for sensual pleasures;¹²⁹⁶ This is a non-Buddhist contemplative who attains the jhānas and the mundane kinds of direct knowledge. this is the eleventh kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to a virtuous ordinary person; this is the twelfth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an immoral ordinary person; this is the thirteenth kind of personal offering. One gives a gift to an animal; this is the fourteenth kind of personal offering.

6.“Herein, Ānanda, by giving a gift to an animal, the offering may be expected to repay a hundredfold.¹²⁹⁷ MA: In a hundred existences it gives long life, beauty, happiness, strength, and intelligence, and it makes one free of agitation. The following attainments should be understood accordingly. By giving a gift to an immoral ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a thousandfold. By giving a gift to a virtuous ordinary person, the offering may be expected to repay a hundred-thousandfold. By giving a gift to one outside [the Dispensation] who is free from lust for sensual pleasures, the offering may be expected to repay a hundred-thousand times a hundred-thousandfold.

“By giving a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of stream-entry, the offering may be expected to repay incalculably, immeasurably. What, then, should be said about giving a gift to a stream-enterer? What should be said about giving a gift to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of once-return…to a once-returner…to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of non-return…to a non-returner…to one who has entered upon the way to the realisation of the fruit of arahantship…to an arahant…to a paccekabuddha? What should be said about giving a gift to a Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened?¹²⁹⁸ MA says that although the results of giving in each of these cases is incalculable, there is still an ascending gradation in their incalculability, similar to the ascending incalculability of the waters in a great river, etc., up to that of the waters in the ocean. Perhaps the “incalculable, immeasurable” value of these gifts consists in their becoming a supporting condition for attainment of the paths, fruits, and Nibbāna.

7.“There are seven kinds of offerings made to the Sangha, Ānanda. One gives a gift to a Sangha of both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs] headed by the Buddha; this is the first kind of offering made to the Sangha.¹²⁹⁹ MA: There is no gift equal in measure to this gift. This is the kind of gift Mahāpajāpatı̄ would be giving by offering the pair of cloths to the Sangha. One gives a gift to a Sangha of both [bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs] after the Tathāgata has attained final Nibbāna; this is the second kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift to a Sangha of bhikkhus; this is the third kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift to a Sangha of bhikkhunīs; this is the fourth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs for me from the Sangha’; [256] this is the fifth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhus for me from the Sangha’; this is the sixth kind of offering made to the Sangha. One gives a gift, saying: ‘Appoint so many bhikkhunīs for me from the Sangha’; this is the seventh kind of offering made to the Sangha.

8.“In future times, Ānanda, there will be members of the clan who are ‘yellow-necks,’ immoral, of evil character.¹³⁰⁰ MA: “Members of the clan” (gotrabhuno) are those who are monks merely in name. They will go about with a piece of yellow cloth tied around their necks or arms, and will support their wives and children by engaging in trade and farming, etc. People will give gifts to those immoral persons for the sake of the Sangha. Even then, I say, an offering made to the Sangha is incalculable, immeasurable.¹³⁰¹ The gift is incalculable and immeasurable in value because it is offered, by way of the intention of the donor, not to the “ yellow - necks ” as individuals but to the Sangha as a corporate whole. Thus the recipient body includes all the virtuous bhikkhus of the past, even those who have long passed away. And I say that in no way is a gift to a person individually ever more fruitful than an offering made to the Sangha.¹³⁰² MA states that a gift offered to an immoral bhikkhu taken to represent the entire Sangha is more fruitful than a gift offered on a personal basis to an arahant. But for the gift to be properly presented to the Sangha, the donor must take no account of the personal qualities of the recipient but must see him solely as representing the Sangha as a whole.

9.“There are, Ānanda, four kinds of purification of offering. What four? There is the offering that is purified by the giver, not by the receiver.¹³⁰³ MA: Here the word “purified” has the meaning “made fruitful.” There is the offering that is purified by the receiver, not by the giver. There is the offering that is purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver. There is the offering that is purified both by the giver and by the receiver.

10.“And how is the offering purified by the giver, not by the receiver? Here the giver is virtuous, of good character, and the receiver is immoral, of evil character. Thus the offering is purified by the giver, not by the receiver.

11.“And how is the offering purified by the receiver, not by the giver? Here the giver is immoral, of evil character, and the receiver is virtuous, of good character. Thus the offering is purified by the receiver, not by the giver.

12.“And how is the offering purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver? Here the giver is immoral, of evil character, and the receiver is immoral, of evil character. Thus the offering is purified neither by the giver nor by the receiver.

13.“And how is the offering purified both by the giver and by the receiver? Here the giver is virtuous, of good character, and the receiver is virtuous, of good character. [257] Thus the offering is purified both by the giver and by the receiver. These are the four kinds of purification of offering.”

14.That is what the Blessed One said. When the Sublime One had said that, the Teacher said further:

“When a virtuous person to an immoral person gives
With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,
Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,
The giver’s virtue purifies the offering.

When an immoral person to a virtuous person gives
With untrusting heart a gift unrighteously obtained,
Nor places faith that the fruit of action is great,
The receiver’s virtue purifies the offering.

When an immoral person to an immoral person gives
With untrusting heart a gift unrighteously obtained,
Nor places faith that the fruit of action is great,
Neither’s virtue purifies the offering.

When a virtuous person to a virtuous person gives
With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,
Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,
That gift, I say, will come to full fruition.

When a passionless person to a passionless person gives
With trusting heart a gift righteously obtained,
Placing faith that the fruit of action is great,

That gift, I say, is the best of worldly gifts.”¹³⁰⁴ MA: This last verse refers to the gift one arahant gives to another arahant. Although the arahant believes in the fruit of kamma, because he is without desire and lust for existence his own act of giving is not productive of any fruits. It is a mere functional action (kiriya) that leaves no traces behind.