SA 1041（一〇四一） 生闻

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in Rājagṛha.

At that time, the Brāhman Sage Jīvaka came to where the Buddha was, exchanged greetings with the World-Honored One, and sat to one side. He said to the Buddha, "Gautama! I have relatives whom I love very much. They have suddenly passed away. I make offerings out of faith for their sake. World-Honored One, will they be able to receive them?"

The Buddha told the Brāhman, "It is not always received. If your relatives are reborn in hell, they can receive the food of the hell beings to sustain their lives, but they cannot receive the food and drink you offer in faith. If they are reborn as animals, hungry ghosts, or humans, they can receive the food and drink of those humans, but not what you offer. Brāhman! There is a place in the realm of hungry ghosts called the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts. If your relatives are reborn in that Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, they can receive your offerings.

The Brāhman said to the Buddha, "If my relatives are not reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, who should eat my offerings in faith?"

The Buddha told the Brāhman, "If your relatives for whom you make offerings in faith are not reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, there must be other relatives and acquaintances reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts who can eat them."

The Brāhman said to the Buddha, "Gautama! If my relatives for whom I make offerings in faith are not reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, and there are no other relatives and acquaintances reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, who will eat these offerings in faith?"

The Buddha told the Brāhman, "Even if the relatives and acquaintances you make offerings to are not reborn in the Entering Place Hungry Ghosts, and there are no other acquaintances reborn as hungry ghosts, you will still receive the merit of your offerings in faith. The offerings you make in faith will not be wasted."

The Brāhman said to the Buddha, "How does the giver of offerings receive the merit of their offerings?"

The Buddha told the Brāhman, "There are people who kill and do evil, their hands are always bloody, up to the ten unwholesome paths of action..." as extensively explained in the Sūtra on Cunda, "...and yet they make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, up to the poor and beggars, giving them money, clothing, food and drink, lamps, and various adornments. Brāhman! If that benefactor of offerings also breaks the precepts and is reborn as an elephant, because they once gave money, clothing, food and drink, up to various adornments, to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, even though they are in the form of an elephant, they will still receive the rewards of those offerings, clothing, food and drink, up to various adornments.

If they are reborn as various animals such as cows, horses, donkeys, mules, and so forth, due to the merit of their past giving, they will receive the rewards, according to the place where they are reborn, and will obtain them all. Brāhman! If the benefactor of offerings upholds the precepts, does not kill, does not steal, up to having right views, and makes offerings to śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, up to beggars, of money, clothing, food and drink, up to lamps, due to this merit, they will be reborn in the human realm and directly receive the rewards of clothing, food and drink, up to lamps and various necessities.

Furthermore, Brāhman! If they uphold the precepts and are reborn in the heavens, they will receive the rewards of their past giving in the heavens, of wealth, treasures, clothing, food and drink, up to various adornments. Brāhman! This is called the giver giving, the giver receiving the rewards, and the fruit of the retribution not being lost.

At that time, the Brāhman Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa heard what the Buddha said, and with joy and delight, rose from his seat and departed.