SN11:16 Bestowing Alms
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. Then Sakka, lord of the devas, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, he addressed the Blessed One in verse: [n.645] Spk: Each year the people of Anga and Magadha used to assemble and offer a grand sacrifice of their best ghee, honey, molasses, etc., to Mahābrahmā. Out of compassion Sakka appeared before them in the guise of Mahābrahmā, led them to the Buddha, and asked him a question about the most fruitful type of sacrifice.
2v.915 "For those people who bestow alms,
For living beings in quest of merit,
Performing merit of the mundane type,
Where does a gift bear great fruit?"
[n.646] in pāda c, opadhikaṁ puññaṁ, which I render loosely as "merit of the mundane type," is explained by Spk as merit that ripens in the acquisitions (upadhivipakaṁ puññaṁ), that is, good kamma that leads to rebirth. See the expression puññabhagiyā upadhivepakkā at MN III 72,6 foll.
The Blessed One:
3v.916 "The four practising the way
And the four established in the fruit:
This is the Saṅgha of upright conduct
Endowed with wisdom and virtue.
[n.647] The four practising the way are those on the four paths—of stream-entry, once-returning, nonreturning, and arahantship. The four established in the fruit are those who, by developing the respective paths, have attained the four corresponding fruits. The past participle samāhito in pāda d might be understood to mean either "endowed with" or "concentrated," the latter representing the samādhi division of the path. I have taken it in the former sense, following v. 265a, where sīlasamāhita is glossed by Spk: sīlena samāhitā samupetā.
4v.917 "For those people who bestow alms,
For living beings in quest of merit,
Performing merit of the mundane type,
A gift to the Saṅgha bears great fruit."
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho sakko devānamindo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho sakko devānamindo bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
2"Yajamānānaṁ manussānaṁ,
puññapekkhāna pāṇinaṁ;
Karotaṁ opadhikaṁ puññaṁ,
kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalan"ti.
3"Cattāro ca paṭipannā,
cattāro ca phale ṭhitā;
Esa saṅgho ujubhūto,
paññāsīlasamāhito.
4Yajamānānaṁ manussānaṁ,
Puññapekkhāna pāṇinaṁ;
Karotaṁ opadhikaṁ puññaṁ,
Saṅghe dinnaṁ mahapphalan"ti.