26. Giving

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

“Evañce, bhikkhave, sattā jāneyyuṁ dānasaṁvibhāgassa vipākaṁ yathāhaṁ jānāmi, na adatvā bhuñjeyyuṁ, na ca nesaṁ maccheramalaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭheyya.

Yopi nesaṁ assa carimo ālopo carimaṁ kabaḷaṁ, tatopi na asaṁvibhajitvā bhuñjeyyuṁ, sace nesaṁ paṭiggāhakā assu.

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, sattā na evaṁ jānanti dānasaṁvibhāgassa vipākaṁ yathāhaṁ jānāmi, tasmā adatvā bhuñjanti, maccheramalañca nesaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī”ti.

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“Evañce sattā jāneyyuṁ,

yathāvuttaṁ mahesinā;

Vipākaṁ saṁvibhāgassa,

yathā hoti mahapphalaṁ.

Vineyya maccheramalaṁ,

vippasannena cetasā;

Dajjuṁ kālena ariyesu,

yattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ.

Annañca datvā bahuno,

dakkhiṇeyyesu dakkhiṇaṁ;

Ito cutā manussattā,

saggaṁ gacchanti dāyakā.

Te ca saggagatā tattha,

modanti kāmakāmino;

Vipākaṁ saṁvibhāgassa,

anubhonti amaccharā”ti.

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, if beings knew, as I know, the result of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would they allow the stain of meanness to obsess them and take root in their minds. Even if it were their last morsel, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared it, if there were someone to share it with. But, bhikkhus, as beings do not know, as I know, the result of giving and sharing, they eat without having given, and the stain of meanness obsesses them and takes root in their minds.”

If beings only knew—
So said the Great Sage—
How the result of sharing
Is of such great fruit,
With a gladdened mind,
Rid of the stain of meanness,
They would duly give to noble ones
Who make what is given fruitful.

Having given much food as offerings
To those most worthy of offerings,
The donors go to heaven
On departing the human state.
Having gone to heaven they rejoice,
And enjoying pleasures there,
The unselfish experience the result
Of generously sharing with others.