Tripiṭaka 3. Tatiyavagga
3. Kosala
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Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?
“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.
Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.
A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.
Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Well then, great king, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
or a menial youth who was similar?
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.
Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.
The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.
Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.
I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”