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and who is a willing recipient, an unhindered recipient, an unburdened recipient of these four mental abidings in a pleasant dwelling in this very life— he, if he wishes, may declare of himself: ‘I am one whose hell is destroyed, whose animal womb is destroyed, whose realm of hungry ghosts is destroyed, whose states of woe, bad destinations, and downfall are destroyed. I am a stream-enterer, not subject to downfall, certain of awakening, bound for enlightenment.’” “Seeing fear in the hells, one should avoid evil deeds; Embracing the noble Dhamma, the wise one should avoid them. “Do not harm living beings, when there is power to act; And do not speak falsely, Knowing, do not touch what is not given. Content with one's own wife, do not desire another's wife; A being should not drink intoxicating liquor that deludes the mind. One should recollect the Fully Awakened One, and reflect upon the Dhamma; One should cultivate a harmless, beneficial mind, for the world of devas. When gifts are ready, for one desiring merit; Given first to the virtuous, the offering is abundant. Virtuous ones, I will speak, Sāriputta, listen to me; Thus, among black, white, red, or green (cows). Among speckled, beautiful, or dove-colored cows; Among whichever of these, a tamed bull is born. A burden-bearer, endowed with strength, with excellent swiftness; They harness that one to burdens, they do not consider its color. Even so among humans, in whatever birth; Among khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, suddas, caṇḍālas, or pukkusas. Among whichever of these, a tamed one, well-vowed, is born; Established in Dhamma, endowed with virtue, truthful, modest. One who has abandoned birth and death, perfect in the holy life; One who has laid down the burden, detached, has done what is to be done, without defilements. Gone to the far shore of all dhammas, extinguished without clinging; In that stainless field, the offering is abundant. Fools, not knowing, ignorant, unlearned; Give gifts outwardly, they do not attend to the virtuous. But those who attend to the virtuous, the wise, esteemed by the steadfast; Their faith in the Sugata, is rooted and established. They go to the world of devas, or are born in a noble family here; Gradually, Nibbāna, the wise attain. ninth; 10. The Gavesī Sutta 180. At one time the Blessed One was wandering in Kosala with a large community of bhikkhus. The Blessed One, while traveling on the road, saw a great sal-forest in a certain place; Having seen it, he left the road and approached that sal-forest; he approached. without hesitation he entered that sal-grove and in a certain place he revealed a smile. Then it occurred to Venerable Ānanda: “What is the reason, what is the cause for the Blessed One’s smile to appear? Tathāgatas do not reveal a smile without a reason.” Then Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause for the Blessed One’s smile to appear? Tathāgatas do not reveal a smile without a reason.” “Formerly, Ānanda, in this place there was a city, prosperous and flourishing, full of many people, thronged with humans. And that city, Ānanda, the Blessed Kassapa, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, dwelt near. And the Blessed Kassapa, Ānanda, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, had an lay follower named Gavesī, who was imperfect in his precepts. And by the lay follower Gavesī, Ānanda, five hundred lay followers were admonished and established, who were imperfect in their precepts. Then, Ānanda, it occurred to the lay follower Gavesī: ‘I am indeed of great help to these five hundred lay followers, a leader, an establisher. And I am imperfect in my precepts, and these five hundred lay followers are imperfect in their precepts. This is equal, there is nothing extra. Come, let me be extra!’” “Then, Ānanda, the lay follower Gavesī approached those five hundred lay followers. Having approached, he said to those five hundred lay followers: ‘From today onwards, may the venerable ones consider me one who is perfect in precepts!’ Then, Ānanda, it occurred to those five hundred lay followers: ‘Indeed, the venerable Gavesī is of great help to us, a leader, an establisher. If the venerable Gavesī is to be perfect in precepts, how much more so should we be?’” 0 to be correlated with Pāli]! Then, Ananda, those five hundred lay followers approached the lay follower Gavesī; having approached, they said to the lay follower Gavesī: 'From today, venerable Gavesī, please consider these five hundred lay followers as those who perfectly fulfill the precepts.' Then, Ananda, it occurred to the lay follower Gavesī: 'I am indeed a great helper, a leader, an instructor to these five hundred lay followers. And I am one who perfectly fulfills the precepts. And these five hundred lay followers are also ones who perfectly fulfill the precepts. This is equal, there is nothing extra; let me go for something extra!'" "Then, Ananda, the lay follower Gavesī approached those five hundred lay followers; having approached, he said to those five hundred lay followers: 'From today, venerable sirs, consider me as a celibate, one who abstains from sexual intercourse, from the village-dhamma.' Then, Ananda, it occurred to those five hundred lay followers: 'Venerable Gavesī is indeed a great helper, a leader, an instructor to us. If venerable Gavesī is to be a celibate, one who abstains from sexual intercourse, from the village-dhamma, how much more should we be!' Then, Ananda, those five hundred lay followers approached the lay follower Gavesī; having approached, they said to the lay follower Gavesī: 'From today, venerable Gavesī, please consider these five hundred lay followers as celibates, abstaining from sexual intercourse, from the village-dhamma.' Then, Ananda, it occurred to the lay follower Gavesī: 'I am indeed a great helper, a leader, an instructor to these five hundred lay followers. And I am one who perfectly fulfills the precepts. These five hundred lay followers are also ones who perfectly fulfills the precepts. And I am a celibate, one who abstains from sexual intercourse, from the village-dhamma. These five hundred lay followers are also celibates, abstaining from sexual intercourse, from the village-dhamma. This is equal, there is nothing extra; let me go for something extra!'" is an excess. Then, Ānanda, the lay follower Gavesī approached those five hundred lay followers; having approached, he said to those five hundred lay followers: 'From today onwards, venerable sirs, consider me one who eats once a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from untimely food.' Then, Ānanda, it occurred to those five hundred lay followers: 'Indeed, the venerable Gavesī is very helpful, a leader, an instructor. If the venerable Gavesī is one who eats once a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from untimely food, then why not us?' Then, Ānanda, those five hundred lay followers approached the lay follower Gavesī; having approached, they said to the lay follower Gavesī: 'From today onwards, venerable Gavesī, consider these five hundred lay followers also as ones who eat once a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from untimely food.' Then, Ānanda, it occurred to the lay follower Gavesī: 'Indeed, I am very helpful to these five hundred lay followers, a leader, an instructor. I am one who perfectly fulfills the precepts. These five hundred lay followers also perfectly fulfill the precepts. I am a celibate, one who lives apart, refraining from sexual intercourse, the village custom. These five hundred lay followers also are celibates, ones who live apart, refraining from sexual intercourse, the village custom. I am one who eats once a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from untimely food. These five hundred lay followers also are ones who eat once a day, abstaining from food at night, refraining from untimely food. This is equal, there is nothing in excess; come, I will seek an excess.' Then, Ānanda, the lay follower Gavesī approached Kassapa the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One; having approached, he said to Kassapa the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One: 'May I receive, venerable sir, ordination in the presence of the Blessed One, may I receive full admission.' Indeed, Ānanda, the lay follower Gavesī received ordination in the presence of Kassapa the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One; he received full admission. Not long after his full admission, And then, Ananda, the monk Gavesī, living alone, diligent, ardent, resolute, not long thereafter – for the sake of which young men rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life – he himself, having realized it by direct knowledge in this very life, entered upon and dwelled in it. He directly knew: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’ And then, Ananda, the monk Gavesī became one of the Arahants. Then, Ananda, it occurred to those five hundred lay followers: ‘Indeed, venerable Gavesī is very helpful to us, our leader, our inspirer. If venerable Gavesī shaves off his hair and beard, dons saffron robes, and goes forth from home to homelessness, then what about us?’ Then, Ananda, those five hundred lay followers approached the Blessed One Kassapa, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One. Having approached, they said to the Blessed One Kassapa, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One: ‘May we, Venerable Sir, receive the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One? May we receive the full ordination?’ And then, Ananda, those five hundred lay followers received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One Kassapa, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One; they received the full ordination. Then, Ananda, it occurred to the monk Gavesī: ‘Indeed, I am a recipient