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4. The Chapter on Giving 1. The First Discourse on Giving 31. “There are these eight gifts, monks. Which eight? One gives a gift out of contempt, one gives a gift out of fear, one gives a gift thinking, ‘He gave to me,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘He will give to me,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘Giving is good,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘I cook, these do not cook; I am not worthy, cooking, not to give a gift to those who do not cook,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘By my giving this gift, a good reputation will arise,’ one gives a gift for the adornment and equipment of the mind. These, monks, are the eight gifts.” The First. 2. The Second Discourse on Giving 32. Faith, shame, and skillful giving, These are qualities followed by good people; Indeed, they call this the divine path, By this, one goes to the world of devas. The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Grounds for Giving 33. “There are these eight grounds for giving, monks. Which eight? One gives a gift out of desire, one gives a gift out of hatred, one gives a gift out of delusion, one gives a gift out of fear, one gives a gift thinking, ‘It was given before, done before by my fathers and grandfathers; I am not worthy to abandon the ancient family tradition,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘Having given this gift, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, I shall be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world,’ one gives a gift thinking, ‘By my giving this gift, my mind becomes clear, satisfaction and joy arise,’ one gives a gift for the adornment and equipment of the mind. These, monks, are the eight grounds for giving.” The Third. 4. The Discourse on the Field 34. “Monks, when a seed is sown in a field endowed with eight factors, it does not yield great fruit, nor great flavor, nor great abundance. How is it endowed with eight factors? Here, monks, the field is uneven and low-lying, and it is stony and gravelly, and it is barren, and it is not deeply watered, and it is not well-drained, and it is not well-irrigated, and it is not well-ditched, and it is not well-bordered. Thus, monks, in a field endowed with eight factors, seed sown is not greatly fruitful, is not greatly delicious, is not greatly productive. Even so, monks, a gift given to monastics and brahmins endowed with eight factors is not greatly fruitful, is not greatly beneficial, is not greatly radiant, is not greatly widespread. How are they endowed with eight factors? Here, monks, monastics and brahmins have wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration. Thus, monks, a gift given to monastics and brahmins endowed with these eight factors is not greatly fruitful, is not greatly beneficial, is not greatly radiant, is not greatly widespread. In a field, monks, endowed with eight factors, seed sown is greatly fruitful, is greatly delicious, is greatly productive. How is it endowed with eight factors? Here, monks, the field is not too high nor too low, it is free from stones and gravel, it is free from saline soil, it is well-watered, it has good access, it has good drainage, it has good irrigation channels, it has good boundaries. Thus, monks, in a field endowed with these eight factors, seed sown is greatly fruitful, is greatly delicious, is greatly productive. Even so, monks, a gift given to monastics and brahmins endowed with eight factors is greatly fruitful, is greatly beneficial, is greatly radiant, is greatly widespread. How are they endowed with eight factors? Here, monks, monastics and brahmins have right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Thus, monks, a gift given to monastics and brahmins endowed with these eight factors is greatly fruitful, is greatly beneficial, is greatly radiant, is greatly widespread. Just as in a fertile field, when excellent seeds are sown; and the rain god brings forth, there is an abundance of grain. There is freedom from calamity, there is growth. becomes an accomplishment; Abundant accomplishment there is, truly, fruit is accomplishment. ‘‘Thus, to those accomplished in virtue, food given as an accomplishment; Leads to accomplishments, for that is made accomplished by him. ‘‘Therefore, one desiring accomplishment, a person here seeking accomplishment; Should serve those accomplished in wisdom, thus accomplishments succeed. ‘‘Having attained the accomplishment of mind, in those accomplished in knowledge and conduct; He performs the accomplishment of action, and obtains the accomplishment of wealth. ‘‘Having known the world as it truly is, having attained the accomplishment of view; Relying on the accomplishment of the path, he goes with an accomplished mind. ‘‘Having shaken off all defilement, having reached the accomplishment of Nibbāna; He is freed from all suffering, that is the ultimate accomplishment.’’ The fourth. 5. Discourse on the Births from Giving ‘‘Monks, there are these eight births from giving. Which eight? Here, monks, a certain person gives a gift to a recluse or a brahmin: food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, bedding, dwellings, lamps. He anticipates what he gives. He sees great wealthy khattiyas, or great wealthy brahmins, or great wealthy householders, endowed and fully provided with the five strands of sensual pleasure, enjoying themselves. He thinks: ‘Oh, may I, after the breakup of the body, after death, be reborn into the companionship of great wealthy khattiyas, or great wealthy brahmins, or great wealthy householders!’ He sets his mind on that, he fixes his mind on that, he cultivates his mind on that. That mind of his, being released from the lower, not further developed, leads to rebirth there. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn into the companionship of great wealthy khattiyas, or great wealthy brahmins, or great wealthy householders. And this I say of one who is virtuous, not of one who is unvirtuous. Monks, the aspiration of a virtuous person succeeds because of its purity. ‘‘But here, monks, Monks, some person here gives a gift to a recluse or a brahmin: food, drink, clothing, vehicle, garlands, perfumes, ointments, bed, dwelling, lamp. Whatever he gives, he hopes for a return. He has heard: 'The Devas of the Four Great Kings are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.' He thinks: 'Oh, if only, with the breaking up of the body, after death, I might be reborn into the company of the Devas of the Four Great Kings!' He sets his mind on that, he resolves on that, he cultivates that mind. That mind of his, released from the lower, not further developed, leads to rebirth there. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn into the company of the Devas of the Four Great Kings. And this, I say, is for the virtuous, not for the unvirtuous. It succeeds, monks, the aspiration of the virtuous, because of its purity. But here, monks, some person here gives a gift to a recluse or a brahmin: food, drink, clothing, vehicle, garlands, perfumes, ointments, bed, dwelling, lamp. Whatever he gives, he hopes for a return. He has heard: 'The Tāvatiṃsa Devas... the Yāma Devas... the Tusita Devas... the Nimmānaratī Devas... the Paranimmitavasavattī Devas are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.' He thinks: 'Oh, if only, with the breaking up of the body, after death, I might be reborn into the company of the Paranimmitavasavattī Devas!' He sets his mind on that, he resolves on that, he cultivates that mind. That mind of his, released from the lower, not further developed, leads to rebirth there. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn into the company of the Paranimmitavasavattī Devas. And this, I say, is for the virtuous, not for the unvirtuous. It succeeds, monks, the aspiration of the virtuous, because of its purity. But here, monks, some person here gives a gift to a recluse or a brahmin: food, drink, clothing, vehicle, garlands, perfumes, ointments, bed, dwelling, lamp. Whatever he gives, that he aspires. He hears: ‘The Brahmakāyika devas are long-lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.’ Then he thinks: ‘Oh, may I, with the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in companionship with the Brahmakāyika devas!’ He sets his mind on that, he resolves on that, he cultivates that mind. His mind, being freed from lower states, and not further developed, leads to rebirth there. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the Brahmakāyika devas. But this, I say, is for one who is virtuous, not for one who is unvirtuous; for one who is free from passion, not for one who is passionate. It succeeds, bhikkhus, for the virtuous one, the aspiration of the mind, because of being free from passion. These, bhikkhus, are the eight rebirths through giving. The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on the Bases for Meritorious Deeds 36. ‘‘There are these three, bhikkhus, bases for meritorious deeds. Which three? The base for meritorious deeds consisting of giving, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of virtue, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of development. Here, bhikkhus, for some, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of giving is done little, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of virtue is done little, and the base for meritorious deeds consisting of development is not attained. He, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into human misfortune. ‘‘But here, bhikkhus, for some, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of giving is done moderately, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of virtue is done moderately, and the base for meritorious deeds consisting of development is not attained. He, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into human good fortune. ‘‘But here, bhikkhus, for some, the base for meritorious deeds consisting of giving