English
I say that the offering made to him is successful. Indeed, his offering would be successful, If we were to see such a one skilled in the Vedas; But because we do not see ones like you, Other people consume the sacrificial cake. Therefore, brahmin, if you have a purpose, Being desirous, approach and ask; A peaceful one, smokeless, without trouble, without longing, Perhaps here you may find one of great wisdom. I am devoted to sacrifice, good Gotama, I wish to sacrifice, but I do not know (how); May you instruct me, sir, Tell me where an offering is successful. Then, brahmin, lend your ear; I will teach you the Dhamma – Do not ask about birth, but ask about conduct, For indeed, fire is born from wood; Even a sage of low birth, if resolute, Is a thoroughbred, restrained by shame. Tamed by truth, endowed with self-control, One who has reached the end of the Vedas, who has lived the holy life; At the proper time, one should offer a gift to him, A brahmin who desires merit should sacrifice. Those who have abandoned sensual pleasures and wander without a home, Well-restrained in self, straight like an arrow; At the proper time, one should offer a gift to them, A brahmin who desires merit should sacrifice. Those who are free from passion, with faculties well-composed, Like the moon released from the grasp of Rāhu; At the proper time, one should offer a gift to them, A brahmin who desires merit should sacrifice. They wander in the world unattached, ever mindful, having abandoned possessiveness; At the right time, one should offer oblations to them, a brahmin who desires merit and offers sacrifice. Who, having abandoned sensual pleasures, lives having overcome them, who knows the end of birth and death; Fully extinguished, like a cool water-pool, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Equal among equals, far from the unequal, the Tathāgata is of infinite wisdom; Unstained here or hereafter, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. In whom no deceit dwells, nor conceit, who is free from greed, without possessiveness, without craving; Whose anger is dispelled, whose self is fully extinguished, that brahmin who has removed the stain of sorrow; The Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Who has abandoned the mind's dwelling, who has no attachments whatsoever; Not clinging here or hereafter, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Who, concentrated, has crossed the flood, and understood the Dhamma with supreme vision; With defilements destroyed, bearing the final body, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Whose defilements of becoming and harsh speech, are dispelled, gone, and no longer exist; He is a knower of the Vedas, completely liberated everywhere, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Who has transcended attachment, for whom there are no attachments, who among human beings is not a human being; Having fully understood suffering, its field and basis, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Not relying on hope, seeing seclusion, having transcended views known by others; For whom there are no objects (of clinging) whatsoever, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Whose higher and lower states, having been understood, are dispelled, gone, and no longer exist; Peaceful, liberated through the destruction of clinging, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Who sees the end of birth and the fetters, who has utterly dispelled the path of craving; Pure, faultless, stainless, without blemish, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake. Who does not perceive a self by a self, concentrated, upright, with a steadfast self; He is indeed free from craving, unbroken, without doubt, the Tathāgata... is worthy of the sacrificial cake. 482. “For whom there are no delusions within, and who is all-knowing in all things; Who bears his final body, and has attained the supreme, auspicious enlightenment; By this much is the yakkha purified, the Tathāgata is worthy of the sacrificial cake.” 483. “May my offering be truly offered, that I have obtained such a knower of the Vedas; May Brahmā be my witness, O Blessed One, may the Blessed One partake of my sacrificial cake.” 484. “That which is sung in verse is not food for me, this is not the custom for those who see, O brahmin; The Buddhas reject that which is sung in verse, this is the rule, O brahmin, when the Dhamma is present. 485. “With other food and drink, attend upon the perfect one, the great sage, the one whose defilements are destroyed, whose anxiety is calmed; For that is a field for one seeking merit.” 486. “It is good, O Blessed One, that I should thus know, who would partake of a gift from one like me; Whom, seeking at the time of sacrifice, I might attain through your teaching.” 487. “For whom contentions have ceased, whose mind is unclouded; And who is liberated from sensual pleasures, whose sloth has been dispelled. 488. “The dispeller of boundaries, skilled in birth and death; A sage endowed with sagacity, such a one has come to the sacrifice. 489. “Having smoothed away the frown, with joined palms, pay homage; Worship with food and drink, thus do gifts succeed. 490. “The Buddha, revered one, is worthy of the sacrificial cake, the unsurpassed field of merit; The object of worship for all the world, a gift to you yields great fruit.” Then the brahmin Sundarikabhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, Venerable Gotama, excellent, Venerable Gotama! Just as, Venerable Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or show the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Venerable Gotama made the Dhamma clear in many ways. I am revealed. I go for refuge to the Blessed Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. May I obtain the going forth in the presence of the Blessed Gotama, may I obtain the full ordination. And Sundarikabhāradvāja the brahmin obtained…pe… he became an Arahant. The Sundarikabhāradvāja Sutta, the fourth, is finished. 5. The Māgha Sutta Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, on Gijjhakūṭa Mountain. Then Māgha the young man approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Māgha the young man said to the Blessed One: “I, good Gotama, am a giver, a lord of gifts, generous, one to whom requests are made; I seek wealth righteously; having sought wealth righteously, with wealth obtained righteously, acquired righteously, I give to one, I give to two, to three, to four, to five, to six, to seven, to eight, to nine, to ten, I give to twenty, to thirty, to forty, to fifty, I give to a hundred, I give even more. Do I, good Gotama, by giving thus, by sacrificing thus, produce much merit?” “Indeed, young man, by giving thus, by sacrificing thus, you produce much merit. Whoever, young man, is a giver, a lord of gifts, generous, one to whom requests are made; who seeks wealth righteously; having sought wealth righteously, with wealth obtained righteously, acquired righteously, gives to one…pe… gives to a hundred, gives even more, he produces much merit.” Then Māgha the young man addressed the Blessed One with a verse: 491. “I ask Gotama, the generous one, (thus said Māgha the young man) Who wears a saffron robe, wandering homeless; A householder, a lord of gifts, one to whom requests are made, seeking merit, desiring merit, sacrifices; Giving to others here food and drink, how does the offering of the sacrificer become purified? 492. Whoever, a householder, a lord of gifts, fit for begging, Desiring merit, sacrifices, seeking merit; Giving to others here food and drink, should propitiate those worthy of offerings, such ones. 493. Whoever, a householder, a lord of gifts, fit for begging, Desiring merit, sacrifices, seeking merit; Giving to others here food and drink, tell me, O Blessed One, who are worthy of offerings. 494. Indeed, those who wander in the world unattached, having nothing, perfect, with self-controlled minds; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 495. Those who have cut all fetters and bonds, tamed, liberated, free from trouble, without craving; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 496. Those who are completely freed from all fetters, tamed, liberated, free from trouble, without craving; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 497. Having abandoned lust, hatred, and delusion, with defilements destroyed, having lived the holy life; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 498. In whom no deceit dwells, nor conceit, with defilements destroyed, having lived the holy life; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 499. Those who are free from greed, selfless, without craving, with defilements destroyed, having lived the holy life; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 500. Indeed, those who have not fallen into cravings, who cross the flood, selfless, they wander; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 501. Those for whom craving exists nowhere in the world, for existence or non-existence, here or beyond; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 502. Those who, having abandoned sensual pleasures, wander homeless, with well-controlled minds, straight like an arrow; At the right time, one should offer to them, whoever, a brahmin, seeking merit, sacrifices. 503. Those who are free from passion, well-composed...