The Fourteen Personal Offerings In Buddhism

The Fourteen Personal Offerings In Buddhism

By Ven. K. Dhamminda

Kdm.damminda@gmail.com

2013-03-05

The fourteen Personal Offerings In Buddhism

                  

According to Buddhism, there are fourteen personal offerings that could be made. An offering that is made to the Buddha[1] is the first personal offering. An offering that is made to the silent Enlightened One[2] is the second personal offering. An offering that is made to a worthy disciple[3] is the third personal offering. An offering that is made to a person who has fallen to the method of realizing worthiness[4] is the fourth personal offering. An offering that is made to a non-returner[5] is the fifth personal offering. An offering that is made to a person who has fallen to the method of realizing the state of non-returning[6] is the sixth personal offering. An offering that is made to one who will be returning once[7] is the seventh personal offering. An offering that is made to a person who has fallen to the method of realizing the state of returning once[8] is the eighth personal offering. An offering that is made to one who has entered the stream of the Teaching is the ninth personal offering[9]. An offering that is made to a person who has fallen to the method of realizing the state of entry into the stream of the Teaching is the tenth personal offering[10]. An offering that is made to one who is not greedy and turned away from sensuality is the eleventh personal offering[11]. An offering that is made to an ordinary virtuous person is the twelfth personal offering[12]. An offering that is made to an ordinary who is not virtuous person is the thirteenth personal offering[13]. An offering that is made to an animal is the fourteenth personal offering[14].

 Of an offering that is made to an animal, the results which will be expected are by hundreds. Of an offering that is made to an ordinary who is not virtuous person, the results which will be expected are by thousands. Of an offering that is made to an ordinary virtuous person, the results which will be expected are by hundred –thousands. Of an offering that is made to a one who is not greedy one, turned away from sensuality, the results which will be expected are by hundred thousand millions. Of an offering that is made to a person who has fallen to the method of realizing the state of entry into the stream of the Teaching, the results which will be expected are innumerable and unlimited. The Buddha was asking thus. What would be the results for offering a gift to a stream entrant of the Teaching? Or one has fallen to the method of realizing the state of not returning? Or one who would not return? Or one has fallen to the method of realizing worthiness? Or a worthy disciple of the Buddha? Or the silent enlightened One? Or the worthy, rightfully enlightened the Buddha?

Actually, these seven are the offerings that are made to the Community. An offering to both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis who are headed by the Blessed One. This is the first offering that is made to the Community. After the demise of the Blessed One, an offering that is made to both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. This is the second offering made to the Community. An offering that is made to the bhikkhus. This is the third offering to the Community. An offering that is made to the bhikkhunis. This is the fourth offering to the Community. An offering that is made indicating the number of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. This is the fifth offering to the Community. An offering that is made indicating the number of bhikkhus. This is the sixth offering to the Community. An offering that is made indicating the number of bhikkhunis. This is the seventh offering to the Community.

 In the future there will be the last bhikkhus in the lineage. They will not virtuous. They will be wearing yellow strings round their necks. The Buddha said, even the results of an offering that would be made to them on account of the Community is innumerable and limitless[15]. I would not tell you, how an offering that is made to the Community is more fruitful than a personal offering.

 There are four kinds of purity in an offering. An offering is pure, on the side of the donor, but it is not pure on the side of receiver. An offering is pure, on the side of the receiver, but it is not pure on the side of donor. An offering is neither pure on the side of the donor nor on the side of the receiver. An offering is pure, on the side of the donor, as well as on the side of receiver.

 How is the offering pure on the side of the donor and not the receiver? Here, the donor is virtuous with good thoughts , but the receiver is not virtuous with evil thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the donor and not the receiver.

 How is the offering pure, on the side of the receiver and not the donor? Here, the receiver is virtuous with good thoughts, but the donor is not virtuous with evil thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the receiver and not the donor.

 How is the offering neither pure on the side of the donor nor on the side of the receiver? Here, the donor is not virtuous with evil thoughts and the receiver is not virtuous with evil thoughts. Thus the offering is neither pure, on the side of the donor nor on the of the receiver

 How is the offering pure on the side of the donor as well as on the of the receiver? Here the donor is virtuous with good thoughts and the receiver is virtuous with good thoughts. Thus the offering is pure, on the side of the donor as well as on the side of the receiver. The Buddha said. `These are the four kinds of purity and further said

A virtuous donor with a pleasant mind offers to one who is not virtues, things that were obtained righteously, believing the results of actions. That offering is purified on the side of the donor. A not virtuous donor, with unpleasant mind offers to the virtuous, things that were not obtained righteously, disbelieving the results of actions. That offering is purified on the side of the receiver. A not virtuous donor offers to the not virtuous, things that were not obtained righteously, with an unpleasant mind, Disbelieving the results of actions. That offering is not purified on either side. A virtuous donor offers to the virtuous, things that were obtained righteously, with a pleasant mind, believing the results of actions. The Buddha says that offering brings great results. One who is not greedy offers to those who are not greedy, things that were obtained righteously, with a pleasant mind, believing the results of actions. The Buddha says, that is the highest material offering. An offering made to a worthy disciple of the Blessed One `Tathàgatasàvake arahante dànaü deti' A worthy disciple of the Buddha has attained the noble state `arahatta' which he aims to attain. Person who has fallen to th method of realizing worthiness. `Arahattaphalasacchikiriyàya pañipanne,' before attaining worthiness the bhikkhu has to make much effort to attain worthiness. An offering that ismade to a non-returner. `Anàgàmissa dànaü deti,' A non-returner would not be born in the sensual world, to enjoy the five strands of sensual pleasures. An offering that is made to one returning once. `Sakadàgàmissa dànaü deti,' A certain one is born in this world only once, to fulfil a certain aspiration.

Tathāgate arahante sammāsambuddhe	ayaṃ paṭhamā pāṭipuggalikā
Paccekasambuddhe	yaṃ dutiyā pāṭipuggalikā
Tathāgatasāvake arahante	ayaṃ tatiyā pāṭipuggalikā
Arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne	ayaṃ catutthī pāṭipuggalikā
Anāgāmissa	ayaṃ pañcamī pāṭipuggalikā
Anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne	ayaṃ chaṭṭhī pāṭipuggalikā
Sakadāgāmissa	ayaṃ sattamī pāṭipuggalikā
Sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne	ayaṃ aṭṭhamī pāṭipuggalikā
Sotāpanne	ayaṃ navamī pāṭipuggalikā
Sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne	ayaṃ dasamī pāṭipuggalikā
Bāhirake kāmesu vītarāge	ayaṃ ekādasamī pāṭipuggalikā
Puthujjanasīlavante	ayaṃ dvādasamī pāṭipuggalikā
Puthujjanadussīle	ayaṃ terasamī pāṭipuggalikā
Tiracchānagate	ayaṃ cuddasamī pāṭipuggalikā

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[1] Tathāgate arahante sammāsambuddhe dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ paṭhamā pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[2] Paccekasambuddhe [paccekabuddhe  dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ dutiyā pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[3] Tathāgatasāvake arahante dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ tatiyā pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[4] Arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ catutthī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[5] Anāgāmissa dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ pañcamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[6] Anāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ chaṭṭhī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[7] Sakadāgāmissa dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ sattamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[8] Sakadāgāmiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ aṭṭhamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[9] Sotāpanne dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ navamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[10] Sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanne dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ dasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[11] Bāhirake kāmesu vītarāge dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ ekādasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[12]Puthujjanasīlavante dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ dvādasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.  

[13] Puthujjanadussīle dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ terasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇā.

[14] Tiracchānagate dānaṃ deti – ayaṃ cuddasamī pāṭipuggalikā dakkhiṇāti.

[15] ‘‘Bhavissanti kho panānanda, anāgatamaddhānaṃ gotrabhuno kāsāvakaṇṭhā dussīlā pāpadhammā. Tesu dussīlesu saṅghaṃ uddissa dānaṃ dassanti. Tadāpāhaṃ, ānanda, saṅghagataṃ dakkhiṇaṃ asaṅkheyyaṃ appameyyaṃ vadāmi. Na tvevāhaṃ, ānanda, kenaci pariyāyena saṅghagatāya dakkhiṇāya pāṭipuggalikaṃ dānaṃ mahapphalataraṃ vadāmi.