Persons Who Are Worthy of Gifts (Eighth Discourse)

So too, Monks, possessing five qualities, a Monk is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respectful salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

What five?

Here, a Monk is one who listens, who destroys, who guards, who patiently endures, and who goes.

(1) And how is a Monk one who listens?

Here, when The Teachings and discipline proclaimed by The Tathāgata are being taught, a Monk heeds it, attends to it, directs his whole mind to it, and listens to The Teachings with enthusiastic ears.

It is in this way that a Monk is one who listens.

(2) And how is a Monk one who destroys?

Here, a Monk does not tolerate an arisen sensual thought, but abandons it, dispels it, terminates it, and obliterates it. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will... an arisen thought of harming... any other evil unwholesome states that arise from time to time, but abandons them, dispels them, terminates them, and obliterates them.

It is in this way that a Monk is one who destroys.

(3) And how is a Monk one who guards?

Here, having seen a form with the eye, a Monk does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the eye sense base unrestrained, evil unwholesome states of craving and aversion might invade him, he practices restraint over it; he guards the eye sense base, he undertakes the restraint of the eye sense base.

Having heard a sound with the ear …

Having smelled an odor with the nose …

Having tasted a flavor with the tongue …

Having touched a physical object with the body …

Having recognized a mental object with the mind … he guards the mind sense base, he undertakes the restraint of the mind sense base.

It is in this way that a Monk is one who guards.

(4) And how is a Monk one who patiently endures?

Here, a Monk patiently endures cold and heat; hunger and thirst; contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, the burning sun, and serpents; rude and offensive ways of speech; he is able to remain content with arisen bodily feelings that are painful, agonizing, sharp, piercing, distressing, disagreeable, weakening one’s vitality.

It is in this way that a Monk is one who patiently endures.

(5) And how is a Monk one who goes?

Here, a Monk is one who easily goes to that region where he has never before gone in this long time, that is, to the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all material possessions, the destruction of craving, freedom from strong feelings, elimination, Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

It is in this way that a Monk is one who goes.

Possessing these five qualities, a Monk is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respectful salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

(Reference: AN 4.114)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares five qualities a person should possess to be considered a recipient who is “worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respectful salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world”.

1.) And how is a Monk one who listens?

A Practitioner is interested to learn The Teachings of The Buddha paying close attention, directing the entire mind towards listening with enthusiastic ears.

2.) And how is a Monk one who destroys?

A Practitioner applies Right Effort to cut off and let go of any arisen thoughts of sensual desire, ill will, or harming, not allowing them to persist.

When a Practitioner observes the bodily sensations associated with the arising unwholesome mental states, one should apply Right Effort to cut them off and let them go.

This is how a Practitioner does not tolerate them through complacency ensuring they are abandoned, dispelled, terminated, and obliterated.

3.) And how is a Monk one who guards?

A Practitioner guards the doorways to discontentedness not allowing the mind to have craving/desire/attachment through The Six Sense Bases. One protects their contentedness through guarding The Six Sense Bases with Right Mindfulness.

Guarding The Six Sense Bases would be to not place the mind in situations where it has the opportunity to long or yearn for the objects of its affection but instead, distancing itself from those objects.

Should one come into contact with the objects of its affection, through observing the mind at all times, anytime the mind has craving/desire/attachment through one of The Six Sense Bases, one should immediately apply Right Effort to cut this off and let it go.

4.) And how is a Monk one who patiently endures?

A Practitioner is able to be content and patient when experiencing cold/heat, hunger/thirst, contact with disagreeable things such as flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, serpents, rude and offensive speech, and remain content with bodily feelings that are painful.

A Practitioner would not have a negative mind and complain about these situations, and others, because the mind understands The Universal Truth of Impermanence and does not crave/desire permanent comfort of the physical body.

5.) And how is a Monk one who goes?

A Practitioner is willing and easily able to travel to a location one has never been to. The mind has no fear to go to a new location and is willing to let go of any and all material possessions if needed. The mind has eliminated craving/desire/attachment no longer experiencing discontentedness. The mind is Enlightened.