Generosity
Volume
13
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Chapter 68
Persons Who Are Worthy of Gifts (Twelfth Discourse)
Read Chapter 68 of Generosity: Persons Who Are Worthy of Gifts (Twelfth Discourse).
Monks, possessing eight 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 eight?
(1) Here, a Monk is virtuous (practicing moral conduct); he resides restrained by the training guidelines, possessed of wholesome conduct and wise decision making, seeing danger in the slightest faults.
Having undertaken the training guidelines, he trains in them.
(2) He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those Teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life - such Teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, investigated with the mind, and penetrated well by view.
(3) He has aroused energy; he is strong, firm in effort, and has not cast off the duty of cultivating wholesome qualities.
(4) He is a forest dweller, one who resorts to remote lodgings.
(5) He has vanquished discontentedness and excitement; he overcame discontentedness whenever it arose.
(6) He has vanquished fear and terror; he overcame fear and terror whenever they arose.
(7) He gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four Jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are dwellings in peacefulness in this very life.
(8) With the destruction of the taints (fetters), he has realized for himself with direct knowledge (experience), in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he resides in it.
Possessing these eight 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 8.58)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares eight 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.) Virtuous (practicing moral conduct): A Practitioner is practicing wholesome moral conduct described in The Eight Fold Path as part of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood, along with all The Teachings that connect into The Eight Fold Path that further elaborate and describe moral conduct.
A Practitioner is practicing discernment (i.e. wise decision making).
Discernment: is wise decision making based in wisdom. Discernment is helpful to the mind and needs to be cultivated to attain Enlightenment.
A Practitioner is practicing moral concern, seeing danger in the slightest faults.
Detailed explanation of moral concern is available in this same book series found in Chapter 25 of the book “Generosity” (Volume 13).
Understanding these Teachings, a Practitioner is determined, dedicated, and diligent to train in the training guidelines actively progressing towards the ultimate goal of Enlightenment.
2.) Learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned: The Buddha explains that a Practitioner will have acquired deep wisdom in The Teachings. A Practitioner will have learned, remembers, has investigated, and reflects on them to be able to deeply “penetrate” the understanding of The Teachings. As part of their learning, they have acquired the proper meaning and phrasing of The Teachings.
3.) Aroused energy: is a Practitioner’s ability to practice the Enlightenment factor of energy while remaining determined, dedicated, and diligent in developing wholesome qualities of mind.
Energy: (Effort, determination, ambition, initiative, motivation, vigor, and enthusiasm; willingness to do something.)
See Chapter 3 in the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) to learn The Seven Factors of Enlightenment.
4.) A forest dweller: is one who is able to train the mind to be peaceful and content even while alone.
During the lifetime of The Buddha, Practitioners would sometimes live in the forest, for periods of time, alone. This helps to train the mind to be content and joy while alone being unattached to all the comforts and material possessions of daily life. A Practitioner is also able to more readily observe the condition of the mind, what it may be craving/desiring, and any arising wholesome or unwholesome thoughts. Through developing awareness of the mind in this way (i.e. Right Mindfulness), a Practitioner can deepen their practice to actively eliminate unwholesome mental qualities and arise wholesome mental qualities.
While this is a method of training one can employ even today, it is not required. What is important is for a Practitioner to be content and joyful while alone and this can be accomplished over multiple opportunities to experience time alone. A Practitioner should take regular opportunities to reside alone throughout the days, weeks, and months to benefit from the close observation of the mind. How, when, or if someone chooses to employ this training method is a decision for each Practitioner to consider.
In this Teaching, The Buddha shares that a Practitioner who is content and joyful to reside alone, along with possessing the other qualities, is “worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respectful salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world”.
5) Vanquished discontentedness and excitement: A Practitioner whose mind no longer experiences discontentedness. The mind is liberated or Enlightened.
6.) Vanquished fear and terror: A Practitioner whose mind no longer experiences fear and terror.
7.) The four Jhānas: A Practitioner who has attained the four Jhānas.
The Buddha explains the attainment of the Jhānas as the way to develop concentration that leads to residing peacefully in this very life.
Through training the mind to learn and practice The Eight Fold Path, a Practitioner’s mind will eventually experience the Jhānas. The Jhānas are preliminary phases the mind experiences prior to entering the first Stage of Enlightenment. There are several qualities of mind that are experienced as a Practitioner enters into the Jhānas that will benefit them throughout their daily life such as mindfulness, equanimity, joy, the unification of the mind (i.e. elimination of subconscious thoughts motivating unskillful behavior), and concentration.
An unEnlightened mind that is not learning and practicing these Teachings compared to the unEnlightened mind that is learning and practicing these Teachings and has attained the Jhānas, is like “night and day”. There is a significant difference, with increased benefits in the quality of mind experienced, when the mind has attained the Jhānas. The benefits of the Jhānas are experienced throughout one’s day, not only in meditation.
The Jhānas are so profound, many Practitioners mistakenly believe they have attained Enlightenment but are instead, just experiencing the Jhānas. In the Jhānas, the mind will still be experiencing discontentedness but, to a much lesser degree.
A Practitioner entering the Jhānas is an indication that they are successfully understanding and implementing The Eight Fold Path. At this point, it is time for the Practitioner to continue their learning, reflection, and practice of The Eight Fold Path, with all the other Teachings, while starting to focus on the elimination of The Ten Fetters.
Explanation of the Jhānas is available in this same book series found in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).
You can find a detailed explanation of the Jhānas through these additional resources:
(YouTube)
The Eight Fold Path - Mental Discipline (Part 3 of 3) - (Group Learning Program)
(Podcast)
Ep. 145 - The Eight Fold Path - Mental Discipline (Part 3 of 3) - (Group Learning Program)
8.) The destruction of the taints, he has realized for himself with direct knowledge (experience), in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he resides in it: is to eliminate The Ten Fetters, the mind is Enlightened.
See Chapter 3 in the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1) to learn The Ten Fetters.
Learning Resources for Further Exploration
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