The Four Purifications of Offerings

Monks, there are these four purifications of offerings.

What four?

(1) There is an offering that is purified through the donor but not through the recipients;

(2) there is an offering that is purified through the recipients but not through the donor;

(3) there is an offering that is not purified through neither the donor nor the recipients;

(4) there is an offering that is purified through both the donor and the recipients.

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(1) And how, Monks, is an offering purified through the donor but not through the recipients?

Here, the donor is virtuous (practicing moral conduct) and of wholesome character, but the recipients are immoral and of unwholesome character. It is in this way that an offering is purified through the donor but not through the recipients.

(2) And how is an offering purified through the recipients but not through the donor?

Here, the donor is immoral and of unwholesome character, but the recipients are virtuous (practicing moral conduct) and of wholesome character. It is in this way that an offering is purified through the recipients but not through the donor.

(3) And how is an offering not purified through neither the donor nor the recipients?

Here, the donor is immoral and of unwholesome character, and the recipients too are immoral and of unwholesome character. It is in this way that an offering is not purified through neither the donor nor the recipients.

(4) And how is an offering purified through both the donor and the recipients?

Here, the donor is virtuous (practicing moral conduct) and of wholesome character, and the recipients too are virtuous and of wholesome character. It is in this way that an offering is purified through both the donor and the recipients.

These are the four purifications of offerings

(Reference: AN 4.78)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the purification of an offering through the donor and/or recipient.

An offering can be purified by just the donor or recipient if either of them are practicing virtuous moral conduct and are of a wholesome character. If the donor or recipient are immoral and of unwholesome character, the offering is not purified by them but instead, is purified by the one who is practicing virtuous moral conduct and are of a wholesome character.

If the donor and recipient are immoral and of unwholesome character, the offering is not purified at all.

The Buddha describes that an offering made by a donor and received by a recipient who are both practicing virtuous moral conduct and are of a wholesome character, both the donor and recipient fully purify the offering.