Where Should a Gift Be Given? (First Discourse)

‘Venerable Sir, where should a gift be given?’

Wherever one’s mind has confidence, Great King.

‘But, Venerable Sir, where does what is given become of great fruit?’

This is one question, Great King, where should a gift be given? and this another, Where does what is given become of great fruit? What is given to one who is virtuous (practicing moral conduct), Great King, is of great fruit, not so what is given to an unwholesome person. Now then, Great King, I will question you about this same point.

Answer as you see fit. What do you think, Great King? Suppose you are at war and a battle is about to take place. Then a Khattiya youth would arrive, one who is untrained, unskillful, unpracticed, inexperienced, fearful, terrified, frightened, quick to flee. Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?

‘Surely not, Venerable Sir.’

Then a Brāhmin youth would arrive ... a vessa youth ... a sudda youth ... who is untrained, unskillful, unpracticed, inexperienced, fearful, terrified, frightened, quick to flee. Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?

‘Surely not, Venerable Sir.’

What do you think, Great King? Suppose you are at war and a battle is about to take place. Then a Khattiya youth would arrive, one who is trained, skillful, practiced, experienced, brave, courageous, bold, ready to stand his place. Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?

‘Surely I would, Venerable Sir.’

Then a Brāhmin youth would arrive ... a vessa youth ... a sudda youth ... one who is trained, skillful, practiced, experienced, brave, courageous, bold, ready to stand his place. Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?

‘Surely I would, Venerable Sir’

So too, Great King, when a person has gone forth from the household life into homelessness, no matter from what clan, if he has abandoned five factors and possesses five factors, then what is given to him is of great fruit.

What five factors have been abandoned?

Sensual desire has been abandoned; ill will has been abandoned; complacency has been abandoned; restlessness and worry have been abandoned; doubt has been abandoned.

What five factors does he possess?

He possesses virtue (moral conduct) of one beyond training, concentration of one beyond training, wisdom of one beyond training, liberation of one beyond training, wisdom and vision of liberation of one beyond training. He possesses these five factors.

Thus what is given to one who has abandoned five factors and who possesses five factors is of great fruit.

As a King intent on waging war

Would you employ a youth skilled with the bow,

One endowed with strength and vigor,

But not the coward on account of his birth —

So even though he be of low birth,

One should honor the person of noble conduct,

The wise man in whom are established

In the virtues of patience and gentleness.

One should build delightful sanctuaries

And invite the learned to reside in them;

One should build water tanks in the forest

And causeways over rough terrain.

With a confident mind one should give

To those of upright character;

Give food and drink and things to eat,

Clothing to wear and beds and seats.

For as the rain-cloud, thundering,

Covered in lightning, with a hundred crests,

Pours down its rain upon the earth,

Flooding both the plain and valley —

So the wise man, confident, learned,

Having had a meal prepared,

Satisfies with food and drink

The Ascetics who live on alms.

Rejoicing, he distributes gifts,

And proclaims, ‘Give, give’.

For that is his thundering

Like the sky when it rains.

That shower of merit, so vast,

Will pour down on the giver.

(Reference: SN 3.24)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares where a gift should be given. He explains that gifts should be given to a Practitioner who has abandoned five things and possess another five things.

What five factors have been abandoned?

The Buddha explains that a gift should be given to a Practitioner who has abandoned The Five Hindrances, or obstructions, of sensual desire, ill will, complacency, restlessness and worry, and doubt.

These are The Five Hindrances to the attainment of Enlightenment.

One would need to eradicate The Five Hindrances to experience Enlightenment.

Instruction on how to accomplish this goal is provided in videos and classes shared by the author of this book. You can contact the author of this book for detailed instruction and guidance on all aspects of The Path to Enlightenment including the elimination of The Five Hindrances.

You can access an online class where The Five Hindrances were taught using this link.

(Group Learning Program) - The Five Hindrances to Enlightenment & The Seven Factors of Enlightenment

https://youtu.be/mY8xw5wPRiQ

What five factors does he possess?

The Buddha explains that a gift should be given to a Practitioner who possesses virtue (moral conduct), concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation.

Virtue (moral conduct): is described throughout The Buddha’s Teachings primary discussed as part of The Eight Fold Path as Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood but there are also other Teachings that connect into The Eight Fold Path that further describe wholesome moral conduct.

Concentration: is described in The Eight Fold Path as Right Concentration. Concentration is described as Mental alertness, attentiveness, the ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity. “Singleness of mind” as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right Concentration”.

Concentration is the practice of meditation and a by-product of a clear and pure mind that is practicing the entire Eight Fold Path. A mind that has eliminated cravings/desires/attachments along with practicing all these Teachings will have a focus and high degree of concentration. This is referred to as “singleness of mind”.

Right Concentration, or singleness of mind, is developed and maintained with a consistent and regular practice of The Eight Fold Path including a well established meditation practice to train the mind.

Wisdom: is a Practitioner’s deep understanding of The Teachings and being able to communicate them with ease. A Practitioner will have fully eliminated The Unwholesome Root of ignorance (unknowing of true reality) which is also described as a fetter/taint/pollution of mind as part of The Ten Fetters.

Liberation: is that a Practitioner’s mind is fully liberated experiencing freedom from discontentedness through having eliminated The Ten Fetters. The mind is Enlightened.

Wisdom and vision of liberation: would be an Enlightened being who can clearly see The Path to Enlightenment and has the wisdom to help others attain Enlightenment. A Practitioner who has acquired “wisdom and vision of liberation” is one who can see clearly. They are able to see true reality rather than having a distorted view through misperceptions or judgment of others.

A person to receive a gift as described in this Teaching would be “one beyond training” because their mind is already well trained in wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline possessing virtue (moral conduct), concentration, wisdom, liberation, and wisdom and vision of liberation.

Providing offerings to Practitioners who have abandoned these obstructions to Enlightenment and cultivated these mental qualities for the attainment of Enlightenment will create the most benefit within one’s local community for all those who are interested in progressing on The Path to Enlightenment.

This is not the only Teaching The Buddha provided regarding one who you should provide offerings and gifts. If we only provided offerings to people who were already Enlightened, Practitioners would not have the ability to fully devote themselves to the attainment of Enlightenment through support from The Community.

It is important that a Practitioner does not look at The Buddha’s Teachings in isolation but instead, they take in the full totality of his Teachings factoring in all the various aspects of his Teachings. If a Practitioner were to look at just one discourse where The Buddha was describing one aspect of his Teachings without a full investigation of all the related Teachings, they would not be able to fully understand the totality of what The Buddha was sharing and The Path to Enlightenment to attain Enlightenment.

So while in this Teaching The Buddha is sharing how providing gifts to an Enlightened being is highly beneficial, there are other Teachings where he shares additional aspects of individuals whom you might choose to provide offerings and gifts to as part of your practice of generosity.

Thus what is given to one who has abandoned five factors and who possesses five factors is of great fruit: There is enormous benefit for a community of people to provide offerings and gifts to Practitioners who have eliminated The Five Hindrances and possess the five qualities of virtue (moral conduct), concentration, wisdom, liberation, and wisdom and vision of liberation. Through hosting Enlightened beings within your community, the entire population of people can learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings to improve the condition of their mind and their life. A community of people who are inviting and hosting Enlightened beings to share these Teachings are making an investment in their own well-being, prosperity, and future.

The Buddha then speaks in verses to illustrate the importance of creating a comfortable environment for Enlightened beings to reside so that they will continue to have the ability to share these Teachings into local communities. Through providing offerings and gifts, a community provides the ability for Enlightened beings to reside and provide beneficial Teachings that will help and support the local community.

Through giving and sharing through a well developed practice of generosity, a community can “rejoice” in the benefits of their giving.

Just as a thundering rain pours down on the earth, there is a vast amount of merit that showers all those in a community where people practice generosity towards Enlightened beings.