One Who Respectfully Gives Timely Food

Monks, when a donor gives food, he gives the recipients four things.

What four?

He gives life, beauty, peacefulness, and strength.

(1) Having given life, he receives of life, whether heavenly or human.

(2) Having given beauty, he receives of beauty, whether heavenly or human.

(3) Having given peacefulness, he receives of peacefulness, whether heavenly or human.

(4) Having given strength, he receives of strength, whether heavenly or human.

Monks, when a donor gives food, he gives the recipients these four things.

One who respectfully gives timely food to those mentally disciplined ones who eat what others give, provides them with four things: life, beauty, peacefulness, and strength. The man who gives life and beauty, who gives peacefulness and strength, will obtain long life and fame wherever he is reborn.

(Reference: AN 4.59)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a Practitioner who provides an offering of food gives the recipient four things - life, beauty, peacefulness, and strength.

Having given life, beauty, peacefulness, and strength, that individual then receives the same either in a heavenly or human rebirth.

The Buddha also explains that having given life, beauty, peacefulness, and strength, that individual will experience a rebirth with a “long life and fame”.

Again, the goal is to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings to attain Enlightenment and not experience rebirth in any realm. But, should one need to be reborn, this Teaching is explaining what leads to an improved rebirth.