With Māgha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.

Atha kho māgho māṇavo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho māgho māṇavo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Ahañhi, bho gotama, dāyako dānapati vadaññū yācayogo;

dhammena bhoge pariyesāmi;

dhammena bhoge pariyesitvā dhammaladdhehi bhogehi dhammādhigatehi ekassapi dadāmi dvinnampi tiṇṇampi catunnampi pañcannampi channampi sattannampi aṭṭhannampi navannampi dasannampi dadāmi, vīsāyapi tiṁsāyapi cattālīsāyapi paññāsāyapi dadāmi, satassapi dadāmi, bhiyyopi dadāmi.

Kaccāhaṁ, bho gotama, evaṁ dadanto evaṁ yajanto bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavāmī”ti?

“Taggha tvaṁ, māṇava, evaṁ dadanto evaṁ yajanto bahuṁ puññaṁ pasavasi.

Yo kho, māṇava, dāyako dānapati vadaññū yācayogo;

dhammena bhoge pariyesati;

dhammena bhoge pariyesitvā dhammaladdhehi bhogehi dhammādhigatehi ekassapi dadāti …pe… satassapi dadāti, bhiyyopi dadāti, bahuṁ so puññaṁ pasavatī”ti.

Atha kho māgho māṇavo bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi—

“Pucchāmahaṁ gotamaṁ vadaññuṁ,

(iti māgho māṇavo)

Kāsāyavāsiṁ agahaṁ carantaṁ;

Yo yācayogo dānapati gahaṭṭho,

Puññatthiko yajati puññapekkho;

Dadaṁ paresaṁ idha annapānaṁ,

Kathaṁ hutaṁ yajamānassa sujjhe”.

“Yo yācayogo dānapati gahaṭṭho,

(māghāti bhagavā)

Puññatthiko yajati puññapekkho;

Dadaṁ paresaṁ idha annapānaṁ,

Ārādhaye dakkhiṇeyyebhi tādi”.

“Yo yācayogo dānapati gahaṭṭho,

(iti māgho māṇavo)

Puññatthiko yajati puññapekkho;

Dadaṁ paresaṁ idha annapānaṁ,

Akkhāhi me bhagavā dakkhiṇeyye”.

“Ye ve asattā vicaranti loke,

Akiñcanā kevalino yatattā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye sabbasaṁyojanabandhanacchidā,

Dantā vimuttā anīghā nirāsā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye sabbasaṁyojanavippamuttā,

Dantā vimuttā anīghā nirāsā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ,

Khīṇāsavā vūsitabrahmacariyā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Yesu na māyā vasati na māno,

Khīṇāsavā vūsitabrahmacariyā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye vītalobhā amamā nirāsā,

Khīṇāsavā vūsitabrahmacariyā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye ve na taṇhāsu upātipannā,

Vitareyya oghaṁ amamā caranti;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Yesaṁ taṇhā natthi kuhiñci loke,

Bhavābhavāya idha vā huraṁ vā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye kāme hitvā agahā caranti,

Susaññatattā tasaraṁva ujjuṁ;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye vītarāgā susamāhitindriyā,

Candova rāhuggahaṇā pamuttā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Samitāvino vītarāgā akopā,

Yesaṁ gatī natthidha vippahāya;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Jahitvā jātimaraṇaṁ asesaṁ,

Kathaṅkathiṁ sabbamupātivattā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye attadīpā vicaranti loke,

Akiñcanā sabbadhi vippamuttā;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Ye hettha jānanti yathā tathā idaṁ,

Ayamantimā natthi punabbhavoti;

Kālena tesu habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha.

Yo vedagū jhānarato satīmā,

Sambodhipatto saraṇaṁ bahūnaṁ;

Kālena tamhi habyaṁ pavecche,

Yo brāhmaṇo puññapekkho yajetha”.

“Addhā amoghā mama pucchanā ahu,

(iti māgho māṇavo)

Akkhāsi me bhagavā dakkhiṇeyye;

Tvañhettha jānāsi yathā tathā idaṁ,

Tathā hi te vidito esa dhammo.

Yo yācayogo dānapati gahaṭṭho,

Puññatthiko yajati puññapekkho;

Dadaṁ paresaṁ idha annapānaṁ,

Akkhāhi me bhagavā yaññasampadaṁ”.

“Yajassu yajamāno,

(māghāti bhagavā)

Sabbattha ca vippasādehi cittaṁ;

Ārammaṇaṁ yajamānassa yañño,

Ettha patiṭṭhāya jahāti dosaṁ.

So vītarāgo pavineyya dosaṁ,

Mettaṁ cittaṁ bhāvayamappamāṇaṁ;

Rattindivaṁ satatamappamatto,

Sabbā disā pharati appamaññaṁ”.

“Ko sujjhati muccati bajjhatī ca,

Kenattanā gacchati brahmalokaṁ;

Ajānato me muni brūhi puṭṭho,

Bhagavā hi me sakkhi brahmajjadiṭṭho;

Tuvañhi no brahmasamosi saccaṁ,

Kathaṁ upapajjati brahmalokaṁ jutima”.

“Yo yajati tividhaṁ yaññasampadaṁ,

(māghāti bhagavā)

Ārādhaye dakkhiṇeyyebhi tādi;

Evaṁ yajitvā sammā yācayogo,

Upapajjati brahmalokanti brūmī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, māgho māṇavo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Māghasuttaṁ pañcamaṁ.

SC 1Thus have I heard:

SC 2At one time the Radiant one dwelt at Rājagaha on the Vulture Peak Mountain. Then the young brahmin Māgha went to the Radiant One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down to one side and spoke thus to the Radiant One:

SC 3“Master Gotama, I am certainly a donor, one who is generous and glad to comply with others’ requests. From wealth sought rightly, obtained rightly, acquired in accordance with Dharma, I give to one, two, ten, twenty, a hundred or even more—so do I, Master Gotama giving and bestowing in this way accrue much merit?”

SC 4“Certainly young brahmin, giving and bestowing in this way you accrue much merit. If anyone is a donor, one who is generous and glad to comply with others’ requests from wealth sought rightly, obtained rightly, acquired in accordance with dharma and given to one, two, ten, twenty, a hundred or even to more, that one accrues much merit.”

SC 5Then the brahmin youth Māgha addressed these verses to the Radiant One:

SC 6SC Verse 492Māgha
I ask the world-knower Gotama
who wanders homeless clad in kāsāya cloth:
One glad to comply with others’ requests,
a generous giver, one living at home,
a seeker of merit, desirer of merit,
who to other as sacrifice gives food and drink—
how would such offerings be purified by this?

SC 7SC Verse 493Buddha
One glad to comply with others’ requests,
a generous giver, one living at home,
a seeker of merit, desirer of merit,
who to others as sacrifice gives food and drink
achieves his results through those worthy of gifts.

SC 8SC Verse 494Māgha
One glad to comply with others’ requests,
a generous giver, one living at home,
a seeker of merit, desirer of merit,
who to others as sacrifice gives good and drink—
Sir, who are the gift-worthy,
please speak about that.

SC 9SC Verse 495Buddha
Those truly who fare unattached in the world,
own nothing, perfected, they’re self-controlled,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 10SC Verse 496Who all the fetters and bonds have cut off,
tamed are they, freed, with no troubles or hopes,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 11SC Verse 497Who from all fetters are released,
tamed and freed, with no troubles or hopes,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 12SC Verse 498Passion and hatred, delusion—let go,
exhausted the inflows, lived the God Life,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 13SC Verse 499In who lurks neither deceit nor conceit,
greed-free, unselfish, trouble-free too,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 14SC Verse 500Those free of greed, unselfish, without desire,
with inflows exhausted, the Good Life completed,
to them would a brahmin on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 15SC Verse 501They who to cravings have not succumbed,
the flood overcrossed they unselfishly fare,
to them would a brahmin on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 16SC Verse 502But those with no cravings at all in the world
for being this, being that, now or afterwards,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 17SC Verse 503They who fare homeless, sense-pleasures let go,
themselves well-restrained, as shuttle flies straight,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 18SC Verse 504Those passion-free, their faculties restrained,
as the Moon from the grip of Rāhu released,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 19SC Verse 505Those who are calm, passion gone, anger-free,
who here have given up all places to go,
to them would a brahmin on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 20SC Verse 506Who’ve birth and death abandoned—nothing left
and all unsettling doubts have overcome,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 21SC Verse 507With themselves as an island they fare in the world,
own nothing and everywhere utterly freed
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 22SC Verse 508Those who Know here as really it is—
“This is the last, no more being to come”—
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 23SC Verse 509The mindful in holy words learned, who in jhāna delight,
won to Awakening, the refuge of many,
to them would a brahmin, on merit intent,
sacrifice at the right time and oblations bestow.

SC 24SC Verse 510Māgha
My question truly was not in vain
for the Radiant has spoken of gift-worthy ones.
This indeed you Know as it really is,
for certainly this Dharma’s Known to you.

SC 25SC Verse 511One glad to comply with others’ requests,
a generous giver, one living at home,
a seeker of merit, desirer of merit,
who to others as sacrifice gives food and drink,
tell me, O Radiant, the success of such sacrifice.

SC 26SC Verse 512Buddha
Do you sacrifice! But during this sacrificial act,
make your mind happy all of the time;
for the sacrificiant, this sacrifice is the base,
established in this one is rid of all faults.

SC 27SC Verse 513One with passions gone would other faults restrain,
developing boundless mettā-mind, in this,
continuously diligent by day and by night,
suffusing all directions boundlessly.

SC 28SC Verse 514Māgha
Who can be cleansed, released and Awakened?
With what does the self to the Brahma-world go?
O Sage, when asked reply to me—one who doesn’t know—
for the Radiant I’ve seen with my eyes as Brahmā today
and it’s true that you’re the same as Brahmā for us.
In the Brahma-world,
how does one arise, O Refulgent One?

SC 29SC Verse 515Buddha
The sacrificiant who achieves triple success in sacrifice,
achieves their results through such gift-worthy ones;
so perfected in sacrifice
and complying with others’ requests,
that one arises, I say, within the Brahma-world.

SC 30When this was said the young brahmin Māgha said to the Radiant One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! The Dharma has been clarified by Master Gotama in many ways, as though he was righting what was overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes can see forms. I go for Refuge to Master Gotama, to the Dharma and to the Saṅgha. May Master Gotama remember me as a layman who from today has Gone for Refuge for life.