The Velama Sutra - Scale of Good Deeds
Aug 17, 2007 22:49:15 GMT 1
Post by Shi Da Dao on Aug 17, 2007 22:49:15 GMT 1
The Velama Sutta
A
1. Once when the Buddha was dwelling near Savatti at Jeta Grove, in Anathpindika's park, the householder Anathapindika visited him after greeting him politely sat down at one side.
2. The Exalted One addressed Anathapinika, "Are alms given in your house, householder?"
3. "Yes. Lord, alms are given by my family, but it only consists of broken rice and sour gruel."
B
4. "Housejholder, whether one gives coarse or choice alms, if one gives it without respect, without thought, not by one's own hand, gives only leftovers and without belief in the result of his having given these alms, his mind will not turn to the enjoyment of fine food and clothing, fine vehicles, or fine objects of the five senses. His children, wife, servants and labourers will not obey him, and neither listen nor pay attention to him. And why is that so? Because this is the result of actions done without respect.
5. "But whether one gives coarse or choice alms, if one gives it with respect, thoughtfully, by one's own hand, gives things that are not leftovers and with elief in the result of actions, then whatever he is reborn as a result of his having given these alms, his mind will turn to the enjoyment of fine food, clothes and vehicles, and of the finer objects of the five senses. His children, wife, servants and labourers will obey him, listen and pay attention to him. And why is this? Because this is the result of actions done with respect.
C
6. Long ago, householder, there lived a brahman called Velama. He gave very valuable gifts such as these. He gave eighty-four thousand golden bowls filled with silver; he gave eighty-four thousand silver bowls filled with gold; he gave eighty-four thousand copper bowls filled with jewels; he gave eighty-four thousand horses with trappings, banners and nets of gold; he gave eighty-four thousand carriages spread with lion skins, tiger skins and lopard skins, with saffron-coloured blankets, with golden trappings, banners and nets; he gave eighty-four thousand milk-giving cows with fine jute ropes and silver milk pails; he gave eighty-four thousand bejeweled maidens; he gave beds with covers of fleece, white blankets, embroidered coverlets, covered with antelope skins, with awnings and with crimson cushions at the ends; he gave eithy-four thosand lengths of cloth of the best flax, silk, wool and cotton. And who could describe all the food both hard and soft kinds, sweets and syrups that he gave? They flowed like rivers.
7. " Perhaps, householder, you think that the brahman Velama who made that very valuable gift was someone else. Do not think that, for it was I who was Velama the brahman who made that very valuable gift.
D
8. "But when that alms was given, householder, there were no recipients worthy of the gift. Although the brahman Velama gave such a valuable gift, if he had fed one person of right view, the fruit of the latter deed would have been greater.
9. "Though he gave that very rich gift, or though he fed a hundred Once-returners, the fruit of feeding one Non-returner would have been greater.
10. "Though he gave that very valuable gift, or though he fed a hundred Once-returners, the fruit of feeding one Non-returner would have been greater.
11. "...though he fed a hundred Non-returners, the fruit of feeding one Arahat would have been greater.
12. "...though he fed a hundred Arahats, the fruit of feeding one Non-Teaching Buddha would have been greater.
13. "...though he fed a hundred Non-Teaching Buddhas, the fruit of feeding one Perfect One, a Teaching Buddha, would have been greater.
14. "...though he fed one PerfectOne, a Teaching Buddha, the fruit of feeding the Order of monks (Sangha) with the Buddha at its head would have been greater.
15. "...though he fed the Order of monks with the Buddha at its head, the fruit of building a monastery for the use of the monks of the Order of the surrounding country would have bee greater.
E
16. "...though he built a monastery for the Order, the fruit of sincerely taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha would have been greater.
17. "...though he sincerely took refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha, the fruit of sincerely undertaking to keep the moral precepts - abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxicants causing sloth - would have been greater.
F
18. "...though he sincerely undertook those precepts, the fruit of developing (concentration on radiating universal) lovingkindness (metta) even just to the extent of a whiff of scent, would have been greater.
G
19. "...though he developed lovingkindness to the extent of a whiff of scent, the fruit of cultivating the thought of impermanence - even for a moment of a finger snap - would have been greater."
THE SCALE OF GOOD DEEDS
The Message of the Velama Sutta
By Susan Elbaum Jootla
THE WHEEL PUBLICATION NO. 372
A
1. Once when the Buddha was dwelling near Savatti at Jeta Grove, in Anathpindika's park, the householder Anathapindika visited him after greeting him politely sat down at one side.
2. The Exalted One addressed Anathapinika, "Are alms given in your house, householder?"
3. "Yes. Lord, alms are given by my family, but it only consists of broken rice and sour gruel."
B
4. "Housejholder, whether one gives coarse or choice alms, if one gives it without respect, without thought, not by one's own hand, gives only leftovers and without belief in the result of his having given these alms, his mind will not turn to the enjoyment of fine food and clothing, fine vehicles, or fine objects of the five senses. His children, wife, servants and labourers will not obey him, and neither listen nor pay attention to him. And why is that so? Because this is the result of actions done without respect.
5. "But whether one gives coarse or choice alms, if one gives it with respect, thoughtfully, by one's own hand, gives things that are not leftovers and with elief in the result of actions, then whatever he is reborn as a result of his having given these alms, his mind will turn to the enjoyment of fine food, clothes and vehicles, and of the finer objects of the five senses. His children, wife, servants and labourers will obey him, listen and pay attention to him. And why is this? Because this is the result of actions done with respect.
C
6. Long ago, householder, there lived a brahman called Velama. He gave very valuable gifts such as these. He gave eighty-four thousand golden bowls filled with silver; he gave eighty-four thousand silver bowls filled with gold; he gave eighty-four thousand copper bowls filled with jewels; he gave eighty-four thousand horses with trappings, banners and nets of gold; he gave eighty-four thousand carriages spread with lion skins, tiger skins and lopard skins, with saffron-coloured blankets, with golden trappings, banners and nets; he gave eighty-four thousand milk-giving cows with fine jute ropes and silver milk pails; he gave eighty-four thousand bejeweled maidens; he gave beds with covers of fleece, white blankets, embroidered coverlets, covered with antelope skins, with awnings and with crimson cushions at the ends; he gave eithy-four thosand lengths of cloth of the best flax, silk, wool and cotton. And who could describe all the food both hard and soft kinds, sweets and syrups that he gave? They flowed like rivers.
7. " Perhaps, householder, you think that the brahman Velama who made that very valuable gift was someone else. Do not think that, for it was I who was Velama the brahman who made that very valuable gift.
D
8. "But when that alms was given, householder, there were no recipients worthy of the gift. Although the brahman Velama gave such a valuable gift, if he had fed one person of right view, the fruit of the latter deed would have been greater.
9. "Though he gave that very rich gift, or though he fed a hundred Once-returners, the fruit of feeding one Non-returner would have been greater.
10. "Though he gave that very valuable gift, or though he fed a hundred Once-returners, the fruit of feeding one Non-returner would have been greater.
11. "...though he fed a hundred Non-returners, the fruit of feeding one Arahat would have been greater.
12. "...though he fed a hundred Arahats, the fruit of feeding one Non-Teaching Buddha would have been greater.
13. "...though he fed a hundred Non-Teaching Buddhas, the fruit of feeding one Perfect One, a Teaching Buddha, would have been greater.
14. "...though he fed one PerfectOne, a Teaching Buddha, the fruit of feeding the Order of monks (Sangha) with the Buddha at its head would have been greater.
15. "...though he fed the Order of monks with the Buddha at its head, the fruit of building a monastery for the use of the monks of the Order of the surrounding country would have bee greater.
E
16. "...though he built a monastery for the Order, the fruit of sincerely taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha would have been greater.
17. "...though he sincerely took refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha, the fruit of sincerely undertaking to keep the moral precepts - abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxicants causing sloth - would have been greater.
F
18. "...though he sincerely undertook those precepts, the fruit of developing (concentration on radiating universal) lovingkindness (metta) even just to the extent of a whiff of scent, would have been greater.
G
19. "...though he developed lovingkindness to the extent of a whiff of scent, the fruit of cultivating the thought of impermanence - even for a moment of a finger snap - would have been greater."
THE SCALE OF GOOD DEEDS
The Message of the Velama Sutta
By Susan Elbaum Jootla
THE WHEEL PUBLICATION NO. 372