Māgha Sutta | Sn III-5
5. Māgha Sutta
Discourse on the Lad Māgha
Thus have I heard:
On one occasion the Buddha was staying in the Vulture Peak Mountain near Rājagaha.
It was then that a lad named Māgha approached the Buddha and after exchanging greetings and courteous compliments with the Buddha, sat down at a (suitable) place.
Then he addressed the Buddha thus:
Gotama, Sir, I am fond of giving. I often make offerings. I understand the needs of my donees. And I have a reputation being open-handed. I make an honest living.
From my honest earnings or from whatever, I acquired righteously, I give to others. I give to a single donee, couples of donees, 3 of them, 4, 5, etc., or tens of them or scores of them, etc., or a 100 of them, or even more.
Gotama, Sir, what do you say, do I get merit from my charity?
Are my acts of giving going to bear fruit?
Young Māgha, your charity is, of course, meritorious; your acts of giving are highly productive. You are fond of giving.
You often make offerings. You understand the needs of the various donees. Your open-handed- ness is well-known. You make an honest living.
From your honest earnings or acquisition you give to others. Your charity is extended to single, or (sic) a hundred, or even more.
Such acts of charity are highly doubles, etc. productive indeed.
(Thus said the Buddha).
Thereupon the young Māgha addressed the Buddha in the following stanza:
491. (Said Māgha.)
O Gotama, the Apprehending One, robed in dyed raiment of religious recluses, the One devoid of the dwelling of defilements may I ask you this question, Sir:
In this world, when the charity-minded man, the man who makes the offering desirous of acquiring merit, lays out foods and beverages,
how should he watch himself that the offering is actually virtuous? (1)
492. (Said the Buddha) O young Māgha, in the world when the charity-minded man, the man who makes the offerings desirous of acquiring merit, lays out foods and beverages,
he should see to it that the donee is worthy of offerings. (2)
493. (Said Māgha) In this world, when the charity-minded man, the man who makes the offering, desirous of acquiring merit, lays out foods and beverages,
how should I know who is worthy of offering?
May the Buddha guide me there? (3)
494. In this world, there go about certain Noble Ones who are free from attachment and care, actually devoid of passions, self-restrained and attained perfection in the training for knowledge,
to such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (4)
495. There are the Noble Ones, who have broken loose all fetters, tamed, freed from defilements, released from all ill, and who have no desire for anything in life.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (5)
496. There are the Noble Ones, who have cast-off all bond, tamed, freed from defilements, released from all ill, and who have no desire for anything in life.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (6)
497. Passions and ill-will they have abandoned, and these Noble Ones have broken the spell of delusion. They are purified of all moral taints having successfully gone through the Noble Practice.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (7)
498. There's no attachment for either deceit or vanity in these Noble Ones. They are purified of all moral taints having success- fully gone through the Noble Practice.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (8)
499. Greed or covetousness through a false clinging to self are totally absent in these Noble Ones, who have no desire for life. They are purified of all moral taints, having successfully gone through the Noble Practice.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (9)
500. Devoid of craving, the Noble Ones disdain any sensual pleasure; they have crossed the (4) great floods (of defilements) and go about without covetousness (through a false clinging to self)
to such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (10)
501. With them, there's no craving of any kind (through the 6 sense contacts); therefore, there's no leaning to any form of existence, either the present one or any future one.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings make his offerings. (11)
502. They have scorned all sensuality, having left the house that craving built, always guided by their right circumspection. They remain as straight as a shuttle.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (12)
503. Having overcome all passions, they are serene and tranquil; their faculties are well-controlled. Like a moon that has es- caped an eclipse, they have disengaged themselves from defilements.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (13)
504-5. Knowing the Four Noble Truths, they have not a tinge of passion or ill-will abandoned have they their present existence and no future existence is in store either.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (14)
506. Those Noble Ones have completely forsaken rebirth and death; they have been able to overcome all shades of scepticism.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (15)
507. They go about in self-reliance, these Noble Ones, free from attachments and cares and released from the (labyrinth of) rebirths,
to such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahman desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (16)
508. They have discerned the process of the aggregates in their actuality, thus seeing the truth in its ultimate essence. So they know (by Insight-knowledge) that, this is their very last existence, and no rebirth awaits their death.
To such Arahants, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (17)
509. He has dispelled all defilements by his knowledge of the Path; he basks in the blissful concentration; endowed with Perfect Enlightenment, he truly is the haven for the Multitude of man and deva.
To the Buddha, when opportune, should the Brahmin, desirous of acquiring merit by making offerings, make his offerings. (18)
510. (Said Māgha:)
Certainly, my question has not been in vain, for the Buddha has given me guidance on the choice of donees with Your penetrative knowledge in all things.
You have perfect discernment in all knowable things; hence, Your highly beneficial discourse on donees. (19)
511. (Said Māgha, further:)
In this world, when the charity minded man, the man who makes the offering, desirous of acquiring merit, lays out foods and beverages,
what are the qualities that a successful gift should possess? (20)
512. (Said the Buddha) O Young Māgha, do give offerings; and before, or during, or after the offering, keep your mind calm and composed.
Since the thing being offered is the object of the diner's thoughts, cleanliness or righteousness about it should be observed. Thus one is free from any demerit in thought word or deed. (21)
513. The diner must be absolutely free from attachment to the gift he is offering. (Further) he should not have the slightest malice towards the donee.
He should maintain a boundless spirit of benevolence, in all directions by day and by night, in earnest diffusion of kind thoughts. (22)
514. Who is pure, who liberated, and who bound? On what conditions does one go to Brahmāloka, on these questions I, being ignorant, beg of Your answers,
Sir, today I see that the Buddha indeed is Brahma; You truly are the equal of our Brahma; O the One with radiant knowledge, how could one get to Brahmāloka? (23)
515. (Said the Buddha) O young Māgha, he who gives offerings, replete with the 3-fold conditions of successful offering, should win the favour of those worthy ones as donees, such mode of making offerings by the charity-minded man sends the giver to Brahmāloka.
That is my answer. (24)
After the Buddha had said as above, young Māgha (gleefully) said:
Excellent, Venerable Gotama, excellent… (sic).
From this day on, till I die, kindly take me as a disciple of Yours.
End of the 5th Māgha Sutta