ReadingFaithfully.org icon Facebook icon Bluesky icon Reddit icon Tumblr icon Mastodon icon RSS icon

MN 142 From… Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta: The Analysis of Giving—Gifts to an Individual

[NOTE: In the part of the sutta after this the Buddha goes on to explain that a gift to a saṅgha is always greater than a gift to an individual]

“…Now, Ānanda, gifts to the following individuals may be expected to yield the following returns. 

“Giving a gift to an animal, yields a return a hundred times over. 

“Giving a gift to an unvirtuous ordinary person, yields a return a thousand times over

“Giving a gift to a virtuous ordinary person, yields a return a hundred thousand times over (100,000). 

“Giving a gift to an outsider free of desire for sense pleasures, yields a return a trillion times over (1,000,000,000,000). 

“But giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry yields incalculable, immeasurable returns. How much more so giving a gift to a stream-enterer? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of once-return? How much more so giving a gift to a once-returner? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of non-return? How much more so giving a gift to a non-returner? How much more so giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of arahantship? How much more so giving a gift to an arahant? How much more so giving a gift to a Private Buddha? 

“How much more so giving a gift to the Supreme Buddha?…”


Read the entire translation of Majjhima Nikāya 142 Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta: The Analysis of Giving by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, or Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Or read a translation in বাংলা, Deutsch, Español, Français, हिन्दी, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, မြန်မာဘာသာ, Norsk, Português, Русский, සිංහල, Slovenščina, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, or 汉语. Learn how to find your language.