Velāma Sutta

The Buddha's words

Tipitaka_Pali_Reader

Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then Anāthapiṇḍika the householder approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to Anāthapiṇḍika the householder, as he sat to one side:

"Is almsgiving given in your family, householder?"

"Almsgiving is given in my family, Bhante, but it is coarse, broken rice mixed with sour gruel."

"Whether, householder, one gives coarse alms or excellent alms; if one gives it disrespectfully, without consideration, not with one's own hand, casts it away, or gives it without a view to future results. Wherever the result of that particular gift arises, the mind does not incline towards abundant food enjoyment, the mind does not incline towards abundant clothing enjoyment, the mind does not incline towards abundant vehicle enjoyment, the mind does not incline towards the enjoyment of the five abundant sense pleasures. And his children, or wives, or slaves, or servants, or workers, they too do not listen, do not give ear, do not apply their minds to understanding. For what reason is that? This, householder, is the result of actions done disrespectfully.”

“But householder, if one gives a gift, whether coarse or excellent; and gives it respectfully, gives it with reverence, gives it with one’s own hand, gives it not as if discarding it, gives it with the view that its result will come. Wherever the result of that particular gift arises, the mind inclines towards abundant food enjoyment, the mind inclines towards abundant clothing enjoyment, the mind inclines towards abundant vehicle enjoyment, the mind inclines towards the enjoyment of the five abundant sense pleasures. And his children, or wives, or slaves, or servants, or workers, they too listen, give ear, apply their minds to understanding. For what reason is that? This, householder, is the result of actions done respectfully.

“Formerly, householder, there was a brahmin named Velāma. He gave such a great gift.

He gave eighty-four thousand golden bowls filled with silver, eighty-four thousand silver bowls filled with gold, eighty-four thousand bronze bowls filled with jewels; eighty-four thousand elephants adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets; eighty-four thousand chariots covered with lion skins, or tiger skins, or leopard skins, or yellow woolen blankets, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets; eighty-four thousand milch cows with fine linen cloths for milking, with bronze pails for receiving milk; eighty-four thousand maidens adorned with jeweled earrings; eighty-four thousand couches covered with long-fleeced rugs, or white rugs, or embroidered rugs, or the finest antelope-skin covers, with canopies, with red pillows at both ends; eighty-four thousand crores of cloths of fine linen, fine silk, fine wool, fine cotton. What need is there to speak of food, drink, hard food, soft food, lickables, and sipables? It was as if rivers flowed forth.

“It might occur to you, householder, thus: ‘Surely, another Velāma brahmin existed at that time, who gave that great gift.’ But householder, it should not be seen thus. I was the Velāma brahmin at that time. I gave that great gift. But householder, in that gift, there was no one worthy of offerings; no one purified that offering.

“Householder, if one were to feed one person endowed with right view, this is more fruitful than the great gift that the Velāma brahmin gave.

If one were to feed one hundred persons endowed with right view, or if one were to feed one Sakadāgāmī, this is more fruitful than that.

“Whoever should feed a hundred once-returners, or whoever should feed one non-returner… whoever should feed a hundred non-returners, or whoever should feed one Arahant… whoever should feed a hundred Arahants, or whoever should feed one Paccekabuddha… whoever should feed a hundred Paccekabuddhas, or whoever should feed a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One… whoever should feed a Saṅgha headed by the Buddha… whoever should have a monastery built for the Saṅgha of the four directions… whoever, with a confident mind, should go for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha… whoever, with a confident mind, should undertake the training rules—abstinence from the destruction of life, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from misconduct in sensual pleasures, abstinence from false speech, abstinence from wines, liquors, and intoxicants, which are the basis of heedlessness—or whoever should develop a mind of loving-kindness even for the time it takes to snap one's fingers, this is of greater fruit than that.

“And, householder, the great offering that Velāma the brahmin gave, and whoever should feed one stream-enterer… whoever should feed a hundred stream-enterers, or whoever should feed one once-returner… whoever should feed a hundred once-returners, or whoever should feed one non-returner… whoever should feed a hundred non-returners, or whoever should feed one Arahant… whoever should feed a hundred Arahants, or whoever should feed one Paccekabuddha… whoever should feed a hundred Paccekabuddhas, or whoever should feed a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One… whoever should feed a Saṅgha headed by the Buddha, or whoever should have a monastery built for the Saṅgha of the four directions… whoever, with a confident mind, should go for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, or whoever, with a confident mind, should undertake the training rules—abstinence from the destruction of life… abstinence from wines, liquors, and intoxicants, which are the basis of heedlessness—or whoever should develop a mind of loving-kindness even for the time it takes to smell a perfume, or whoever should develop the perception of impermanence even for the time it takes to snap one's fingers, this is of greater fruit than that.”