The Buddha shares the importance of giving, sharing, assisting and making an offering of the Dhamma.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Ahamasmi, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇo yācayogo sadā payatapāṇi antimadehadharo anuttaro bhisakko sallakatto. Tassa me tumhe puttā orasā mukhato jātā dhammajā dhammanimmitā dhammadāyādā, no āmisadāyādā.
“Bhikkhus, I am a brahmin, |approachable to all who request::open to anyone seeking help or teaching [yācayoga]|, |open handed::freely giving, generous [payatapāṇi]|, |bearing my final body::in one’s final existence [antimadehadhara]|, the unsurpassed healer and |remover of arrows [of suffering]::a field surgeon, doctor [sallakatta]|. You are my sons, born from my mouth, born from the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, created by the Dhamma, |inheritors of the Dhamma::spiritual heir [dhammadāyāda]|, not heirs to material things.
Dvemāni, bhikkhave, dānāni— āmisadānañca dhammadānañca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ dānānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammadānaṁ.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |giving::the act of giving or donating, with an intention to give [dāna]|—the giving of material things and the giving of the Dhamma. Of these two givings, bhikkhus, the giving of the Dhamma is |the best::foremost, the highest [etadagga]|.
Dveme, bhikkhave, saṁvibhāgā— āmisasaṁvibhāgo ca dhammasaṁvibhāgo ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ saṁvibhāgānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammasaṁvibhāgo.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |sharing::distributing or sharing something that one has with others [saṃvibhāga]|—sharing of material things and sharing of the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of sharing, bhikkhus, sharing of the Dhamma is the best.
Dveme, bhikkhave, anuggahā— āmisānuggaho ca dhammānuggaho ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ anuggahānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammānuggaho.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |assistance::support, help [anuggaha]|—assistance with material things and assistance with the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of assistance, bhikkhus, assistance with the Dhamma is the best.
Dveme, bhikkhave, yāgā— āmisayāgo ca dhammayāgo ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ yāgānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammayāgo”ti.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |offerings::an offering made consciously, often tied to merit-making or spiritual practice [yāga]| - the offering of material things and the offering of the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of offerings, bhikkhus, the offering of the Dhamma is the best.”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Yo dhammayāgaṁ ayajī amaccharī,
Tathāgato sabbabhūtānukampī;
Taṁ tādisaṁ devamanussaseṭṭhaṁ,
Sattā namassanti bhavassa pāragun”ti.
“The one who made the offering of the Dhamma, |free of stinginess::with contentment, without envy [amacchara]|,
The |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|, compassionate towards all beings;
Such a one, the foremost among gods and humans,
beings |bow to::worship, venerate, revere, honor [namassati]| him, the one |who has crossed beyond existence::who has gone beyond the state of existence [bhava + pāragū]|.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Bhikkhus, I am a brahmin, |approachable to all who request::open to anyone seeking help or teaching [yācayoga]|, |open handed::freely giving, generous [payatapāṇi]|, |bearing my final body::in one’s final existence [antimadehadhara]|, the unsurpassed healer and |remover of arrows [of suffering]::a field surgeon, doctor [sallakatta]|. You are my sons, born from my mouth, born from the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, created by the Dhamma, |inheritors of the Dhamma::spiritual heir [dhammadāyāda]|, not heirs to material things.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |giving::the act of giving or donating, with an intention to give [dāna]|—the giving of material things and the giving of the Dhamma. Of these two givings, bhikkhus, the giving of the Dhamma is |the best::foremost, the highest [etadagga]|.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |sharing::distributing or sharing something that one has with others [saṃvibhāga]|—sharing of material things and sharing of the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of sharing, bhikkhus, sharing of the Dhamma is the best.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |assistance::support, help [anuggaha]|—assistance with material things and assistance with the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of assistance, bhikkhus, assistance with the Dhamma is the best.
Bhikkhus, there are these two kinds of |offerings::an offering made consciously, often tied to merit-making or spiritual practice [yāga]| - the offering of material things and the offering of the Dhamma. Of these two kinds of offerings, bhikkhus, the offering of the Dhamma is the best.”
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“The one who made the offering of the Dhamma, |free of stinginess::with contentment, without envy [amacchara]|,
The |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|, compassionate towards all beings;
Such a one, the foremost among gods and humans,
beings |bow to::worship, venerate, revere, honor [namassati]| him, the one |who has crossed beyond existence::who has gone beyond the state of existence [bhava + pāragū]|.”
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
“Ahamasmi, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇo yācayogo sadā payatapāṇi antimadehadharo anuttaro bhisakko sallakatto. Tassa me tumhe puttā orasā mukhato jātā dhammajā dhammanimmitā dhammadāyādā, no āmisadāyādā.
Dvemāni, bhikkhave, dānāni— āmisadānañca dhammadānañca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ dānānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammadānaṁ.
Dveme, bhikkhave, saṁvibhāgā— āmisasaṁvibhāgo ca dhammasaṁvibhāgo ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ saṁvibhāgānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammasaṁvibhāgo.
Dveme, bhikkhave, anuggahā— āmisānuggaho ca dhammānuggaho ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ anuggahānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammānuggaho.
Dveme, bhikkhave, yāgā— āmisayāgo ca dhammayāgo ca. Etadaggaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ dvinnaṁ yāgānaṁ yadidaṁ dhammayāgo”ti.
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
“Yo dhammayāgaṁ ayajī amaccharī,
Tathāgato sabbabhūtānukampī;
Taṁ tādisaṁ devamanussaseṭṭhaṁ,
Sattā namassanti bhavassa pāragun”ti.
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.