SN 2.23 With Serī

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Standing to one side, the godling Serī addressed the Buddha in verse:

“Both gods and humans

enjoy their food.

So what’s the name of the spirit

who doesn’t like food?”

“Those who give with faith

and a clear and confident heart,

partake of food

in this world and the next.

So you should dispel stinginess,

overcoming that stain, and give a gift.

The good deeds of sentient beings

support them in the next world.”

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,

how well said this was by the Buddha.” He repeated the Buddha’s verses, and said:

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“Once upon a time, sir, I was a king named Serī, a giver, a donor, who praised giving.

I gave gifts at the four gates to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars.

Then the ladies of my harem approached me and said,

‘Your Majesty gives gifts, but we don’t.

Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Then it occurred to me,

‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

And so I gave the first gate to the ladies of my harem.

There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.

Then my aristocrat vassals approached me and said,

‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, but we don’t.

Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Then it occurred to me,

‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

And so I gave the second gate to my aristocrat vassals.

There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.

Then my troops approached me and said,

‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, but we don’t.

Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Then it occurred to me,

‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

And so I gave the third gate to my troops.

There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.

Then my brahmins and householders approached me and said,

‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, your troops give gifts, but we don’t.

Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Then it occurred to me,

‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

And so I gave the fourth gate to my brahmins and householders.

There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.

Then my men approached me and said,

‘Now Your Majesty is not giving gifts anywhere!’

When they said this, I said to those men,

‘Well then, lads, deposit half the revenue generated in the outer districts in the royal compound. Give the other half as charity to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars in those districts.’

Sir, for a long time I made so much merit and did so many skillful deeds. I never reached any limit so as to say

‘there’s this much merit’ or ‘there’s this much result of merit’ or ‘for so long I’ll remain in heaven’.

It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,

how well said this was by the Buddha.

‘Those who give with faith

and a clear and confident heart,

partake of food

in this world and the next.

So you should dispel stinginess,

overcoming that stain, and give a gift.

The good deeds of sentient beings

support them in the next world.’”

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho serī devaputto bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Annamevābhinandanti,

ubhaye devamānusā;

Atha ko nāma so yakkho,

yaṁ annaṁ nābhinandatī”ti.

“Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,

vippasannena cetasā;

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:

‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,

vippasannena cetasā;

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’ti.

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, sirī nāma rājā ahosiṁ dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, catūsu dvāresu dānaṁ dīyittha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānaṁ.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, itthāgāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, paṭhamaṁ dvāraṁ itthāgārassa adāsiṁ.

Tattha itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyittha; mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, khattiyā anuyantā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, dutiyaṁ dvāraṁ khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ adāsiṁ.

Tattha khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, balakāyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, tatiyaṁ dvāraṁ balakāyassa adāsiṁ.

Tattha balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, brāhmaṇagahapatikā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, catutthaṁ dvāraṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ adāsiṁ.

Tattha brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, purisā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:

‘na kho dāni devassa koci dānaṁ dīyatī’ti.

Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, te purise etadavocaṁ:

‘tena hi, bhaṇe, yo bāhiresu janapadesu āyo sañjāyati tato upaḍḍhaṁ antepure pavesetha, upaḍḍhaṁ tattheva dānaṁ detha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānan’ti.

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pariyantaṁ nādhigacchāmi—

ettakaṁ puññanti vā ettako puññavipākoti vā ettakaṁ sagge ṭhātabbanti vāti.

Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:

‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,

vippasannena cetasā;

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’”ti.