The "Giving Sutra": a discourse on dana

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Dana (AN 6.37)

SUMMARY: The Dāna Sutra regards an offering by Velukantakī Nandamātā to a group of ascetics with the Buddha's two chief male disciples at their head. Her offering, says the Buddha, is complete in six ways: three from the giver, three from the recipients: The giver is (1) glad at heart before making a gift, (2) is satisfied while giving, (3) rejoices after giving the gift. Recipients are (4) lust-free, (5) hate-free, (6) delusion-free or practicing toward such freedom. The merit (good karma) obtained from such a gift is incalculable (A.iii.336f.)

.

The Buddha is the Great Friend to all.

On one occasion the Blessed One [the Buddha] was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's monastery.

On that occasion the laywoman Velukandaki, Nanda's mother, had established a donation endowed with six factors for the monastic community headed by Sāriputta and [Maha] Moggallāna.

I love when we exchange gifts! (SheKnows)

The Blessed One saw with his divine eye, which surpasses the human, that the laywoman Velukandaki, Nanda's mother, had done so. And seeing this, he addressed the monastics:

"Meditators, the laywoman Velukandaki, Nanda's mother, has established a donation endowed with six factors for the monastic community headed by Sariputta and Maha Moggallana.
 
"How is a donation endowed with six factors? There is the case where there are the three factors of the donor, the three factors of the recipients.
 
"What are the three factors of the donor? In one case the donor, before giving, is glad. While giving, his or her mind is bright and clear. After giving, one is gratified. These are the three factors of the donor.
 
"Now what are the three factors of the recipients? In one case, the recipients are free of passion or are practicing for the subduing of passion. They are free of aversion or practicing for the subduing of aversion. They are free of delusion or practicing for the subduing of delusion.

• [NOTE: Greed, hatred/fear, and delusion (craving, aversion, and ignorance) are the three sources, the three root causes, of all bad karma and therefore of all suffering in Buddhism.]

"These are the three factors of the recipients.
 
"These are the three factors of the donor and the three factors of the recipients. And this is how a donation is endowed with six factors.
  
"It is not easy to measure the merit of a donation endowed with six factors as 'just this much a boon of merit, a bonanza of what is skillful -- a source of bliss, heavenly, resulting in bliss, leading to [rebirth in a] heaven -- that leads to what is wished for, pleasing, charming, beneficial, and pleasant.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of merit, incalculable, immeasurable. (See Dhp 195-196).
 

Devas (fairies) give

"Just as it is difficult to measure the great ocean as 'just this many buckets of water, just this many hundreds of buckets of water, just this many thousands of buckets of water, or just this many hundreds of thousands of buckets of water,' it is instead simply reckoned as a great mass of water, incalculable, immeasurable.

"In the same way, it is difficult to measure the merit of a donation endowed with these six factors as 'just this much a boon of merit, a bonanza of what is skillful -- a source of bliss, heavenly, resulting in bliss, leading to [rebirth in a] heaven -- that leads to what is wished for, pleasing, charming, beneficial, and pleasant.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of merit, incalculable, immeasurable."

Summary in verse

What did the Buddha know and teach?

Before giving one is glad

While giving, the mind bright and clear

Having given, gratified:

This is the consummation of "sacrifice" (dana, offering)

Passion-free, aversion-free, delusion-free

without defilement:

This is the consummation of the field of sacrifice,

giving to one restrained, leading the highest life

• The Thai edition puts this sentence in the singular form, as translated here. The Pali Text Society and Burmese editions put it in the plural.

Having rinsed oneself,

having given with one's own hands,

then -- because of oneself
and because of the other --

• In other words, because one is possessed of the three factors as the donor, and the other -- the recipient -- is possessed of the three factors as the recipient.

Gifts for all! Chinese donation envelopes

That is a sacrifice yielding great fruit

Having given in this way -- intelligent --

a person of confidence (faith),

by wisdom released, reappears -- wise --

in a world of unalloyed bliss.