Thursday, January 20, 2022

The Karma of Beauty: Sudatta Sutra

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Sudatta Sutra from "The Book of the Fours" (Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.58); Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Maybe if you gave more like I give? - I guess.
The householder [Sudatta, known to the world as] Anāthapiṇḍika ("one who gives alms to the needy") approached the Blessed One (the Buddha)….And the Blessed One said to him:

“Householder, a noble disciple who gives food gives the recipients four things. What are these four things? One gives:
  1. life
  2. beauty
  3. happiness
  4. strength.
Why should I give? No one ever gave to me!
“Having given [long] life, one partakes of [long] life, whether celestial or human.

“Having given beauty, one partakes of beauty, whether celestial or human.

“Having given happiness, one partakes of happiness, whether celestial or human.

“Having given strength, one partakes of strength, whether celestial or human.

“Householder, a noble disciple who gives food gives the recipients these four things.”

One who respectfully gives timely food to those self-controlled ones who eat what others give, provides them with four things: life, beauty, happiness, and strength.

The person who gives life and beauty, who gives happiness and strength, will obtain long life and fame wherever one is reborn. Source

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