Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.78

Numbered Discourses 4.78

8. Apaṇṇakavagga

8. Guaranteed

Dakkhiṇasutta

A Religious Donation

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo. Katamā catasso? Atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.

“Bhikkhus, there are these four ways of purifying a religious donation. What four? There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the giver, not the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the recipient, not the giver. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by neither the giver nor the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by both the giver and the recipient.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo; paṭiggāhakā honti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by the giver, not the recipient? It’s when the giver is ethical, of good character, but the recipient is unethical, of bad character.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo; paṭiggāhakā honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by the recipient, not the giver? It’s when the giver is unethical, of bad character, but the recipient is ethical, of good character.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo; paṭiggāhakāpi honti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato.

And how is a religious donation purified by neither the giver nor the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are unethical, of bad character.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo; paṭiggāhakāpi honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.

And how is a religious donation purified by both the giver and the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are ethical, of good character.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo”ti.

These are the four ways of purifying a religious donation.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.