1Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“I have heard, Master Gotama, that the ascetic Gotama says this: ‘Gifts should only be given to me, not to others. Gifts should only be given to my disciples, not to the disciples of others. Only what is given to me is very fruitful, not what is given to others. Only what is given to my disciples is very fruitful, not what is given to the disciples of others.’

I trust that those who say this repeat what the Buddha has said, and do not misrepresent him with an untruth? Is their explanation in line with the teaching? Are there any legitimate grounds for rebuke and criticism? For we don’t want to misrepresent Master Gotama.”

---

2“Vaccha, those who say this do not repeat what I have said. They misrepresent me with what is false and untrue.

Anyone who prevents another from giving makes an obstacle and a barrier for three people. What three? The giver is obstructed from making merit. The receiver is obstructed from getting what is offered. And they’ve already broken and damaged themselves. Anyone who prevents another from giving makes an obstacle and a barrier for these three people.

3Vaccha, this is what I say: ‘You even make merit by tipping out dish-washing water in a cesspool or a sump with living creatures in it, thinking: “May any creatures here be nourished!”’ How much more then for human beings!

However, I also say that a gift to an ethical person is more fruitful than one to an unethical person. They’ve given up five factors, and possess five factors.

4What are the five factors they’ve given up? Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. These are the five factors they’ve given up.

5What are the five factors they possess? The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom. These are the five factors they possess.

---

I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.

---

6Cows may be black or white,
red or tawny,
mottled or uniform,
or pigeon-colored.

7But when one is born among them,
the bull that’s tamed
— a behemoth, powerful,
well-paced in pulling forward —
they yoke the load just to him,
regardless of his color.

8So it is for humans,
wherever they may be born
— among aristocrats, brahmins, merchants,
workers, or outcastes and scavengers —

9one is born among them,
tamed, true to their vows.
Firm in principle, accomplished in ethical conduct,
truthful, conscientious,

10they’ve given up birth and death.
Complete in the spiritual journey,
with burden put down, detached,
they’ve completed the task and are free of defilements.

11Gone beyond all things,
they’re extinguished by not grasping.
In that flawless field,
a religious donation is abundant.

12Fools who don’t understand
— stupid, uneducated —
give their gifts to those outside,
and don’t attend the peaceful ones.

13But those who do attend the peaceful ones
— wise, esteemed as sages —
and whose faith in the Holy One
has roots planted deep,

14they go to the realm of the gods,
or are born here in a good family.
Gradually those astute ones
reach extinguishment.”

1Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"sutaṁ metaṁ, bho gotama, samaṇo gotamo evamāha:  ‘mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ; mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ; mayhameva dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ; mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan’ti. Ye te, bho gotama, evamāhaṁsu ‘samaṇo gotamo evamāha:  "mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ. Mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ. Mayhameva dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ. Mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan"’ti.

Kacci te bhoto gotamassa vuttavādino na ca bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānupāto gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchati? Anabbhakkhātukāmā hi mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotaman"ti.

---

2"Ye te, vaccha, evamāhaṁsu:  ‘samaṇo gotamo evamāha:  "mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ … pe … nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan"’ti na me te vuttavādino. Abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṁ asatā abhūtena.

Yo kho, vaccha, paraṁ dānaṁ dadantaṁ vāreti so tiṇṇaṁ antarāyakaro hoti, tiṇṇaṁ pāripanthiko. Katamesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ? Dāyakassa puññantarāyakaro hoti, paṭiggāhakānaṁ lābhantarāyakaro hoti, pubbeva kho panassa attā khato ca hoti upahato ca. Yo kho, vaccha, paraṁ dānaṁ dadantaṁ vāreti so imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ antarāyakaro hoti, tiṇṇaṁ pāripanthiko.

3Ahaṁ kho pana, vaccha, evaṁ vadāmi:  ‘ye hi te candanikāya vā oligalle vā pāṇā, tatrapi yo thālidhovanaṁ vā sarāvadhovanaṁ vā chaḍḍeti:  "ye tattha pāṇā te tena yāpentū"’ti, tato nidānampāhaṁ, vaccha, puññassa āgamaṁ vadāmi. Ko pana vādo manussabhūte.

Api cāhaṁ, vaccha, sīlavato dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ vadāmi, no tathā dussīlassa, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato.

4Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti? Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Imāni pañcaṅgāni vippahīnāni honti.

5Katamehi pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti; imehi pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

---

Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalanti vadāmīti.

---

6Iti kaṇhāsu setāsu,
rohiṇīsu harīsu vā;
Kammāsāsu sarūpāsu,
gosu pārevatāsu vā.

7Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati puṅgavo;
Dhorayho balasampanno,
kalyāṇajavanikkamo;
Tameva bhāre yuñjanti,
nāssa vaṇṇaṁ parikkhare.

8Evamevaṁ manussesu,
yasmiṁ kasmiñci jātiye;
Khattiye brāhmaṇe vesse,
sudde caṇḍālapukkuse.

9Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati subbato;
Dhammaṭṭho sīlasampanno,
saccavādī hirīmano.

10Pahīnajātimaraṇo,
brahmacariyassa kevalī;
Pannabhāro visaṁyutto,
katakicco anāsavo.

11Pāragū sabbadhammānaṁ,
anupādāya nibbuto;
Tasmiṁyeva viraje khette,
vipulā hoti dakkhiṇā.

12Bālā ca avijānantā,
dummedhā assutāvino;
Bahiddhā denti dānāni,
na hi sante upāsare.

13Ye ca sante upāsanti,
sappaññe dhīrasammate;
Saddhā ca nesaṁ sugate,
mūlajātā patiṭṭhitā.

14Devalokañca te yanti,
kule vā idha jāyare;
Anupubbena nibbānaṁ,
adhigacchanti paṇḍitā"ti.

Sattamaṁ.