法苑珠林 24.23

24.23

又正法念經云。若有眾生正行善業。為邪見人說一偈法令淨信佛。命終生應聲天受種種樂。從天還退隨業流轉。若為財物故與人說法。不以悲心利益眾生。而取財物。或用飲酒。或與女人共飲共食。如伎兒法自實求財。如是法施其果甚少。生於天上作智慧鳥。能說偈頌。是則名曰下品法施也。云何名為中品法施耶。為名聞故。為勝他故。為勝餘大法師故。為人說法。或以妬心為人說法。如是法施得報亦少。生於天中受中果報。或生人中。是則名曰中品法施也。云何名為上品法施耶。以清淨心為欲增長眾生智慧。而為說法。不為財利。為令邪見眾生等住於正法。如是法施。自利利人無上最勝。乃至涅槃其福不盡。是則名曰上品法施也。

Furthermore, the Saddharmanityupasthāna-sūtra says: If there are sentient beings who rightly practice wholesome deeds, and for a person of wrong view they speak a single verse of Dharma causing them to have pure faith in the Buddha, at the end of their life they will be born in the Heaven of Responsive Sound and experience various pleasures; falling back from heaven, they wander according to their karma. If, for the sake of wealth and goods, one preaches the Dharma to others, not with a compassionate mind to benefit sentient beings, but taking wealth and goods and perhaps using it to drink wine, or to eat and drink together with women, like the ways of performers who genuinely seek wealth for themselves, then the fruit of such giving of the Dharma is extremely slight: they will be born in the heavens as a wise bird able to chant verses. This is called the inferior giving of the Dharma. What is called the middling giving of the Dharma? For the sake of fame and renown, to surpass others, or to surpass other great Dharma teachers, one preaches the Dharma to people, or preaches the Dharma to people with an envious mind. The retribution obtained from such giving of the Dharma is also slight: they are born in the heavens to receive middling retribution, or are born among humans. This is called the middling giving of the Dharma. What is called the superior giving of the Dharma? With a pure mind and desiring to increase the wisdom of sentient beings, one preaches the Dharma for them, not for wealth or profit, but to cause sentient beings of wrong views and the like to abide in the true Dharma. Such giving of the Dharma benefits both oneself and others, is supreme and foremost, and even up to nirvāṇa its blessings are never exhausted. This is called the superior giving of the Dharma.