[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 33.19 # 法苑珠林 33.19 法苑珠林 33.19 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [33.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33.19) 如須達經云。世尊告須達長者曰。有居士行施。不信施與。不隨時與。不自手與。不往而施與。亦不知。亦不信。亦不知有因緣行果報而行施與。當知彼受報意不妙（反前為妙）昔有過去世。有鞞藍大婆羅門。大富多財。彼作大施。以八十四千金鉢碎銀滿中。彼行大施。八十四千銀鉢滿中碎金。八十四千金鉢滿中碎金。八十四千銀鉢滿中碎銀。八十四千象。象白如雪。八十四千馬。金飾交露。八十四千牛𤛓乳滿器。八十四千玉女。端正姝妙諸纓嚴飾。如是行施餘不可數。彼居士鞞藍大富。作如是大施。與閻浮提凡夫人。寧施與彼一仙人得福多。雖與仙人。不如施一須陀洹此得福多。雖與須陀洹。不如施與一斯陀含。雖與斯陀含。不如施一阿那含。雖與阿那含。不如施與阿羅漢。百須陀洹。不如施與一斯陀含。雖與百斯陀含。不如施與一阿那含。雖與百阿那含。不如施與一阿羅漢。雖與百阿羅漢。不如施與一辟支佛。雖與百辟支佛。不如施與如來無所著等正覺此得福多。彼居士作如是施與。閻浮提凡夫人。至百辟支佛作房舍以施招提僧。得福增多。雖與招提僧。不如以清淨意作三自歸佛法僧受其戒此得福多。雖受三歸受戒。不如於一眾生行於慈悲至𤛓牛頃此得福多。雖於一切眾生分別行慈下至𤛓牛頃。謂不如一切行無常苦空無我思惟念者。下至一彈指頃。此得福多。又增一阿含經云。爾時世尊告諸比丘。有四梵福。云何為四。若有信人未曾起偷婆處（塔是也）於中能起偷婆者。是初受梵天之福。若有信人能補治故寺者。是謂第二受梵天之福。若有信人能和合聖眾者。是謂第三受梵天之福。若佛初轉法輪時。諸天世人勸請轉法輪。是謂第四受梵天之福。爾時有異比丘白世尊言。梵天之福竟為多少。世尊告曰閻浮里地眾生所有功德。如是展轉行從四天下至他化自在天之福。故不如一梵天王之福。若求其福。此是其量也。 > As the \*Sudatta-sūtra\* says: The World-Honoured One addressed the elder Sudatta, saying: "There is a householder who practices giving: he does not give with faith; he does not give according to the proper time; he does not give with his own hands; he does not go in person to give; and he neither knows, nor believes, nor understands that there are causes and conditions, actions and retributions, yet he practices giving. You should know that his mind in receiving retribution will not be sublime (the reverse of the former is sublime). Formerly, in a past age, there was a great brahmin named Velāma, who was exceedingly wealthy and had abundant riches. He made a great gift: eighty-four thousand golden bowls filled with broken silver; he made a great gift of eighty-four thousand silver bowls filled with broken gold; eighty-four thousand golden bowls filled with broken gold; eighty-four thousand silver bowls filled with broken silver; eighty-four thousand elephants, white as snow; eighty-four thousand horses, adorned with gold and trappings; eighty-four thousand cows whose milk filled containers; eighty-four thousand fair maidens, upright, lovely, and adorned with all kinds of necklaces. Other gifts made like this were countless. That householder Velāma was exceedingly wealthy and made such a great gift to ordinary people throughout Jambudvīpa; yet it would bring greater merit to give to a single ṛṣi. Though giving to a ṛṣi, it does not compare to the greater merit of giving to a single srotāpanna. Though giving to a srotāpanna, it does not compare to giving to a single sakṛdāgāmin. Though giving to a sakṛdāgāmin, it does not compare to giving to a single anāgāmin. Though giving to an anāgāmin, it does not compare to giving to an arhat. Giving to a hundred srotāpannas does not compare to giving to a single sakṛdāgāmin. Though giving to a hundred sakṛdāgāmins, it does not compare to giving to a single anāgāmin. Though giving to a hundred anāgāmins, it does not compare to giving to a single arhat. Though giving to a hundred arhats, it does not compare to giving to a single pratyekabuddha. Though giving to a hundred pratyekabuddhas, it does not compare to the greater merit of giving to a Tathāgata, Arhat, and Samyaksaṃbuddha. Even if that householder were to make such gifts to ordinary people of Jambudvīpa up to a hundred pratyekabuddhas, building dwellings and giving them to the Saṃgha of the four directions brings even more merit. Though giving to the Saṃgha of the four directions, it does not compare to the greater merit of taking the three refuges in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha with a pure mind and receiving their precepts. Though taking the three refuges and receiving precepts, it does not compare to the greater merit of practicing loving-kindness and compassion toward a single sentient creature for even the time it takes to milk a cow. Though practicing loving-kindness toward all sentient creatures individually for even the time it takes to milk a cow, it is said not to compare to the greater merit of contemplating and being mindful of the impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self of all conditioned phenomena, down to the snapping of a finger." Furthermore, the \*Ekottarika-āgama\* says: At that time, the World-Honoured One addressed the monks: "There are four kinds of Brahmā-merit. What are the four? If a faithful person can erect a stūpa where no stūpa has ever been built before (a pagoda), this is the first attainment of the merit of Brahmā. If a faithful person can repair a dilapidated monastery, this is called the second attainment of the merit of Brahmā. If a faithful person can harmonize the holy assembly, this is called the third attainment of the merit of Brahmā. When the Buddha first turns the wheel of the Dharma, if gods and people of the world exhort and entreat him to turn the wheel of the Dharma, this is called the fourth attainment of the merit of Brahmā." At that time, a certain monk said to the World-Honoured One: "How great, in the end, is the merit of Brahmā?" The World-Honoured One told him: "The merit of all sentient beings on the earth of Jambudvīpa, and so on progressively the merit of beings from the four continents up to the Heaven of Paranirmitavaśavartin, does not equal the merit of a single Brahmā king. If one seeks its measure, this is its amount." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 33.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33.18) - [Next: 33.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33.20) - [Up: 33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.33.19) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.33.19) · Pramāṇa