法苑珠林 33.19

33.19

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."