Anguttaranikaya 8.1.3.4.24

8.1.3.4.24

Catutthe pañcamattehi upāsakasatehīti sotāpannasakadāgāmīnaṃyeva ariyasāvakaupāsakānaṃ pañcahi satehi parivuto bhuttapātarāso gandhamālavilepenacuṇṇāni gahetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. Saṅgahavatthūnīti saṅgaṇhanakāraṇāni. Tehāhanti tehi ahaṃ. Taṃ dānena saṅgaṇhāmīti naṅgalabalibaddabhattabījādīni ceva gandhamālamūlādīni ca datvā saṅgaṇhāmi. Peyyavajjenāti amma, tāta, bhātara, bhaginītiādikena kaṇṇasukhena mudukena piyavacanena saṅgaṇhāmi. Atthacariyāyāti ‘‘imassa dānena vā piyavacanena vā kiccaṃ natthi, atthacariyāya saṅgaṇhitabbayuttako aya’’nti ñatvā uppannakiccanittharaṇasaṅkhātāya atthacariyāya saṅgaṇhāmi. Samānattatāyāti ‘‘imassa dānādīhi kiccaṃ natthi, samānattatāya saṅgaṇhitabbo aya’’nti ekato khādanapivananisajjādīhi attanā samānaṃ katvā saṅgaṇhāmi. Daliddassa kho no tathā sotabbaṃ maññantīti daliddassa kiñci dātuṃ vā kātuṃ vā asakkontassa, yathā daliddassa no tathā sotabbaṃ maññanti, mama pana sotabbaṃ maññanti, dinnovāde tiṭṭhanti, na me anusāsaniṃ atikkamitabbaṃ maññanti. Yoni kho tyāyanti upāyo kho te ayaṃ. Imesu pana dvīsupi suttesu satthārā sīlacāgapaññā missakā kathitāti veditabbā.

In the fourth [sutta]: "With about five hundred lay followers": surrounded by five hundred lay followers who were noble disciples, namely stream-enterers and once-returners, having eaten his breakfast, and having taken perfumes, garlands, ointments, and scented powders, he approached the Blessed One. "Bases of sympathy": means for bringing people together. "Through them I": with them, I. "I bring them together through giving": I bring them together having given plows, oxen, cooked food, seeds, and the like, as well as perfumes, garlands, roots, and the like. "Through pleasant speech": I bring them together with soft, affectionate speech that is pleasing to the ear, such as "Mother," "Father," "Brother," "Sister," and so forth. "Through beneficial conduct": having understood, "This one has no need for giving or pleasant speech; he is one who ought to be brought together through beneficial conduct," I bring them together through beneficial conduct consisting of seeing to duties that have arisen. "Through impartiality": having understood, "This one has no need for giving and the like; he ought to be brought together through impartiality," I bring them together by making myself equal [to him] through eating, drinking, sitting, and so forth together. "They would not think to listen like that to a poor man": to a poor man who is unable to give anything or do anything, they would not think to listen in that way as to a poor man; but to me, they think they should listen, they abide by the advice I give, and they do not think they should disregard my instruction. "This is your means": this is indeed your method. But in both these suttas, it should be understood that virtue, generosity, and wisdom were spoken of together by the Teacher.