Verses on Dhamma 25.12.p7

25.12.p7

Athassa so upamaṃ āhari ‘‘seyyathāpi, paṇḍita, kulasatike gāme ekasmiṃ ghare dīpaṃ jāleyya, sesā attano telena vaṭṭiṃ temetvā jālāpetvā gaṇheyyuṃ, purimapadīpassa pabhā atthīti vattabbā natthī’’ti. Atirekatarā, bhante, pabhā hotīti. Evamevaṃ paṇḍita uḷuṅkayāgu vā hotu, kaṭacchubhikkhā vā, attano piṇḍapāte paresaṃ pattiṃ dentassa yattakānaṃ deti, tattakaṃ vaḍḍhati. Tvañhi ekameva piṇḍapātaṃ adāsi, seṭṭhissa pana pattiyā dinnāya dve piṇḍapātā honti eko tava, eko tassāti.

The Private Buddha answered by a simile: “Wise man, it is as if in a village consisting of a hundred families, a man were to light a lamp in a single house and the rest of the villagers were to moisten their wicks with their own oil, light their lamps, and take them away with them. Is that light the light of the first lamp or not?” “Reverend Sir, in that case the light of the first lamp has multiplied itself.” “Wise man, precisely so is it with the alms you gave. Whether it be a ladleful of broth, or a spoonful of boiled rice, when a man makes over to others the merit of a portion of alms which he has given, the merit thereof increases according to the number of persons to whom he gives. To be sure, you have given but a single portion of alms. But in making over the merit thereof to the treasurer, that one portion of alms has become two, of which one belongs to you and the other to him.”