Date: 03/23/2024 03/24/2024
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Otto Huang
Dharma Talk
The Offering of the Gold-Threaded Robe
Once, the Buddha came to his homeland of Kapilavastu and resided in the Jetavana Monastery in the south of the city.
One day, Buddha’s aunt, Mahaprajapati, brought a new, hand-sewn yellow robe embroidered with gold, intending to offer it to the Buddha.
The Buddha told her:
“Gautami woman! This robe should be offered to the Sangha. Offering to the Sangha is equivalent to offering to me, and also to the Sangha.”
However, Mahaprajapati insisted that the Buddha accept it, and the Buddha also repeatedly urged her to offer it to the Sangha.
At that moment, standing behind the Buddha, the venerable Ananda, who was fanning the Buddha, said:
“World-Honored One! Please accept it. World-Honored One! MahaprajapatiGautami has taken great care of you. She is not only your aunt but also your nurse and foster mother. After your birth mother passed away, it was she who breastfed and raised you.”
“Yes, Ananda! MahaprajapatiGautami indeed took great care of me and raised me after my mother’s death.
Ananda! MahaprajapatiGautami also took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha because of me, without doubting the Three Jewels, without doubting suffering, its origin, cessation, and the path, and she abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants, achieving faith, precepts, generosity, hearing, and wisdom. If a person wishes to repay the kindness of the one who led them to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha with lifelong respect and offering of necessities, it is impossible to fully repay.
Furthermore, Ananda! There is great merit and fortune in making offerings to fourteen kinds of individual beings. These fourteen are: Tathagata, Pratyekabuddha, Arhat, those on the path to Arhatship, Anagami, those on the path to Anagami, Sakadagami, those on the path to Sakadagami, Sotapanna, those on the path to Sotapanna, ascetics free from desire, diligent practitioners, ordinary people, and animals. Ananda! If the merit gained from offering to animals is a hundred, then offering to ordinary people is a thousand, to diligent practitioners is a hundred thousand, to ascetics free from desire is a trillion, to the noble ones from Sotapanna to Arhat is immeasurable, as is offering to a Pratyekabuddha, and what more for offering to a Tathagata.
Moreover, Ananda! There is great merit and fortune in making offerings to seven types of monastic communities, even if there might be lazy, hypocritical bad monks mixed within, the merit and fortune are still great. These seven types are: one, monks and nuns during the Tathagata’s lifetime. Two, Monks and nuns shortly after the Tathagata’s Parinirvana. Three, offering to a community of monks only. Four, offering to a community of nuns only. Five, offering to a specified community of monks and nuns. Six, offering to a specified community of monks. Seven, offering to a specified community of nuns.
Ananda! The merit and result obtained from making offerings to any specific individual, no matter how great, will never surpass the merit from offering to the Sangha.
Furthermore, Ananda! There are four types of giving: one, from a pure donor practicing good deeds to an impure recipient practicing evil deeds. This giving is pure because of the donor. Two,from an impure donor practicing evil deeds to a pure recipient practicing good deeds. This giving is pure because of the recipient. Three, from an impure donor practicing evil deeds to an impure recipient practicing evil deeds. This giving is impure for both the donor and the recipient. Four, from a pure donor practicing good deeds to a pure recipient also practicing good deeds. This giving is pure for both the donor and the recipient.”
