{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn2.23/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn2.23","id":"suttacentral_sn2.23","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn2.23/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"Standing to one side, the godling Ser\u012b addressed the Buddha in verse: \u201cBoth gods and humans enjoy their food. So what\u2019s the name of the spirit who doesn\u2019t like food?\u201d \u201cThose who give with faith and a clear and confident heart, partake of food in this world and the next. So you should dispel stinginess, overcoming that stain, and give a gift. The good deeds of sentient beings support them in the next world.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.\u201d He repeated the Buddha\u2019s verses, and said: \u201cOnce upon a time, sir, I was a king named Ser\u012b, a giver, a donor, who praised giving. I gave gifts at the four gates to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars. Then the ladies of my harem approached me and said, \u2018Your Majesty gives gifts, but we don\u2019t. Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.\u2019 Then it occurred to me, \u2018I\u2019m a giver, a donor, who praises giving. When they say, \u201cWe would give gifts\u201d, what am I to say?\u2019 And so I gave the first gate to the ladies of my harem. There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled. Then my aristocrat vassals approached me and said, \u2018Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, but we don\u2019t. Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.\u2019 Then it occurred to me, \u2018I\u2019m a giver, a donor, who praises giving. When they say, \u201cWe would give gifts\u201d, what am I to say?\u2019 And so I gave the second gate to my aristocrat vassals. There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled. Then my troops approached me and said, \u2018Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, but we don\u2019t. Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.\u2019 Then it occurred to me, \u2018I\u2019m a giver, a donor, who praises giving. When they say, \u201cWe would give gifts\u201d, what am I to say?\u2019 And so I gave the third gate to my troops. There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled. Then my brahmins and householders approached me and said, \u2018Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, your troops give gifts, but we don\u2019t. Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.\u2019 Then it occurred to me, \u2018I\u2019m a giver, a donor, who praises giving. When they say, \u201cWe would give gifts\u201d, what am I to say?\u2019 And so I gave the fourth gate to my brahmins and householders. There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled. Then my men approached me and said, \u2018Now Your Majesty is not giving gifts anywhere!\u2019 When they said this, I said to those men, \u2018Well then, lads, deposit half the revenue generated in the outer districts in the royal compound. Give the other half as charity to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars in those districts.\u2019 Sir, for a long time I made so much merit and did so many skillful deeds. I never reached any limit so as to say \u2018there\u2019s this much merit\u2019 or \u2018there\u2019s this much result of merit\u2019 or \u2018for so long I\u2019ll remain in heaven\u2019. It\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha. \u2018Those who give with faith and a clear and confident heart, partake of food in this world and the next. So you should dispel stinginess, overcoming that stain, and give a gift. The good deeds of sentient beings support them in the next world.\u2019\u201d","title":"With Ser\u012b","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":612}