{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn3.24/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn3.24","id":"suttacentral_sn3.24","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn3.24/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At S\u0101vatth\u012b. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, \u201cSir, where should a gift be given?\u201d \u201cWherever your heart feels inspired, Great King.\u201d \u201cBut sir, where is a gift very fruitful?\u201d \u201cWhere a gift should be given is one thing, Great King, but where a gift is very fruitful is another. A gift is very fruitful when it\u2019s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person. Well then, Great King, I\u2019ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, Great King? Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle. Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he\u2019s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee. Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?\u201d \u201cNo, sir, I would have no use for such a man.\u201d \u201cWhat about a brahmin youth, a peasant youth, or a menial youth who was similar?\u201d \u201cNo, sir, I would have no use for such a man.\u201d \u201cWhat do you think, Great King? Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle. Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he\u2019s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground. Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?\u201d \u201cYes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.\u201d \u201cWhat about a brahmin youth, a peasant youth, or a menial youth who was similar? Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?\u201d \u201cYes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they\u2019ve gone forth from. What are the five factors they\u2019ve given up? Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. These are the five factors they\u2019ve given up. What are the five factors they possess? The entire spectrum of an adept\u2019s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom. These are the five factors they possess. I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: \u201cAny youth skilled at archery, powerful and vigorous, would be employed by a king going to war\u2014 one is not a coward by reason of birth. Just so, whoever is settled in the qualities of patience and gentleness, an intelligent person with noble conduct, should be venerated even if they\u2019re low born. You should build lovely hermitages and settle learned people in them. You should set up water supplies in barren regions and passages in places hard to travel. Food, drink, edibles, clothes, and lodgings should be given to the upright ones, with a clear and confident heart. The thundering rain cloud, its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning, pours down over the rich earth, soaking the uplands and valleys. So too an astute person, faithful and learned, should prepare a meal to satisfy supplicants with food and drink. Rejoicing, they strew gifts about, saying, \u2018Give! Give!\u2019 For that is their thunder, like rain sent from the heavens. That stream of merit so abundant showers down on the giver.\u201d","title":"Archery","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":572}