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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

VIII. Guaranteed — AN 4.78: A Religious Donation

1“Mendicants, there are these four ways of purifying a religious donation. What four? There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the giver, not the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the recipient, not the giver. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by neither the giver nor the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by both the giver and the recipient.


2And how is a religious donation purified by the giver, not the recipient? It’s when the giver is ethical, of good character, but the recipient is unethical, of bad character.

3And how is a religious donation purified by the recipient, not the giver? It’s when the giver is unethical, of bad character, but the recipient is ethical, of good character.

4And how is a religious donation purified by neither the giver nor the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are unethical, of bad character.


5And how is a religious donation purified by both the giver and the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are ethical, of good character.

These are the four ways of purifying a religious donation.”

1"Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo. Katamā catasso? Atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato; atthi, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.


2Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo; paṭiggāhakā honti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo; paṭiggāhakā honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā paṭiggāhakato visujjhati, no dāyakato.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti dussīlo pāpadhammo; paṭiggāhakāpi honti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā neva dāyakato visujjhati, no paṭiggāhakato.


5Kathañca, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako hoti sīlavā kalyāṇadhammo; paṭiggāhakāpi honti sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇā dāyakato ceva visujjhati paṭiggāhakato ca.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso dakkhiṇā visuddhiyo"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.