8: The Book of the Eights
VI. Gotamī — AN 8.58: Worthy of Offerings to the Gods (2nd)
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“A mendicant with eight factors is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What eight?
It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the code of conduct, with good behavior and supporters. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.
They’re learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and understanding them with right view.
They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and gaining skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.
They live in the wilderness, in remote lodgings.
They prevail over desire and discontent, and live having mastered desire and discontent whenever they arose.
They prevail over fear and dread, and live having mastered fear and dread whenever they arose.
They get the four absorptions — blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind — when they want, without trouble or difficulty.
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
A mendicant with these eight factors is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.”
1"Aṭṭhahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Katamehi aṭṭhahi?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu; bahussuto hoti … pe … diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā; āraddhavīriyo viharati thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu; āraññiko hoti pantasenāsano; aratiratisaho hoti, uppannaṁ aratiṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya viharati; bhayabheravasaho hoti, uppannaṁ bhayabheravaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya viharati; catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī; āsavānaṁ khayā … pe … sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo … pe … anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā"ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.