佛說分別布施經
The Sutra on the Discernment of Giving
西天譯經三藏朝奉大夫試鴻臚卿傳法大師臣施護奉 詔譯
Translated by Dharma Master Shihu, Tripitaka Master of the Western Regions, Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service, Probationary Minister of
如是我聞：
This is what I heard:
一時佛在釋種住處迦毗羅城尼拘陀樹園，與苾芻眾俱。爾時有一苾芻尼名摩訶波闍波提，持新㲲衣來詣佛所。到佛所已頂禮佛足退住一面，即白佛言：「世尊！此新㲲衣我自手作，奉上世尊，惟願納受，令我長夜得大利樂。」
At one time, the Buddha was residing in the Śākya clan's dwelling place, in the city of Kapilavastu, in the Nyagrodha Park, together with the community of bhikkhus. At that time, there was a bhikkhunī named Mahāprajāpatī who brought a new cotton robe and approached the Buddha. Having arrived before the Buddha, she paid homage at his feet, stepped back, and stood to one side. Then she addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, this new cotton robe I have made with my own hands. I offer it to the World-Honored One. May you accept it, so that I may obtain great benefit and happiness for a long time."
爾時佛告摩訶波闍波提：「汝可持此㲲衣施諸大眾，所獲勝利同供養我等無有異。」
Then the Buddha said to Mahaprajapati, "You may offer this fine cloth robe to the assembly of monks. The merit gained from this offering will be no different from offering it to me."
是時摩訶波闍波提苾芻尼，重白佛言：「我本發心，唯為世尊故造此衣，願佛納受，令我長夜得大利樂。」如是三復慇懃勸請，佛亦如是三復答言：「但當平等施諸大眾，所獲勝利與我無異。」
At that time, Mahāprajāpatī Bhikṣuṇī again addressed the Buddha, saying: "I originally made this robe with the sole intention of offering it to the World-Honored One. I beseech you to accept it, so that I may attain great benefit and happiness for a long time to come." With such earnestness, she repeated her request three times. The Buddha likewise replied three times: "Simply offer it equally to the entire assembly. The merit you gain will be no different from offering it to me."
是時尊者阿難，侍於佛側見是事已，前白佛言：「世尊！此摩訶波闍波提苾芻尼，是佛之親，有大恩德，唯佛自知。此所奉衣，佛為納受，今正是時，令摩訶波闍波提於長夜中得大利樂。」
At that time, the Venerable Ananda, who was attending by the Buddha's side, witnessed this scene and stepped forward to address the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One! This Mahāprajāpatī Bhikkhunī is your relative and has shown you great kindness—only you know its full measure. Please accept the robe she offers. Now is the right time to grant Mahāprajāpatī immense benefit and joy for the long night to come."
佛言：「阿難！如是，如是！此摩訶波闍波提是吾之親，有大恩德，我亦自知。今自手造衣來施於我，甚為難事。何以故？阿難當知！所有補特伽羅能起淨信心，歸依佛法僧者甚為難事；又復能持不殺、不盜、不婬、不妄、不飲酒等近事戒法，如是補特伽羅轉復難作。何況於佛世尊，合掌恭敬而行布施，施已淨信於佛無疑，及法僧伽亦無疑惑，乃至苦集滅道四聖諦理，永斷疑見。阿難！今此摩訶波闍波提苾芻尼，能起淨信心歸依佛法僧，受持不殺、不盜、不婬、不妄、不飲酒等近事戒法，而能於佛及法僧伽，乃至苦集滅道四聖諦理，已斷疑惑，此苾芻尼難作能作，佛亦自知。
The Buddha said: "Ananda, indeed, it is so! This Mahaprajapati is my relative, and she has shown me great kindness and virtue. I myself know this well. For her now to personally make this robe and offer it to me is an exceedingly rare and difficult thing. Why is that? Ananda, you should understand: For any person to give rise to pure faith and take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha is a very rare and difficult thing. Furthermore, for that person to uphold the lay precepts—to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants—such a person is even more rare and difficult to find. How much more so for one to reverently join their palms before the Buddha, the World-Honored One, and make an offering, and after giving, to possess pure faith in the Buddha without doubt, and to have no doubts about the Dharma and the Sangha either, even up to the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path—to have forever cut off doubt and wrong views. Ananda, this Bhikkhuni Mahaprajapati has given rise to pure faith and taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. She upholds the lay precepts—abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants. Moreover, regarding the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and even the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, she has already cut off all doubt. This bhikkhuni has accomplished what is difficult to accomplish. The Buddha also knows this well."
「阿難！有十四種較量布施。何等十四？一者、於病苦人而行布施；二者、於破戒人而行布施；三者、於持戒人而行布施；四者、於離染人而行布施；五者、於須陀洹向而行布施；六者、於須陀洹果而行布施；七者、於斯陀含向而行布施；八者、於斯陀含果而行布施；九者、於阿那含向而行布施；十者、於阿那含果而行布施；十一者、於阿羅漢向而行布施；十二者、於阿羅漢果而行布施；十三者、於諸緣覺而行布施；十四者、於如來、應供、正等正覺而行布施。阿難！汝今當知：施病苦人獲二倍福；施破戒人獲百倍福；施持戒人獲千倍福；施離染人獲百千倍福；施須陀洹向獲無量福，何況須陀洹果；施斯陀含向獲無量福，何況斯陀含果；施阿那含向獲無量福，何況阿那含果；施阿羅漢向獲無量福，何況阿羅漢果；施諸緣覺獲無量福，何況如來、應供、正等正覺；如是名為較量十四種布施功德。
Ananda, there are fourteen kinds of giving, each with its own measure of merit. What are these fourteen? First, giving to those who are sick and suffering. Second, giving to those who have broken the precepts. Third, giving to those who uphold the precepts. Fourth, giving to those who are free from defilements. Fifth, giving to those on the path to Stream-Entry. Sixth, giving to those who have attained Stream-Entry. Seventh, giving to those on the path to Once-Return. Eighth, giving to those who have attained Once-Return. Ninth, giving to those on the path to Non-Return. Tenth, giving to those who have attained Non-Return. Eleventh, giving to those on the path to Arhatship. Twelfth, giving to those who have attained Arhatship. Thirteenth, giving to the Pratyekabuddhas. Fourteenth, giving to the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One.
Ananda, you should understand this: Giving to the sick and suffering yields twofold merit. Giving to those who have broken the precepts yields a hundredfold merit. Giving to those who uphold the precepts yields a thousandfold merit. Giving to those free from defilements yields a hundred-thousandfold merit. Giving to those on the path to Stream-Entry yields immeasurable merit—how much more so giving to those who have attained Stream-Entry. Giving to those on the path to Once-Return yields immeasurable merit—how much more so giving to those who have attained Once-Return. Giving to those on the path to Non-Return yields immeasurable merit—how much more so giving to those who have attained Non-Return. Giving to those on the path to Arhatship yields immeasurable merit—how much more so giving to those who have attained Arhatship. Giving to the Pratyekabuddhas yields immeasurable merit—how much more so giving to the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. These are called the fourteen kinds of giving and their measures of merit.
「復次，阿難！當知布施大眾有其七種：一者、施佛現前諸苾芻眾；二者、施佛滅後諸苾芻眾；三者、施佛滅後苾芻尼眾；四者、施佛滅後苾芻、苾芻尼二眾；五者、施佛滅後遊方行化諸苾芻眾；六者、施佛滅後遊方行化苾芻尼眾；七者、施佛滅後遊方行化苾芻、苾芻尼二眾。如是名為七種大眾，當行布施。
Furthermore, Ananda, you should understand that there are seven kinds of great assemblies to which one can make offerings:
First, offering to the assembly of bhikkhus in the presence of the Buddha. Second, offering to the assembly of bhikkhus after the Buddha's passing. Third, offering to the assembly of bhikkhunis after the Buddha's passing. Fourth, offering to the combined assembly of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis after the Buddha's passing. Fifth, offering to the assembly of wandering, teaching bhikkhus after the Buddha's passing. Sixth, offering to the assembly of wandering, teaching bhikkhunis after the Buddha's passing. Seventh, offering to the combined assembly of wandering, teaching bhikkhus and bhikkhunis after the Buddha's passing.
These are called the seven great assemblies to which one should make offerings.
「復次，阿難！當知有四種布施清淨。何等為四？一者、能施清淨即無受者；二者、所施清淨即無受者；三者、能受清淨即無施者；四者、所受清淨即無施者。阿難！何名能施清淨即無受者？謂由施者不取其相，即身業清淨、口業清淨、意業清淨，正命清淨，見亦清淨，如是具足即無施相，以無施故即無受者。若施者有所見相，即身口意三業不清淨，命亦不清，淨見亦不清淨；若離是相，即施者受者二皆清淨。
Furthermore, Ananda, you should understand that there are four kinds of pure giving. What are the four? First, the purity of the giver, in which there is no receiver. Second, the purity of the gift, in which there is no receiver. Third, the purity of the receiver, in which there is no giver. Fourth, the purity of what is received, in which there is no giver.
Ananda, what is meant by the purity of the giver, in which there is no receiver? It means that the giver does not cling to any notion of giving. Thus, their bodily actions are pure, their speech is pure, their thoughts are pure, their livelihood is pure, and their view is pure. When these are fully present, there is no concept of giving. Because there is no giving, there is no receiver.
If the giver holds on to the notion of giving, then their bodily, verbal, and mental actions are impure, their livelihood is impure, and their view is impure. But if they are free from such notions, then both giver and receiver are pure.
「又復，何名所施清淨即無受者？若受者身業不清淨、口業不清淨、意業不清淨，命不清淨，見不清淨，即有所施相；若受者三業清淨，命清淨，見清淨，如是具足即無所施相，由離相故即所施清淨。
Furthermore, what does it mean that pure giving means there is no recipient? If the recipient's bodily actions are impure, verbal actions are impure, mental actions are impure, livelihood is impure, and views are impure, then there exists the notion of a giver and a recipient. But if the recipient's three actions are pure, livelihood is pure, and views are pure, then in such a state of perfection, there is no notion of giving. Because this notion is absent, the act of giving becomes pure.
「又復，何名能受清淨即無施者？若受者身口意三業不清淨，命不清淨，見不清淨，即有能受相；若離是相即無施者。
Furthermore, what does it mean that "the one who can receive purely is the same as having no giver"? If the receiver's actions of body, speech, and mind are impure, if their life is impure, or if their views are impure, then there exists the notion of a "receiver." But if one is free from these notions, then there is no giver.
「又復，何名所受清淨即無施者？謂由施者三業清淨，命清淨，見清淨，即無所施；由離施故即無所受，是故所受清淨。阿難！若能如是了知，即得四種布施清淨。」
"Furthermore, why is it said that when what is received is pure, there is no giver? It means that when the giver's actions of body, speech, and mind are pure, when their life is pure, and when their understanding is pure, there is nothing given. Because giving is absent, there is nothing received—thus, what is received is pure. Ananda! If one can understand this, they will attain the purity of giving in four ways."
爾時摩訶波闍波提苾芻尼，聞佛宣說種種布施法已，即持是衣施諸大眾，是時諸苾芻眾即為納受。
Then, Mahaprajapati Bhikkhuni, having heard the Buddha expound the various methods of giving, immediately offered that robe to the assembly. At that moment, the community of bhikkhus accepted it.
佛告阿難：「於當來世若有信心善男子等，能於大眾起淨信心而行布施者，當知是人獲福無量，何況於今現在行施？」
The Buddha said to Ananda: "In future times, if any faithful and virtuous person can give alms with pure faith before a gathering of people, know that such a person will gain immeasurable blessings. How much more so for one who gives alms in the present moment?"
爾時尊者阿難及摩訶波闍波提苾芻尼聞佛說已，歡喜踊躍，信受奉行。
Then, the Venerable Ananda and Mahaprajapati Bhikkhuni, having heard the Buddha's words, were filled with joy and inspiration, and they accepted and practiced them with faith.
佛說分別布施經
Sutra on the Discernment of Giving