Sadhu Sutta
Nala Vagga, Devata Samyutta
Sagatha Vagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

3. Sadhu ¹ Sutta
Discourse Containing Praise of Charity, Morality and Comprehension of Nibbana.

          33. The Bhagava was at Savatthi. . .During that time, soon after the middle watch of the night, many devas of exceeding beauty, who became devas by (practising and) imparting the doctrine of the virtuous, approached the Bhagava, illuminating the entire Jatavana monastery. They made their obeisance to the Bhagava and stood at a suitable place. Having stood thus, one of them uttered this expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

          "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity.

          Due either to stinginess or to remissness one fails to give in charity.

          One who wishes to do good and who understands the merit of good deeds should give in charity."

          Then another deva uttered this expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

          "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity.

          In truth, giving in charity out of what little one has is also a good thing.

          "Some, though they have very little, share with others.

          (On the other hand.) some even though well-off do not give in charity.

          A gift made out of slender means is worth a thousand (gifts)."

          Then another deva uttered this expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

          "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity.

          Giving in charity out of what little one has is also a good thing.

          In truth, it is also good to give with ardent conviction." ²

         It is said, that giving is like warfare. ³

         Good people, though few in number, conquer a host.⁴

         Even if one gives just a little, if he does so' with ardent conviction, he enjoys happiness in his future existence because of that."

          Then, another deva uttered this expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

          "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity. Giving in charity out of what little one has is also a good thing.

          It, is also good to give with ardent conviction. In truth, it is also good to give what has been obtained righteously.⁵

          "He who gives in charity what he has obtained his strenuous efforts and thorough righteous means escapes from the Niraya realms of King Yama., and reaches the realms of the devas."

          Then another deva uttered this expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

          "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity. Giving in charity out of what little one has is also a good thing, It is also good to give with ardent conviction. It is also good to give, what has been obtained righteously, In truth it' is also good to give with discrimination as to the object of giving and the donee. "Discrimination⁶ in making gifts is praised by the Buddha.

          Just as seeds sown on fertile soil yield bumper crops, so also in this world of sentient life, offerings made to certain persons who are worthy of receiving offerings yield great benefit." Then another deva uttered ithis expression of joy in the presence of the Bhagava:

         "Excellent indeed, Sir, is the practice of charity. Giving in charity out of What little one has is also a good thing.

          It' is also good to give with ardent conviction It is also good to give what has been obtained righteously.

          It is also good to give with discrimination as to the object of giving and the donee.

          In truth, restraint form hurting all living things is also good.

          He who 'practises nonviolence' towards all living beings and who fears criticism does not do evil. He who fears (to do evil) is praised (by the virtuous); (but) he who dares (to do evil) is not praised. Indeed, the virtuous, fearing criticism, do not do evil.''

          Then another deva said to the Bhagava thus Bhagava, whose words are well-spoken?" (And the Bhagava said)

         "Each of these statements is well-spoken in its own way. However, listen to mine also:

         "Indeed, giving with conviction⁷ is commendable in many way. Yet, even more 'commendable and nobler is Nibbana.⁸.

         Indeed, in the past or even in the long long past the wise and virtuous ones had reached Nibbana which is their 'only goal."

End of the Sadhu Sutta,

the third in this vaga.

         Footnotes on Sadhu Sutta

          1. expression of joy: udana: This shows the speaker's intense joy over something. Here it is over the. meritoriousness of giving. The utterance signifies the swell of emotion that can not be contained.

          2. conviction: saddha: Here means the unshakable belief that there are good deeds and bad deeds, and that a good deed brings good results and a bad deed brings bad results.

          3. giving is like warfare: One joins battle risking one's own life. When a donor gives he gives up his attachment to the thing he gives. A coward who fears loss of his own life does not dare to fight. So also a stingy person who fears loss of his property does not dare to give. Giving obviously 'entails sacrifice. There can be no giving when this spirit of self- sacrifice is wanting. Both warfare and giving have the spirit of sacrifice in common.

          4. Good people, though few in number, conquer a host: In war fare it is not numbers that count but valour. Similarly, in giving, the amount or value of the gift does not matter; it is the donor's ardent conviction that conquers the forces of stinginess even though the gift may be of little value.

          5. what has been obtained righteously: dhammaladdha:

          The Commentary gives a second interpretation of this phrase: It can be also good to give to an ariya.

          6. Discrimination: Discrimination as to the object of giving means a gift should not be inferior where better ones are available. As regards the donee it is highly meritorious if he is a noble disciple or a bhikkhu rather than a person of doubtful virtue or one who is of alien creed (to the Buddha's Teaching). Such discrimination as to object and as to donee, the Buddhas say, are praiseworthy.

          7. with conviction: This is a rendering of saddha as printed in the Synod text. However, in the nissaya published by the Religious Affairs Department after the Synod, the word accepted is addha which means certainly.

          8. Nibbana: In the Pali text, dhammapada, interpreted by the Commentary directly as Nibbana.

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