Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

88 DHAMM4PADA.
On this, the World^honoured proceeded to address
Yamatg, in the following words ^
:
" There are four kinds of cTiaritable offerings.
What are the four ? First, where the gifts are
large, ajad the merit small; secondly, where the
gifts are small, and the merit large ; thirdly, where
—
the gifts are large, and the merit large ;
fourthly,
where the gifts are small, and the merit also
small. And now, with respect to the first, when
is the gift large, and the merit small? In the
case of the foolish and deluded man who takes away
life for the purpose of offering up sacrifices to the
gods, accompanied by wine-drinking, singing,
dancing, and the bestowal of wealth. Here the
gifts are great, but the merit small indeed. With
regard to the case when the gifts are small and the
merit small, this is so when, from covetousness and
an evil heart, the offerings given to the learned .
(or religious persons) are small and stint ; in such
case the reward also is stint. And when is it that
the offerings, though, small, entail a large reward ?
In the case when, from a principle of love, a man
offers to a virtuous person (or religious man) what
small gift he has, with a desire to learn from him
the principles of true wisdom, this man reaps great
reward. And lastly, the case of a greiat gift secur-
ing a great reward, as in the case of one who,
realisiiig the vanity of all earthly things, qut of a
good heart gives his wealth to found monasteries,
or to purchase grounds for '
fruits, with which to
make offerings to the Three Holy Ones, or who gives
1 The sermon which follows is not a part of Dhammapad^, but is in prose.