Theravadan

From: Pali, Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli

Cāgānussatikathā[(5) Recollection of Generosity]

Cāgānussatiṃ bhāvetukāmena panaOne who wants to develop the recollection of generosity

pakatiyā cāgādhimuttena niccappavattadānasaṃvibhāgena bhavitabbaṃ.should be naturally devoted to generosity and the constant practice of giving and sharing.

Atha vā pana bhāvanaṃ ārabhantenaOr alternatively, if he is one who is starting the development of it,

ito dāni pabhuti sati paṭiggāhake antamaso ekālopamattampi dānaṃ adatvā na bhuñjissāmīti samādānaṃ katvāhe should make the resolution: “From now on, when there is anyone present to receive, I shall not eat even a single mouthful without having given a gift.”

taṃdivasaṃ guṇavisiṭṭhesu paṭiggāhakesu yathāsatti yathābalaṃ dānaṃ datvāAnd that very day he should give a gift by sharing according to his means and his ability with those who have distinguished qualities.

tattha nimittaṃ gaṇhitvāWhen he has apprehended the sign in that,

rahogatena paṭisallīnenahe should go into solitary retreat and recollect his own generosity in its special qualities of being free from the stain of avarice, etc., as follows:

‘‘lābhā vata me suladdhaṃ vata me,“It is gain for me, it is great gain for me,

yohaṃ maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitāya pajāya vigatamalamaccherena cetasā viharāmithat in a generation obsessed by the stain of avarice I abide with my heart free from stain by avarice,

muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṃvibhāgarato’’ti evaṃ vigatamalamaccheratādiguṇavasena attano cāgo anussaritabbo.and am freely generous and open-handed, that I delight in relinquishing, expect to be asked, and rejoice in giving and sharing” (A III 287).

Tattha lābhā vata meti mayhaṃ vata lābhā,Herein, *it is gain for me*: it is my gain, advantage.

ye ime ‘‘āyuṃ kho pana datvā āyussa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā’’ iti (a. ni. 5.37) ca,The intention is: I surely partake of those kinds of gain for a giver that have been commended by the Blessed One as follows: “A man who gives life [by giving food] shall have life either divine or human” (A III 42),

‘‘dadaṃ piyo hoti bhajanti naṃ bahū’’ iti (a. ni. 5.34) ca,and: “A giver is loved and frequented by many” (A III 40),

‘‘dadamāno piyo hoti, sataṃ dhammaṃ anukkamaṃ’’ iti (a. ni. 5.35) ca evamādīhi nayehi bhagavatā dāyakassa lābhā saṃvaṇṇitā, te mayhaṃ avassaṃ bhāginoti adhippāyo.and: “One who gives is ever loved, according to the wise man’s law” (A III 41), and so on.

Suladdhaṃ vata meti yaṃ mayā idaṃ sāsanaṃ manussattaṃ vā laddhaṃ, taṃ suladdhaṃ vata me.*It is great gain for me*: it is great gain for me that this Dispensation, or the human state, has been gained by me.

Kasmā?Why?

Yohaṃ maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitāya pajāya…pe… dānasaṃvibhāgaratoti.Because of the fact that “I abide *with my mind free from stain by avarice* … *and rejoice in giving and sharing*.”

Tattha maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitāyāti maccheramalena abhibhūtāya.Herein, *obsessed by the stain of avarice* is overwhelmed by the stain of avarice.

Pajāyāti pajāyanavasena sattā vuccanti.*Generation*: beings, so called owing to the fact of their being generated.

Tasmā attano sampattīnaṃ parasādhāraṇabhāvamasahanalakkhaṇena cittassa pabhassarabhāvadūsakānaṃ kaṇhadhammānaṃ aññatarena maccheramalena abhibhūtesu sattesūti ayamettha attho.So the meaning here is this: among beings who are overwhelmed by the stain of avarice, which is one of the dark states that corrupt the [natural] transparency of consciousness (see A I 10) and which has the characteristic of inability to bear sharing one’s own good fortune with others.

Vigatamalamaccherenāti aññesampi rāgadosādimalānañceva maccherassa ca vigatattā vigatamalamaccherena.*Free from stain by avarice* because of being both free from avarice and from the other stains, greed, hate, and the rest.

Cetasā viharāmīti yathāvuttappakāracitto hutvā vasāmīti attho.*I abide with my heart*: I abide with my consciousness of the kind already stated, is the meaning. [224]

Suttesu pana mahānāmasakkassa sotāpannassa sato nissayavihāraṃ pucchato nissayavihāravasena desitattā agāraṃ ajjhāvasāmīti vuttaṃ.But in the sutta, “I live the home life with my heart free” (A III 287; V 331), etc., is said because it was taught there as a [mental] abiding to depend on [constantly] to Mahānāma the Sakyan, who was a stream-enterer asking about an abiding to depend on.

Tattha abhibhavitvā vasāmīti attho.There the meaning is “I live overcoming …”

Muttacāgoti vissaṭṭhacāgo.*Freely generous*: liberally generous.

Payatapāṇīti parisuddhahattho.*Open-handed*: with hands that are purified.

Sakkaccaṃ sahatthā deyyadhammaṃ dātuṃ sadā dhotahatthoyevāti vuttaṃ hoti.What is meant is: with hands that are always washed in order to give gifts carefully with one’s own hands.

Vossaggaratoti vossajjanaṃ vossaggo, pariccāgoti attho.*That I delight in relinquishing*: the act of relinquishing (*vossajjana*) is relinquishing (*vossagga*); the meaning is, giving up.

Tasmiṃ vossagge satatābhiyogavasena ratoti vossaggarato.To delight in relinquishing is to delight in constant devotion to that relinquishing.

Yācayogoti yaṃ yaṃ pare yācanti, tassa tassa dānato yācanayogoti attho.*Expect to be asked* (*yācayoga*): accustomed to being asked (*yācana-yogga*) because of giving whatever others ask for, is the meaning.

Yājayogotipi pāṭho. Yajanasaṅkhātena yājena yuttoti attho.*Yājayoga* is a reading, in which case the meaning is: devoted (*yutta*) to sacrifice (*yāja*), in other words, to sacrificing (*yajana*).

Dānasaṃvibhāgaratoti dāne ca saṃvibhāge ca rato.*And rejoice in sharing*:

Ahañhi dānañca demi, attanā paribhuñjitabbatopi ca saṃvibhāgaṃ karomi, ettheva casmi ubhaye ratoti evaṃ anussaratīti attho.the meaning is, he recollects thus: “I give gifts and I share out what is to be used by myself, and I rejoice in both.”

Tassevaṃ vigatamalamaccheratādiguṇavasena attano cāgaṃ anussaratoAs long as he recollects his own generosity in its special qualities of freedom from stain by avarice, etc., in this way,

neva tasmiṃ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti.then: “On that occasion his mind is not obsessed by greed,

Na dosa…pe… na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti.or obsessed by hate, or obsessed by delusion;

Ujugatamevassa tasmiṃ samaye cittaṃ hoti cāgaṃ ārabbhāti (a. ni. 5.10)his mind has rectitude on that occasion, being inspired by generosity” (A III 287).

purimanayeneva vikkhambhitanīvaraṇassaSo when he has suppressed the hindrances in the way already described (§66),

ekakkhaṇe jhānaṅgāni uppajjanti.the jhāna factors arise in a single conscious moment.

Cāgaguṇānaṃ pana gambhīratāya nānappakāracāgaguṇānussaraṇādhimuttatāya vāBut owing to the profundity of the generosity’s special qualities, or owing to his being occupied in recollecting the generosity’s special qualities of many sorts,

appanaṃ appatvā upacārappattameva jhānaṃ hoti.the jhāna is only access and does not reach absorption.

Tadetaṃ cāgaguṇānussaraṇavasena uppannattā cāgānussaticceva saṅkhaṃ gacchati.And that access jhāna is known as “recollection of generosity” too because it arises with the generosity’s special qualities as the means.

Imañca pana cāgānussatiṃ anuyutto bhikkhu bhiyyoso mattāya cāgādhimutto hoti,And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of generosity, he becomes ever more intent on generosity,

alobhajjhāsayo,his preference is for non-greed,

mettāya anulomakārī,he acts in conformity with loving-kindness,

visārado,he is fearless.

pītipāmojjabahulo,He has much happiness and gladness.

uttari appaṭivijjhanto pana sugatiparāyano hoti.And if he penetrates no higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.

Tasmā have appamādaṃ, kayirātha sumedhaso; Evaṃ mahānubhāvāya, cāgānussatiyā sadāti.Now, when a man is truly wise, His constant task will surely be This recollection of his giving Blessed with such mighty potency.

Idaṃ cāgānussatiyaṃ vitthārakathāmukhaṃ.This is the section dealing with the recollection of generosity in the detailed explanation. [225]

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