4: The Book of the Fours
60. The Layperson's Proper Practice
- fdg sc © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One …. The Blessed One said to him: |
2"Householder, a noble disciple who possesses four qualities is practicing the way proper to the layperson, a way that brings the attainment of fame and leads to heaven. What four? |
"Here, householder, a noble disciple serves the Saṅgha of bhikkhus with robes; he serves the Saṅgha of bhikkhus with almsfood; he serves the Saṅgha of bhikkhus with lodgings; he serves the Saṅgha of bhikkhus with medicines and provisions for the sick.[n.743] Ee is somewhat misleading here. First, it punctuates wrongly, and then it adds an extra paccupaṭṭhito hoti at the end. The punctuation in Ce and Be indicates that the indirect object (the item given) belongs with the preceding paccupaṭṭhito, and they both lack paccupaṭṭhito hoti at the end. Thus in Ce and Be there is no separate phrase indicating that the lay disciple simply serves the Saṅgha without mention of an item presented. |
"Householder, a noble disciple who possesses these four qualities is practicing the way proper to the layperson, a way that brings the attainment of fame and leads to heaven." |
3When the wise practice the way
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4for them both by day and night
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