Dhammadāyāda sutta - Heirs in the Dhamma

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this: Be heirs of the Dhamma, O disciples, not heirs of material things.

My compassion for you lies in my desire that my disciples become heirs of the Dhamma, not heirs of material things.

If you were to become heirs of my material legacy and not heirs of the Dhamma, it would not be to your benefit, and I too would not be satisfied that The disciples of the Master are dwelling as heirs of material things, not as heirs of the Dhamma.

But if you were to become heirs of the Dhamma, and not of material objects, it would truly be beneficial, and I also would be satisfied that The disciples of the Master are dwelling as heirs of the Dhamma, not as heirs of material things.

Therefore, O disciples, become heirs of the Dhamma, not heirs of material possessions.

My compassion lies in wishing that my disciples be heirs of the Dhamma, not heirs of material things.

Suppose here, O disciples, I have eaten my meal, am satisfied, and stand completed, fulfilled, and in content.

And I have some leftover alms food, surplus and needing disposal.

Then, if two disciples come, overwhelmed by hunger and weakness, I might say to them:

I have eaten my fill am satisfied, completed, fulfilled, and content. Here is this alms food, surplus, needing disposal.

If you wish to eat, do so; if not, I will throw it away where there is little sustenance or sink it in water.

Here, a disciple might think: ‘The Blessed One has eaten his fill, is satisfied, completed, fulfilled, and content; and here is the Blessed One’s leftover alms food, surplus, needing disposal.

If we do not eat it, the Blessed One will either discard it where there is little sustenance or sink it in water.

Yet, the Blessed One has said: Be heirs of the Dhamma, not heirs of material things.

Alms food is, after all, just a material thing.

Better, therefore, if I do not eat this alms food and instead endure my hunger and weakness, passing this day and night with patience.

The disciple would spend that day and night enduring the weakness from hunger without consuming that meal.

However, for another disciple, he might think, The Blessed One has eaten to satisfaction, his meal was complete and finished. There remains this meal of the Blessed One which is redundant and to be discarded.

If I do not eat it, the Blessed One might throw it away in a place without offerings or let it sink in non-living water.

Rather, I should eat this meal to dispel my weakness from hunger, and thus spend this day and night.

Having eaten the meal and dispelled the weakness from hunger, he would spend that day and night in that way.

Even though the disciple eats that meal and dispels the weakness from hunger, still, the former disciple is more commendable and praiseworthy to me.

What is the reason for this?

Because his independent conduct will lead to long dwelling in contentment, frugality, and lovely conduct, and to the arousal of effort.

Therefore be heirs to the Dhamma, not heirs to material things.

I have compassion for you all: ‘How can my disciples be heirs to the Dhamma, not heirs to material things?

Thus spoke the Blessed One.

Having said this, the Well-Gone One rose from his seat and entered the dwelling.

Then, soon after the Blessed One had left, the venerable Sāriputta addressed the disciples, Friends, disciples.

Yes, friend, the disciples replied to the venerable Sāriputta.

The venerable Sāriputta said this, To what extent, friends, do the disciples not train in seclusion when the Teacher dwells secluded, and to what extent do they train in seclusion when the Teacher dwells secluded?

We have come from afar, friend, to hear the meaning of this from the venerable Sāriputta.

It would be good if the venerable Sāriputta himself would expound the meaning of this statement; having heard it, the disciples will remember it.

Therefore, friends, listen carefully, attend well, I will speak.

Yes, friend, the disciples replied to the venerable Sāriputta.

The venerable Sāriputta said, To what extent, friends, do the disciples not train in seclusion when the Teacher dwells secluded?

Here, friends, when the Teacher dwells secluded, the disciples do not train in seclusion,

For those things which the Teacher has said to abandon, if they do not abandon them, become indulgent, slothful, inclined to backsliding, giving up the burden of solitude, in that case, friend, elder disciples become blameworthy in three respects.

Elder disciples are blameworthy because, while the Teacher lives in seclusion, the disciples do not train in solitude,:this is the first respect in which elder disciples are blameworthy.

For those things which the Teacher has said to abandon, they do not abandon them,:this is the second respect in which elder disciples are blameworthy.

They become indulgent, slothful, inclined to backsliding, giving up the burden of solitude,:this is the third respect in which elder disciples are blameworthy.

Thus, friend, elder disciples are blameworthy in these three respects.

In that case, friend, middle disciples...

similarly... novice disciples are blameworthy in three respects.

Novice disciples are blameworthy because, while the Teacher lives in seclusion, they do not train in solitude,:this is the first respect in which novice disciples are blameworthy.

For those things which the Teacher has said to abandon, they do not abandon them,:this is the second respect in which novice disciples are blameworthy.

They become indulgent, slothful, inclined to backsliding, giving up the burden of solitude,:this is the third respect in which novice disciples are blameworthy.

Thus, friend, novice disciples are blameworthy in these three respects.

In this way, friend, while the Teacher lives in seclusion, the disciples do not train in solitude.

And how, friend, do disciples train in solitude while the Teacher lives in seclusion?

Here, friend, disciples train in solitude while the Teacher lives in seclusion:those things which the Teacher has said to abandon, they abandon; and they do not become indulgent, nor slothful, inclined to backsliding nor give up the burden of solitude.

In that case, friend, elder disciples are praiseworthy in three respects.

Elder disciples are praiseworthy because, while the Teacher lives in seclusion, they train in solitude,:this is the first respect in which elder disciples are praiseworthy.

For those things which the Teacher has said to abandon, they abandon them,:this is the second respect in which elder disciples are praiseworthy.

They do not become indulgent, nor slothful, inclined to backsliding nor give up the burden of solitude,:this is the third respect in which elder disciples are praiseworthy.

Thus, friend, elder disciples are praiseworthy in these three respects.

Here, friend, intermediate disciples ...

and also ... new disciples are praiseworthy for three reasons.

‘The disciples follow the secluded lifestyle of the teacher, for this first reason, new disciples are praiseworthy.

‘They abandon the teachings that the teacher advises to abandon, for this second reason, new disciples are praiseworthy.

‘Not indulging, without negligence, established in seclusion as a priority, for this third reason, new disciples are praiseworthy.

Thus, friend, for these three reasons, new disciples are praiseworthy.

To this extent, friend, the disciples follow the isolated practice of the teacher.

Here, friend, greed is bad and aversion is bad.

There is a middle path for the abandonment of greed and aversion that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna.

And what, friend, is that middle path that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna?

It is precisely this noble eightfold path, namely:

right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

This indeed, friend, is the middle path that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna.

Here, friend, anger is bad, holding a grudge is bad ...

and so on...

(a list of defilements similar to greed is bad)

And there is a middle path for the abandonment of intoxication and negligence that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna.

And what, friend, is that middle path that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna?

It is precisely this noble eightfold path, namely:

right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

This indeed, friend, is the middle path that leads to vision, knowing, calm, higher knowing, awakening, and Nibbāna.

Thus spoke venerable Sāriputta.

Delighted, those disciples rejoiced in the words spoken by the venerable Sāriputta.

The Discourse on Heirs of the Dhamma is complete, the third.