The Chapter on Worthy of Offerings
AN 6.1 Worthy of Offerings (1st) Paṭhamaāhuneyyasutta
SO I HAVE HEARD. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, "Mendicants!"
"Venerable sir," they replied. The Buddha said this:
"Mendicants, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six?
It's a mendicant who, when they see a sight with their eyes, is neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware.
When they hear a sound with their ears ...
When they smell an odor with their nose ...
When they taste a flavor with their tongue ...
When they feel a touch with their body ...
When they know an idea with their mind, they're neither happy nor sad. They remain equanimous, mindful and aware.
A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.
AN 6.2 Worthy of Offerings (2nd) Dutiyaāhuneyyasutta
"Mendicants, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six?
It's a mendicant who wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; appearing and disappearing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. They control the body as far as the realm of divinity.
With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, they hear both kinds of sounds, human and heavenly, whether near or far.
They understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having comprehended them with their own mind. They understand mind with greed as 'mind with greed', and mind without greed as 'mind without greed'. They understand mind with hate ... mind without hate ... mind with delusion ... mind without delusion ... constricted mind ... scattered mind ... expansive mind ... unexpansive mind ... mind that is not supreme ... mind that is supreme ... mind immersed in samādhi ... mind not immersed in samādhi ... freed mind ... They understand unfreed mind as 'unfreed mind'.
They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: 'There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.' And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details.
With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn---inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds: 'These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.' And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn---inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.3 Faculties Indriyasutta
"Mendicants, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. And they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.4 Powers Balasutta
"Mendicants, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six? The powers of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. And they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.5 The Thoroughbred (1st) Paṭhamaājānīyasutta
"Mendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship.
What six? It's when a fine royal thoroughbred can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. And it's beautiful. A fine royal thoroughbred with these six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship.
In the same way, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six? It's when a mendicant can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.6 The Thoroughbred (2nd) Dutiyaājānīyasutta
"Mendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship. What six? It's when a fine royal thoroughbred can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. And it's strong. A fine royal thoroughbred with these six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship.
In the same way, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six? It's when a mendicant can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.7 The Thoroughbred (3rd) Tatiyaājānīyasutta
"Mendicants, a fine royal thoroughbred with six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship. What six? It's when a fine royal thoroughbred can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. And it's fast. A fine royal thoroughbred with these six factors is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and is considered a factor of kingship.
In the same way, a mendicant with six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world. What six? It's when a mendicant can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. A mendicant with these six qualities is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world."
AN 6.8 Unsurpassable Anuttariyasutta
"Mendicants, these six things are unsurpassable. What six? The unsurpassable seeing, listening, acquisition, training, service, and recollection. These are the six unsurpassable things."
AN 6.9 Topics for Recollection Anussatiṭṭhānasutta
"Mendicants, there are these six topics for recollection. What six? The recollection of the Buddha, the teaching, the Saṅgha, ethics, generosity, and the deities. These are the six topics for recollection."
AN 6.10 With Mahānāma Mahānāmasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Sir, when a noble disciple has reached the fruit and understood the instructions, what kind of meditation do they frequently practice?"
"Mahānāma, when a noble disciple has reached the fruit and understood the instructions they frequently practice this kind of meditation.
Firstly, a noble disciple recollects the Realized One: 'That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.' When a noble disciple recollects the Realized One their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. At that time their mind is unswerving, based on the Realized One. A noble disciple whose mind is unswerving finds inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds joy connected with the teaching. When they're joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they're blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of the Buddha.
Furthermore, a noble disciple recollects the teaching: 'The teaching is well explained by the Buddha---apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.' When a noble disciple recollects the teaching their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. ... This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of the teaching.
Furthermore, a noble disciple recollects the Saṅgha: 'The Saṅgha of the Buddha's disciples is practicing the way that's good, sincere, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha's disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.' When a noble disciple recollects the Saṅgha their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. ... This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of the Saṅgha.
Furthermore, a noble disciple recollects their own ethical conduct, which is intact, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion. When a noble disciple recollects their ethical conduct their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. ... This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of ethics.
Furthermore, a noble disciple recollects their own generosity: 'I'm so fortunate, so very fortunate! Among people full of the stain of stinginess I live at home rid of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.' When a noble disciple recollects their own generosity their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. ... This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of generosity.
Furthermore, a noble disciple recollects the deities: 'There are the gods of the four great kings, the gods of the thirty-three, the gods of Yama, the joyful gods, the gods who love to imagine, the gods who control what is imagined by others, the gods of the Divinity's host, and gods even higher than these. When those deities passed away from here, they were reborn there because of their faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. I, too, have the same kind of faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.' When a noble disciple recollects the faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom of both themselves and the deities their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. At that time their mind is unswerving, based on the deities. A noble disciple whose mind is unswerving finds inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds joy connected with the teaching. When you're joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, you feel bliss. And when you're blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is called a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. They've entered the stream of the teaching and develop the recollection of the deities.
When a noble disciple has reached the fruit and understood the instructions this is the kind of meditation they frequently practice."