The Brahmin’s Offering of the Teaching (ITI100)

So It Was Said 100

The Book of the Fours

The Chapter on the Brahmin’s Offering of the Teaching

The Brahmin’s Offering of the Teaching

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“I, mendicants, am a brahmin, committed to charity, always open-handed, bearing my final body, a healer, a surgeon.

You are my bosom sons, born from my mouth, born of the teaching, created by the teaching, heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh.¹

There are these two gifts.

A gift of things of the flesh and a gift of the teaching.

The better of these two gifts is the gift of the teaching.

There are these two kinds of sharing.

Sharing things of the flesh and sharing the teaching.

The better of these two kinds of sharing is sharing the teaching.

There are these two kinds of support.

Support in things of the flesh and support in the teaching.

The better of these two kinds of support is support in the teaching.

There are these two offerings.

An offering of things of the flesh and an offering of the teaching.

The better of these two offerings is an offering of the teaching.”

The Buddha spoke this matter.

On this it is said:

“The Realized One, compassionate for all living creatures,

unstintingly offers teaching.

Sentient beings revere him, first among gods and humans,

who has gone beyond rebirth.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.