“There are three grounds, mendicants, by which a person with faith and confidence can be known. What three? They like to see ethical people. They like to hear the true teaching. And they live at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. These are the three grounds by which a person with faith and confidence can be known. They like to see ethical people; they want to hear the true teaching; they’ve drive

And then Venerable Subhūti together with the mendicant Saddha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Subhūti, what is the name of this mendicant?” “Sir, the name of this mendicant is Saddha. He is the son of the layman Sudatta, and has gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness.” Furthermore, a mendicant lives with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They are strong, staunchly vigorous, not

“Mendicants, the appearance of three individuals is rare in the world. What three? A Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. A teacher of the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One. An individual who is grateful and thankful. The appearance of these three individuals is rare in the world.”

“Faith, conscience, and skillful giving are qualities true persons follow. For this, they say, is the path of the gods, which leads to the heavenly realm.”

Respect and placidity, contentment and gratitude, and timely listening to the teaching: this is the highest blessing.

rehearse a lot, and be very generous. Of the five things that the brahmins prescribe for making merit and succeeding in the skillful, I usually find them among renunciates, and less so among laypeople.” among laypeople or renunciates?” “Mostly among renunciates, and less so among lay people. For a layperson has many obligations, duties, issues, and undertakings, and they can’t always tell the truth, be fervent, be chaste, rehearse a lot, or be very generous.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the host of a hundred felicities, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence: “Giving what’s hard to give, doing what’s hard to do; the wicked don’t act like this, for the teaching of the good is hard to follow. That’s why the virtuous a

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Dāmali, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence: “This is what should be done by a brahmin: unrelenting striving. Then, with the giving up of sensual pleasures, they won’t hope to be reborn.” “The brahmin has nothing left to do,” said the Buddha to Dāmali, “for they’ve completed their task. So long as a personage fails to gain a footing in the river,

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, is there one thing such that by giving it up a mendicant gives up ignorance and gives rise to knowledge?” “There is, mendicant.” “But what is that one thing?” “Ignorance is one thing such that by giving it up a mendicant gives up ignorance and gives rise to knowledge.” “But how does a mendicant know and see so as to give up ignorance and give rise to knowledge?” “Take a mendicant who has heard: mind consciousness, and mind contact as

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, did you hear an old jackal howling at the crack of dawn?” “Yes, sir.” “There might be some gratitude and thankfulness in that old jackal, but there is none in a certain person here who claims to follow the Sakyan. So you should train like this: ‘We will be grateful and thankful. We won’t forget even a small thing done for us.’ That’s how you should train.” The Linked Discourses with similes are complete.