8.5 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta’s Brahmin Uncle

8.5 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta’s Brahmin Uncle
Sāriputtattherassa Mātulabrāhmaṇavatthu

Dhp 106

Burlingame: Sāriputta’s Uncle

Elder Sāriputta asked the Buddha to teach his uncle, who supported the Nigaṇṭhas, the true way to the Brahma world; and the Buddha spoke a verse with which he taught them.

Keywords: Offerings, Worship, Great Disciples

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“One might give alms impartially,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Veḷuvana with reference to the Elder Sāriputta’s Brahmin uncle. {2.230}

It seems that Elder Sāriputta once went to his uncle and said: “Brahmin, do you ever do a single good deed?” – “I do, venerable Sir.” – “What do you do?” – “Month after month, I give alms to the value of a thousand coins.” – “To whom do you give this money?” – “To the Nigaṇṭhas, venerable Sir.” – “And what do you hope to gain thereby?” – “I hope to gain the world of Brahma.” – “But is this the way to reach the world of Brahma?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” – “Who told you so?” – “My teachers told me so, venerable Sir.” – “Brahmin, neither you nor your teachers know the way to the world of Brahma. The Teacher alone knows the way thereto. Come with me, and I will ask him to tell you the way to the world of Brahma.”

So Elder Sāriputta took his uncle with him, went to the Teacher, and told him all about it, saying: “Venerable Sir, this Brahmin said [29.234] so and so. Be so good as to tell him the way to the world of Brahma.” The Teacher asked: “Brahmin, are you correctly reported?” – “Yes, dear Gotama.” – “Brahmin, though you should give alms in this way for a hundred years, {2.231} yet were it far more fruitful for a man, with believing heart, for but a single instant to look upon my disciple or to bestow upon him a mere spoonful of boiled rice.” So saying, he joined the connection, and teaching the Dhamma, pronounced the following verse:

106. Māse māse sahassena yo yajetha sataṁ samaṁ;
ekañ-ca bhāvitattānaṁ muhuttam-api pūjaye –
sā yeva pūjanā seyyo yañ-ce vassasataṁ hutaṁ.

One might give alms impartially
with a thousand coins of money
month by month for a hundred years;
and one might worship someone with
developed self for a second –
that worship is surely better
than the hundred-year sacrifice.

At the end of the teaching that Brahmin attained the fruition of Stream-entry, and many others reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.