AN 8.34

Khettasutta

“Aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahassādaṁ na phātiseyyaṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate? Idha, bhikkhave, khettaṁ unnāmaninnāmi ca hoti, pāsāṇasakkharikañca hoti, ūsarañca hoti, na ca gambhīrasitaṁ hoti, na āyasampannaṁ hoti, na apāyasampannaṁ hoti, na mātikāsampannaṁ hoti, na mariyādasampannaṁ hoti. Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahassādaṁ na phātiseyyaṁ.

A Field

“Mendicants, when a field has eight factors a seed sown in it is not very fruitful or rewarding or productive. What eight factors does it have? It’s when a field has mounds and ditches. It has stones and gravel. It’s salty. It doesn’t have deep furrows. And it’s not equipped with water inlets, water outlets, irrigation channels, and boundaries. When a field has these eight factors a seed sown in it is not fruitful or rewarding or productive.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahānisaṁsaṁ na mahājutikaṁ na mahāvipphāraṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu? Idha, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇā micchādiṭṭhikā honti, micchāsaṅkappā, micchāvācā, micchākammantā, micchāājīvā, micchāvāyāmā, micchāsatino, micchāsamādhino. Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ na mahapphalaṁ hoti na mahānisaṁsaṁ na mahājutikaṁ na mahāvipphāraṁ.

In the same way, when an ascetic or brahmin has eight factors a gift given to them is not very fruitful or beneficial or brilliant or bountiful. What eight factors do they have? It’s when an ascetic or brahmin has wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion. When an ascetic or brahmin has these eight factors a gift given to them is not very fruitful or beneficial or brilliant or bountiful.

Aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahassādaṁ phātiseyyaṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate? Idha, bhikkhave, khettaṁ anunnāmāninnāmi ca hoti, apāsāṇasakkharikañca hoti, anūsarañca hoti, gambhīrasitaṁ hoti, āyasampannaṁ hoti, apāyasampannaṁ hoti, mātikāsampannaṁ hoti, mariyādasampannaṁ hoti. Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgate, bhikkhave, khette bījaṁ vuttaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahassādaṁ phātiseyyaṁ.

When a field has eight factors a seed sown in it is very fruitful and rewarding and productive. What eight factors does it have? It’s when a field doesn’t have mounds and ditches. It doesn’t have stones and gravel. It’s not salty. It has deep furrows. And it’s equipped with water inlets, water outlets, irrigation channels, and boundaries. When a field has these eight factors a seed sown in it is very fruitful and rewarding and productive.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahānisaṁsaṁ mahājutikaṁ mahāvipphāraṁ. Kathaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu? Idha, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammādiṭṭhikā honti, sammāsaṅkappā, sammāvācā, sammākammantā, sammāājīvā, sammāvāyāmā, sammāsatino, sammāsamādhino. Evaṁ aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgatesu, bhikkhave, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu dānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti mahānisaṁsaṁ mahājutikaṁ mahāvipphāranti.

In the same way, when an ascetic or brahmin has eight factors a gift given to them is very fruitful and beneficial and brilliant and bountiful. What eight factors do they have? It’s when an ascetic or brahmin has right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. When an ascetic or brahmin has these eight factors a gift given to them is very fruitful and beneficial and brilliant and bountiful.

Yathāpi khette sampanne, pavuttā bījasampadā; Deve sampādayantamhi, hoti dhaññassa sampadā.

When the field is excellent, and the seed sown in it is excellent, and the rainfall is excellent, the crop of grain will be excellent.

Anītisampadā hoti, virūḷhī bhavati sampadā; Vepullasampadā hoti, phalaṁ ve hoti sampadā.

The absence of crop loss is excellent, its growth is excellent, its maturation is excellent, and its fruit is excellent.

Evaṁ sampannasīlesu, dinnā bhojanasampadā; Sampadānaṁ upaneti, sampannaṁ hissa taṁ kataṁ.

So too, when you give excellent food to those of excellent ethics, it leads to many excellences, for what you did was excellent.

Tasmā sampadamākaṅkhī, sampannatthūdha puggalo; Sampannapaññe sevetha, evaṁ ijjhanti sampadā.

So if a person wants excellence, let them excel in this. You should frequent those with excellent wisdom, so that your own excellence will flourish.

Vijjācaraṇasampanne, laddhā cittassa sampadaṁ; Karoti kammasampadaṁ, labhati catthasampadaṁ.

Excelling in knowledge and conduct, and having excellence of mind, you perform excellent deeds, and gain excellent benefits.

Lokaṁ ñatvā yathābhūtaṁ, pappuyya diṭṭhisampadaṁ; Maggasampadamāgamma, yāti sampannamānaso.

Truly knowing the world, and having attained excellence of view, one who excels in mind proceeds, relying on excellence in the path.

Odhunitvā malaṁ sabbaṁ, patvā nibbānasampadaṁ; Muccati sabbadukkhehi, sā hoti sabbasampadā”ti.

Shaking off all stains, and attaining the excellence of extinguishment, you’re freed from all sufferings: this is complete excellence.”