In the city of Savatthi…
Monks, when a field has eight factors, a seed sown in it does not grow well, does not yield much harvest, and fruits are not that tasty. What eight?
Monks, when a field has mounds and ditches. It has stones and gravel. It has dried clay. It is not deeply plowed. It does not have inlets for the water to enter. It does not have outlets for excess water to flow out. It does not have irrigation channels. It does not have boundaries.
Monks, when a field has these eight factors, a seed sown in it does not grow well, does not yield much harvest, and fruits are not that tasty.
In the same way, monks, the gifts given to unwise people who have these eight factors, do not produce much fruit or result. The merit gained by the givers is not vast or brilliant. What eight?
Monks, unwise people possess wrong view, wrong thoughts, wrong speech, wrong actions, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong concentration.
Monks, when the unwise people have these eight factors, the gifts given to them do not produce much fruit. It does not produce much result. The merit gained by the givers is not vast or brilliant.
Monks, when a field has eight factors, a seed sown in it grows well, yields much harvest, and fruits are very tasty. What eight?
Monks, when a field doesn’t have mounds or ditches. It does not have stones or gravel. It does not have dried clay. It is deeply plowed. It has inlets for the water to enter. It has outlets for excess water to flow out. It has irrigation channels. It has boundaries.
Monks, in the same way, when wise people have these eight factors, the gifts given to them produce much fruit. They produce great results. The merit gained by the givers is vast and brilliant.
What eight?
Monks, wise people possess right view, right thoughts, right speech, right actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Monks, when wise people possess these eight factors, a gift given to them produces much fruit and result. The merit gained by the givers is vast and brilliant.
1. When the field is fertile,
and the seed sown in it is excellent,
with timely rain,
the harvest will be great.2. The field is free from dangers,
growth of plants is excellent,
the harvest is great.
Indeed, its fruit is abundant.3. So too, the gifts
given to those of excellent virtues,
produce great results of merit.
The giver has done an excellent deed.4. If a good person expects great results,
he should associate with gift-worthy wise ones.
In this way, he gains in abundance.5. He accomplishes in true knowledge and pure conduct,
and accomplishes purity of mind,
he performs good deeds,
and gains excellent benefits.6. Truly knowing the world as it is,
he attains the right view.
Having entered the right path,
with a developed mind,
he reaches Nibbāna.7. Shaking off the rust of defilements,
having attained the bliss of Nibbana,
he is freed from all sufferings.
This liberation is the ultimate gain.”
