The Brahmin Who Provided for His Mother

Mātuposakasutta

The Brahmin Who Provided for His Mother

Mātuposakasutta

EN
At Sāvatthī. Then a brahmin who provided for his mother went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, I seek alms by legitimate means, which I use to provide for my mother and father.
PL
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho mātuposako brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mātuposako brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahañhi, bho gotama, dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesāmi, dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesitvā mātāpitaro posemi.
EN
In doing so, am I doing my duty?” “Indeed, brahmin, in so doing you are doing your duty. Whoever seeks alms by legitimate means, and uses them to provide for their mother and father brims with much merit. A mortal provides for their mother
PL
Kaccāhaṁ, bho gotama, evaṅkārī kiccakārī homī”ti? “Taggha tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, evaṅkārī kiccakārī hosi. Yo kho, brāhmaṇa, dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesati, dhammena bhikkhaṁ pariyesitvā mātāpitaro poseti, bahuṁ so puññaṁ pasavatīti. Yo mātaraṁ pitaraṁ vā,
EN
and father by legitimate means; because they serve their parents like this, they’re praised in this life by the astute,
PL
macco dhammena posati; Tāya naṁ pāricariyāya, mātāpitūsu paṇḍitā; Idheva naṁ pasaṁsanti,
EN
and they depart to rejoice in heaven.” When he said this, the brahmin who provided for his mother said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
PL
pecca sagge pamodatī”ti. Evaṁ vutte, mātuposako brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Pāli root text and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato from SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net), CC0.

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