Catukkanipāta 78

Numbered Discourses 4.78

8. Sure Bet

A Religious Donation

1 “Mendicants, there are these four ways of purifying a religious donation. What four? There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the giver, not the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by the recipient, not the giver. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by neither the giver nor the recipient. There’s a religious donation that’s purified by both the giver and the recipient.

2 And how is a religious donation purified by the giver, not the recipient? It’s when the giver is ethical, of good character, but the recipient is unethical, of bad character.

3 And how is a religious donation purified by the recipient, not the giver? It’s when the giver is unethical, of bad character, but the recipient is ethical, of good character.

4 And how is a religious donation purified by neither the giver nor the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are unethical, of bad character.

5 And how is a religious donation purified by both the giver and the recipient? It’s when both the giver and the recipient are ethical, of good character.

These are the four ways of purifying a religious donation.”