Nine Qualities of a Good Benefactor

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I need help tracking down the Pali source of this. I could not find it in the book of nines. The discourse was taught to King Kosala Pasenadi after he had forgotten to offer alms to the 500 monks he had invited. Only Ven Ānanda continued to visit his palace for alms by the third day without receiving food.

Monks should call on a benefactor and visit his house if the benefactor was endowed with nine qualities:
1. He stands up and welcomes him courteously.
2. He pays homage by bowing.
3. He allocates a suitable seat with reverence.
4. He does not hide things that he owns.
5. He donates generously, according to his means.
6. He donates the best of what he has.
7. He gives the donation respectfully.
8. He sits close to listen to the Dhamma attentively, and
9. He listens to the teachings with enthusiasm.

The Buddha then related a Jātaka story, which I also need to identify.

[cooran]

Hello Bhante,

Not sure if this will assist in the search:
The Velaama Sutta ¬ The Scale of Good Deeds
The Message of the Velaama Sutta - by Susan Elbaum Jootla
http://www.vipassanadhura.com/ScaleofGoodDeeds.html

Giving in the Pali Canon by Lily de Silva
http://www.enabling.org/ia/vipassana/Ar ... Silva.html

with metta and respect,
Chris

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Thanks for trying, but that is not it. The Velāma Sutta was taught to Anathapindika, not Pasenadi.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Thanks to Chris and Han Tun on the Dhamma Study Group, I found that the The Kesava Jātaka is one, though I see no mention of the nine qualities of a donor there.

Via the entry to the Kesava Jātaka in DPPN, though, I managed to track down the relevant verse in the Dhammapada Commentary, which ironically is on my own web site, where the nine qualities of a donor are mentioned. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Sensualists Are Swept Away by Death

The nine qualities of a donor are found in the Anguttaranikāya, as I thought they would be, but searching for Pasenadi didn't find them.

Manāpena paccuṭṭhenti, manāpena abhivādenti, manāpena āsanaṃ denti, santamassa na pariguhanti, bahukampi bahukaṃ denti, paṇītampi paṇītaṃ denti, sakkaccaṃ denti no asakkaccaṃ, upanisīdanti dhammassavanāya, bhāsitamassa sussūsanti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, navahaṅgehi samannāgataṃ kulaṃ anupagantvā vā alaṃ upagantuṃ, upagantvā vā alaṃ upanisīditu”nti (a. ni. 9.17).