The Brahmin’s Offering of the Teaching

Iti 100 · Brāhmaṇadhammayāgasutta

A coastal tree and tawny grasses beside the sea.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“I, mendicants, am a brahmin, committed to charity, always open-handed, bearing my final body, a healer, a surgeon. You are my bosom sons, born from my mouth, born of the teaching, created by the teaching, heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh.

There are these two gifts. A gift of things of the flesh and a gift of the teaching. The better of these two gifts is the gift of the teaching.

There are these two kinds of sharing. Sharing things of the flesh and sharing the teaching. The better of these two kinds of sharing is sharing the teaching.

There are these two kinds of support. Support in things of the flesh and support in the teaching. The better of these two kinds of support is support in the teaching.

There are these two offerings. An offering of things of the flesh and an offering of the teaching. The better of these two offerings is an offering of the teaching.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“The Realized One, compassionate for all living creatures, unstintingly offers teaching. Sentient beings revere him, first among gods and humans, who has gone beyond rebirth.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Through the Doors to the Deathless: Awakening While Listening to the DhammaṬhānissaro Bhikkhu · Referenced in this book
Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.