Date: 07/20/2024 07/21/2024
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
Who will partake in the offerings?
Once, the Buddha was staying at the Bamboo Grove in Rajagaha, the capital of the Magadha Kingdom.
That day, a Brahmin named Jivaka came to the Bamboo Grove to ask the Buddha a question:
“Honorable Gautama, we Brahmins advocate offering sacrifices to deceased family members because we share blood relations, which allows them to partake in what is offered. Honorable Gautama, a dearly loved family member of mine recently passed away unexpectedly. To ensure his well-being, I followed our Brahmin teachings and offered sacrifices for him. But can he truly partake in what I have offered?”
“Brahmin, if there is a correspondence, they can partake; if there is no correspondence, they cannot,” replied the Buddha.
“Honorable Gautama, what constitutes correspondence? And what does not?” asked the Brahmin.
“Brahmin, those who have committed many evil deeds in life and are reborn in hell or as animals will live in their respective new worlds, surviving on the food of hell or the animal realm. In such cases, there is no correspondence, and these beings cannot partake in the food offered through sacrifices. Similarly, those who have performed good deeds and are reborn in the heavens or among humans will also live in their new worlds, relying on the food of those realms. They too do not correspond and cannot partake in the sacrificed food. Only those who have committed evil deeds and are reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts correspond; hungry ghosts can survive on the food of their realm and also partake in the food offered by relatives and friends.”
“Honorable Gautama, if my dearly loved family member is not reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts, then who can partake in the food I offered?” asked the Brahmin.
“Brahmin, it would then be partaken by other relatives and friends of yours who are reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts,” answered the Buddha.
“Honorable Gautama, if I have no relatives or friends reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts, then who can partake in the food I offered?”
“Brahmin, in the long cycle of life and death, it is impossible to say that there are absolutely no relatives or friends in the realm of hungry ghosts. Moreover, importantly, those who give offerings will not go unrewarded.”
“Honorable Gautama, what kind of reward does one who gives offerings receive?”
“Brahmin, if one offers money, houses, and daily necessities to monks, nuns, other Brahmins, and the needy in life, then even if they committed many evil deeds and are reborn in the animal realm, they can still enjoy better living conditions there. If they performed good deeds and are reborn in the heavens or among humans, they can enjoy better material circumstances.”
“How rare! Honorable Gautama, how miraculous! Those who give offerings can receive such blessings! One should give, one should give with faith!” Upon hearing the Buddha’s explanation, Jivaka Brahmin was overjoyed, expressed deep admiration for the Buddha’s clear answers, took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and requested to remain a lay follower of the Buddha for life.
