Toh 315 — The Father and Mother Sūtra

F.169.a Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling with a saṅgha of hearers in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. At that time, the Blessed One proclaimed:

“Monks, those householders who properly venerate and attend to both their father and mother dwell with Brahmā. Why is that? Monks, from the perspective of the family, the father and mother of a child of noble family are like Brahmā.

“Monks, those householders who properly venerate, honor, and attend to both their father and mother F.169.b dwell with teachers. Why is that? Monks, from the perspective of the family, the father and mother of a child of noble family are like teachers.

“Monks, those householders who properly venerate, honor, and attend to both their father and mother dwell with those worthy of receiving offerings. Why is that? Monks, from the perspective of the family, the father and mother of a child of noble family are those worthy of receiving offerings.

“Monks, those householders who properly venerate, honor, and attend to both their father and mother dwell with humans. Why is that? Monks, from the perspective of the family, the father and mother of a child of noble family are like humans.

“Monks, those householders who properly venerate, honor, and attend to both their father and mother dwell with gods. Monks, from the perspective of the family, the father and mother of a child of noble family are like gods.”

That is what the Blessed One proclaimed. The Well-Gone One having said that, the Teacher proclaimed this, too:

The Blessed One having proclaimed thus, the monks rejoiced and praised what the Blessed One had said.