In the Caṇḍālasutta (AN 5.175), the Buddha mentions five unfavorable qualities of "a stain of a lay follower" and five favorable qualities of "a lotus of a lay follower". Those who possess the former were described as an 'outcaste' while those who possess the latter are a 'jewel'.
“Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower. Which five? He/she does not have conviction [in the Buddha’s Awakening]; is unvirtuous; is eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts protective charms & ceremonies, not kamma; and searches for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Saṅgha], and gives offerings there first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower.
“Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower. Which five? He/she has conviction; is virtuous; is not eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts kamma, not protective charms & ceremonies; does not search for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Saṅgha], and gives offerings here first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower.”
To begin, it is worth noting that while the first set of qualities are presented negatively in this sutta, it does not change the status of an individual from a Buddhist to a non-Buddhist. A person remains as a lay follower.
The first set of qualities, which are unfavorable qualities of a lay follower that is an outcaste of a lay follow, is as follows:
- Faithless
- Unethical
- Follows boisterous, superstitious rites, believing in omens rather than deeds
- Seeks for those worthy of [religious] donations outside the Buddhist community
- Makes offerings to those outside the Buddhist community first
- Faithful
- Ethical
- Doesn’t practice boisterous, superstitious rites, and believe in deeds rather than omens
- Doesn't seek for those worthy of [religious] donations outside the Buddhist community
- Doesn't make offerings to those outside the Buddhist community first
Faith
Faithless in this context means those who do not believe nor have conviction in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. The basis of the Buddhist faith is the idea that Siddhattha Gotama found the path towards liberation, became the Buddha, taught the Dhamma, and established the Fourfold Assembly (i.e., male and female monastics and male and female lay followers). It is through the Buddha's realization that we have the Dhamma and by his authority that we have the Saṅgha. To reject the Buddha is to remove the foundation of both the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, while to reject either the Dhamma or the Saṅgha is to reject the realization and authority of the Buddha.
In the Paṭhamamahānāmasutta (AN 11.11), the Buddha's first answer to Mahānāma's question is: "The faithful succeed, not the faithless." In the Veḷudvāreyyasutta (SN 55.7), the Buddha states that a person may exclaim that they have reached stream-entry when, among other qualities, have "experiential confidence in the Buddha... the teaching... [and] the Saṅgha..." This is expounded upon in the Paṭhamaverasutta (AN 9.27):
What are the four factors of stream-entry that they possess? It’s when a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’
They have experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’
They have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’
In the Kūṭadantasutta (DN 5), the Buddha provides going for refuge to the Three Jewels as more fruitful and beneficial than than any regular, propitious sacrifice:
“But is there any other sacrifice that has fewer obligations and undertakings, yet is more fruitful and beneficial?”
“When someone with confident heart goes for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.”
Ultimately, it is also the basic requirement for a lay follower to have gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. In the Mahānāmasutta (AN 8.25), it says:
“Sir, how is a lay follower defined?”
“Mahānāma, when you’ve gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha, you’re considered to be a lay follower.”
While having doubts and figuring things out do not mean one is faithless, equivocally rejecting any of the Three Jewels is tantamount to abandoning Buddhism. This is being mentioned solely to prevent any wrong idea that one can go for refuge only to some and not all of the Three Jewels and still be considered a Buddhist. The canon is clear that a lay follower is one who has gone for refuge to the Three Jewels.
Ethics
Ethics in this context refers to morality, conduct, and behavior. It covers what and how Buddhists should behave and conduct themselves in order to be considered ethical or virtuous. The primary basis of ethics for lay followers are the five precepts, which in the Mahānāmasutta (AN 8.25) are characterized to be how lay followers are considered virtuous or ethical:
“But how is an ethical lay follower defined?”
“When a lay follower doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor, they’re considered to be an ethical lay follower.”
Again in the Kūṭadantasutta (DN 5), the Buddha provides undertaking the five precepts as more fruitful and beneficial than than any regular, propitious sacrifice:
“But is there any other sacrifice that has fewer obligations and undertakings, yet is more fruitful and beneficial?”
“When someone with a confident heart undertakes the training rules to refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.”
In the Verasutta (AN 5.174), the Buddha states that those who essentially do not uphold the five precepts are unethical and will be reborn in the hell realm:
Householder, unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell. What five? Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. Unless these five fears and enmities are given up, one is said to be unethical, and is reborn in hell.
These are the basics for lay followers. Based on observing these precepts alone, a lay follower can be considered ethical. The Buddha himself had said so, and there is no reason to assume otherwise. However, there are ways to supplement, augment, and build upon these five. The Siṅgālasutta (DN 31) offers a comprehensive outline of lay conduct. Specifically, it mentions four corrupt deeds to be given up, four grounds one does not do bad deeds on, six drains on wealth, six drawbacks of drinking, six drawbacks of wandering at night, six drawbacks of festivals, six drawbacks of gambling, six drawbacks of bad friends, six drawbacks of laziness, grounds on which fake friends can be recognized, grounds on which good-hearted friends can be recognized, and how to cover the six directions (i.e., who these are and how one conducts oneself towards them).
These additional instructions from the Buddha are not precepts in and of themselves, and violating them are not necessarily violations of the precepts. However, living by them allows us to distance ourselves from near occasions of breaking the precepts as they flow from or are based on the precepts. Additionally, they help ensure that we present the best versions of ourselves to others. For example, habitual drinking is associated in the sutta to susceptibility to disrepute, which is a common occurrence even today.
The line between the ethical and the unethical for lay Buddhists is the five precepts. While it is always going to be better to do more and follow the additional instructions provided by the Buddha in order to benefit ourselves in this life and the next and complement our keeping of the precepts, there is no compulsion to do so and one will remain a Buddhist.
To drive the point across about the importance of ethics, here is the opening paragraph of the Paṭhamaupanisasutta (AN 10.3):
“Mendicants, an unethical person, who lacks ethics, has destroyed a vital condition for having no regrets. When there are regrets, one who has regrets has destroyed a vital condition for joy. When there is no joy, one who lacks joy has destroyed a vital condition for rapture. When there is no rapture, one who lacks rapture has destroyed a vital condition for tranquility. When there is no tranquility, one who lacks tranquility has destroyed a vital condition for bliss. When there is no bliss, one who lacks bliss has destroyed a vital condition for right immersion. When there is no right immersion, one who lacks right immersion has destroyed a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is no true knowledge and vision, one who lacks true knowledge and vision has destroyed a vital condition for disillusionment and dispassion. When there is no disillusionment and dispassion, one who lacks disillusionment and dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom."
Other references for lay conduct (non-exhaustive): Dīghajāṇusutta (AN 8.54), Dhammikasutta (Snp 2.14), Sāleyyakasutta (MN 41), Veḷudvāreyyasutta (SN 55.7), Paṭhamasamajīvīsutta (AN 4.55), Ānaṇyasutta (AN 4.62), Ṭhānasutta (AN 4.192), Sikkhāpadasutta (AN 4.201), and Ādiyasutta (AN 5.41).
Superstition & omens
For the entirety of known history, superstitious rites and omens and divinations have been practiced, embraced, and sought by humans. There are many accounts and testimonies, in both scriptural and anecdotal works, that attest to their use and practice. In the socio-cultural context of the Buddha, these practices abound as they still do today in the subcontinent. People used to and still do rely on priests, ritual specialists, and the like to perform protective, wealth, and malefic rites, create charms and talismans, and read omens. Relying on these things has the potential of shifting how people perceive kamma. No amount of precaution can prevent kamma from coming into fruition, albeit our circumstances can and do influence how these come about.
In the Asibandhakaputtasutta (SN 42.6), the Buddha refutes the idea that rituals can change ones's rebirth or modify reality:
What do you think, chief? Take an individual who doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re contented, kind-hearted, and have right view. And a large crowd were to come together to offer up supplication and entreaty, circumambulating them with cupped palms and saying: ‘When this person’s body breaks up, after death, may they be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell!’ What do you think, chief? Would that person be reborn in hell because of their supplications?”
“No, sir.”
“Chief, suppose a person were to sink a pot of ghee or oil into a deep lake and break it open. Its shards and chips would sink down, while the ghee or oil in it would rise up. At Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.6.2–3, Uddālaka compares the ghee that arises as curd is churned to the mind. And a large crowd were to come together to offer up supplication and entreaty, circumambulating it with cupped palms and saying: ‘Sink, good ghee or oil! Descend, good ghee or oil! Go down, good ghee or oil!’ What do you think, chief? Would that ghee or oil sink and descend because of their supplications?”
“No, sir.”
“In the same way, take an individual who doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re contented, kind-hearted, and have right view. Even though a large crowd were to come together to offer up supplication and entreaty … when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”
Again in the Iṭṭhasutta (SN 5.43), the Buddha lays down how one achieves wealth, long life, and so on:
“Householder, these five things, which are likable, desirable, and agreeable are hard to get in the world. What five? Long life, beauty, happiness, fame, and heaven. These are the five things, which are likable, desirable, and agreeable, but hard to get in the world.
And I say that these five things are not got by supplication or wishing for them. If they were, who would lack them?
A noble disciple who wants to live long ought not pray for it, or hope for it, or pine for it. Instead, they should practice the way that leads to long life. For by practicing that way they gain long life as a god or a human being.
A noble disciple who wants to be beautiful ought not pray for it, or hope for it, or pine for it. Instead, they should practice the way that leads to beauty. For by practicing that way they gain beauty as a god or a human being.
A noble disciple who wants to be happy ought not pray for it, or hope for it, or pine for it. Instead, they should practice the way that leads to happiness. For by practicing that way they gain happiness as a god or a human being.
A noble disciple who wants to be famous ought not pray for it, or hope for it, or pine for it. Instead, they should practice the way that leads to fame. For by practicing that way they gain fame as a god or a human being.
A noble disciple who wants to go to heaven ought not pray for it, or hope for it, or pine for it. Instead, they should practice the way that leads to heaven. For by practicing that way they gain heaven, they are one who gains the heavens.
For one who desires lofty delights
again and again—
long life, beauty, fame and reputation,
heaven, and an eminent family—
the astute praise diligence
in making merit.
Being diligent, an astute person
secures both benefits:
the benefit in this life,
and in lives to come.
An attentive one, comprehending the meaning,
is called ‘astute’.”
In the Jaṭilasutta (Ud 1.9), the Buddha contradicts the idea that ablutions bring about purification:
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Gayā on Gayā Head. Now at that time—during the cold spell when the snow falls in the January winter—many dreadlocked ascetics plunged in and out of the Gayā river. Plunging and showering, they served the sacred flame, thinking: “Through this there is purity.”
The Buddha saw them plunging in and out.
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Purity doesn’t come from water,
no matter how many people bathe there.
One who has truth and principle,
they are pure, they are brahmins.”
In a similar account in the Saṅgāravasutta (SN 7.21), this is again put into question:
The Buddha said to him, “Is it really true, brahmin, that you practice purification by water, believing in purification by water; that you live committed to the practice of immersing yourself in water at daybreak and dusk?”
“Yes, worthy Gotama.”
“But brahmin, for what reason do you practice purification by water?”
“It’s because, Mister Gotama, whatever bad deeds I’ve done during the day I rinse off by bathing at dusk; and whatever bad deeds I’ve done during the night, I rinse off by bathing at dawn. This quasi-physical understanding of good and evil predates the Buddha, and is found among Jains as well. The practice of ritual bathing is also listed among the self-mortifications, but it seems to fit better here, as bathing in India is not unpleasant (MN 12:45.12). That’s the reason why I practice purification by water.”
“The teaching is a lake, brahmin,
into which ethics are the stairs,
unclouded, praised by the fine to the good.
There the knowledge masters go to bathe,
and cross to the far shore with dry limbs.”
While this is the case, it would be imprudent to dismiss rituals altogether. What are being described in the suttas are superstitious rites, not all magical or ceremonial rites entirely. In the Assalāyanasutta (MN 93), the Buddha recounts how curses that were supposedly effective had the opposite effect instead, which demonstrates that they can have some effect although not entirely effective:
“Once upon a time, Assalāyana, seven brahmin seers settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region. They had the following harmful misconception: ‘Only brahmins are the best class; other classes are inferior. Only brahmins are the light class; other classes are dark. Only brahmins are purified, not others. Only brahmins are true-born sons of divinity, born from his mouth, born of divinity, created by divinity, heirs of divinity.’
The seer Devala the Dark heard about this. So he did up his hair and beard, dressed in magenta robes, put on his lined sandals, grasped a golden staff, and appeared in the courtyard of the seven brahmin seers. Then he wandered about the yard saying, ‘Where, oh where have those brahmin seers gone? Where, oh where have those brahmin seers gone?’
Then those brahmin seers said, ‘Who’s this wandering about our courtyard like a village lout? Let’s curse him!’
So they cursed Devala the Dark, ‘Be ashes, lowlife! Be ashes, lowlife!’ But the more the seers cursed him, the more attractive, good-looking, and lovely Devala the Dark became.
The Ratanasutta (Snp 2.1) is a good example of the inverse of superstition. Here, the Buddha establishes that it is the truth that provides protection and well-being. By having confidence in the Three Jewels, by putting into heart the truths shared by the Buddha, and practicing accordingly, we avail all the protection we need in this life. Anything beyond this protection is already subject to kamma, and no amount of rituals and charms can prevent them from coming into fruition.
A Buddhist is not superstitious because he understands that we are governed by kamma, the law of cause and effect. He does not do things without reason (i.e., out of tradition or superstition). If we want to see beneficial things in our lives, we need to do beneficial things and plant the kammic seeds them. This is why in the Iṭṭhasutta (SN 5.43) the Buddha states that we should not pray for what we want but instead practice the way that leads to it. We are both proprietor and heir to our actions and their outcomes.
Offerings
The Buddha, in multiple occasions, spoke about the benefits of giving to the Buddhist Saṅgha. When speaking about the four blissful meditations in the Gihisutta (AN 5.179), the Buddha says:
Furthermore, a noble disciple has experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ This is the third blissful meditation in this life belonging to the higher mind, which they achieve in order to purify the unpurified mind and cleanse the unclean mind.
In the same sutta, the Buddha concludes:
Fools who don’t understand—unlearned simpletons—give their gifts to those outside, and don’t attend the peaceful ones.
But those who do attend the peaceful ones—wise, esteemed as attentive—and whose faith in the Holy One has roots planted deep, they go to the realm of the gods, or are born here in a good family. Gradually those astute ones reach extinguishment.
In the Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅgasutta (MN 142), the Buddha compares the returns of giving to certain people:
Now, Ānanda, gifts to the following persons may be expected to yield the following returns. To an animal, a hundred times. To an unethical ordinary person, a thousand. To an ethical ordinary person, a hundred thousand. To an outsider free of desire for sensual pleasures, 10,000,000,000. But a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry may be expected to yield incalculable, immeasurable returns. How much more so a gift to a stream-enterer, someone practicing to realize the fruit of once-return, a once-returner, someone practicing to realize the fruit of non-return, a non-returner, someone practicing to realize the fruit of perfection, a perfected one, or an independent Buddha? How much more so a Realized One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha?
Here, the Buddha states that a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry yields "incalculable, immeasurable returns." The Saṅgha qualifies not just on this part but also the next ones, which states that practicing to realize more than the fruit of stream-entry yields much more returns than the already incalculable, immeasurable returns of giving a gift to someone practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. On this point alone, in terms of benefits, it should be clear as to why it is much more preferable to not only make offerings first to the Saṅgha but also not to seek for anyone else worthy of donations outside the community.
The analogy that can be used in this regard is that of wild, uncultivated soil and fertile, tilled soil. If one tries to plant seeds in wild, uncultivated soil, it is not guaranteed that it will grow, bear fruit, and be of any benefit. If one plants in fertile, tilled soil, which has been taken care of specifically to bear fruit, there is a higher and bigger chance of it growing, bearing fruit, and being of some benefit. With one's limited resources, it is necessary to prioritize the welfare and needs of the Saṅgha, which is our fertile, tilled soil. They benefit us lay followers by expounding on the teachings of the Buddha, providing us instructions relevant to our circumstances, and preserving the Dhamma for posterity.
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