The Woodcutter, a householder

I heard thus. At one time The Blessed One lived in a dwelling of bricks in Nadika. Then a householder a wood cutter approached The Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and The Blessed One said to him:

So then householder, does your family give gifts? Venerable sir, my family gives gifts to forest bhikkhus, who are worthy, or those on the way to worthiness, they beg for morsel food and wear rag robes.

Householder, it is not possible for you, who live a household life, bearing the troubles of wife and children, partaking Kashmire clothes, bearing flowers, scents and ointments and earning gold and silver, to know these are the noble ones or these are the ones fallen to that path. Householder, there may be forest bhikkhus who are unbalanced, sportive, wavering, talkative with loose talk without mindful awareness, not concentrated with a scattered mind, with disturbed mental faculties, by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be forest bhikkhus who are balanced, not sportive, unwavering, not talkative without loose talk with mindful awareness, concentrated with the mind in one point, with restrained mental faculties, on account of which they are to be praised..

Householder, there may be bhikkhus living in the outskirts of the village, unbalanced, ... re ... by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be bhikkhus living in the outskirts of the village, balanced, ... re ... by which they are to be praised.

Householder, there may be bhikkhus living on morsel food, unbalanced, ... re ... by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be bhikkhus living on morsel food balanced, ... re ... by which they are to be praised. Householder, there may be bhikkhus living invited for food, unbalanced, ... re ... by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be bhikkhus living invited for food, balanced, ... re ... by which they are to be praised. Householder, there may be bhikkhus wearing rag robes, unbalanced, ... re ... by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be bhikkhus wearing rag robes, balanced, ... re ... by which they are to be praised. Householder, there may be bhikkhus wearing robes offered by householders, unbalanced, ... re ... by which they are to be blamed. Householder, there may be bhikkhus wearing robes offered by householders, balanced, ... re ... by which they are to be praised. Householder, give gifts to the Community of bhikkhus and make your mind pleasant. With a pleasant mind after death you will be born in increase, in heaven. So then venerable sir, from today I will give gifts to the Community.