MN 3 Study Guide

This guide provides a detailed review of the Dhammadāyāda Sutta (MN 3), focusing on the core teachings presented by the Buddha and the subsequent elaboration by the venerable Sāriputta. The Sutta centers on the critical distinction between being an heir in Dhamma versus an heir in material things, outlining the path of practice for dedicated disciples.

Review Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 complete sentences, drawing your answers directly from the provided text.

1. What is the primary exhortation the Blessed One gives to the bhikkhus at the beginning of the Sutta?

2. Why does the Blessed One insist that his disciples be heirs in Dhamma and not material things?

3. In the parable of the two bhikkhus, why is the first bhikkhu, who remains hungry, considered more commendable?

4. After the Blessed One departs, what central question does the venerable Sāriputta pose to the other bhikkhus?

5. According to Sāriputta, what are the three reasons why elder, middle, and new bhikkhus who "do not train in seclusion" are to be blamed?

6. Conversely, what are the three reasons Sāriputta gives for commending bhikkhus who successfully "train in seclusion"?

7. What does Sāriputta identify as the "evil herein" that must be abandoned?

8. What is the "Middle Way" prescribed by Sāriputta for abandoning these evils?

9. List the eight components of the Noble Eightfold Path.

10. According to the commentary (MA), what was the specific historical context or problem that prompted the Buddha to deliver this Sutta?

Answer Key

1. The Blessed One exhorts the bhikkhus to be his "heirs in Dhamma, not my heirs in material things." He states that he has this wish out of compassion for his disciples.

2. He insists on this so that neither he nor his disciples will be reproached. If they are heirs in material things, both will be criticized, but if they are heirs in Dhamma, both will be spoken of well.

3. The first bhikkhu is more commendable because his choice to abstain from the food will "for long conduce to his fewness of wishes, contentment, effacement, easy support, and arousal of energy." These five qualities, as explained in the commentary, are key to spiritual practice.

4. Sāriputta poses a twofold question: "Friends, in what way do disciples of the Teacher who lives secluded not train in seclusion? And in what way do disciples of the Teacher who lives secluded train in seclusion?"

5. The three reasons for blame are: (1) As disciples of a secluded Teacher, they do not train in seclusion; (2) They do not abandon what the Teacher tells them to abandon; and (3) They are "luxurious and careless, leaders in backsliding, neglectful of seclusion."

6. The three reasons for commendation are: (1) As disciples of a secluded Teacher, they do train in seclusion; (2) They abandon what the Teacher tells them to abandon; and (3) They are "not luxurious and careless; they are keen to avoid backsliding and are leaders in seclusion."

7. Sāriputta identifies a list of sixteen evil qualities to be abandoned. The list begins with "greed and hate" and includes anger, resentment, envy, avarice, deceit, fraud, vanity, and negligence.

8. The Middle Way for abandoning these evils is explicitly identified as the Noble Eightfold Path. This path is described as "giving vision, giving knowledge, which leads to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna."

9. The eight components are: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

10. The commentary (MA) explains that the Sutta was delivered because many bhikkhus were becoming elated over the gains and honor they were receiving. This focus on material accruements was leading to the neglect of their spiritual training.

Essay Questions

The following questions are designed for longer, more analytical responses. Formulate an essay-length response for each, synthesizing concepts from across the Sutta.

1. Analyze the parable of the two bhikkhus and the leftover almsfood. How does this story serve as a practical illustration of the abstract principle of being an "heir in Dhamma" versus an "heir in material things"?

2. Discuss the role of "seclusion" as explained by Sāriputta. What are the characteristics of a disciple who trains in seclusion versus one who does not, and how do these behaviors relate back to the Buddha's original teaching?

3. Sāriputta links the failure to abandon certain "evil qualities" (like greed, hate, and envy) to being an heir of material things. Explain this connection and how the Noble Eightfold Path serves as the direct antidote.

4. Examine the structure of the Sutta, from the Buddha's initial discourse to Sāriputta's detailed explanation. Why was Sāriputta's elaboration necessary, and how does it create a comprehensive guide for practice?

5. The commentary notes that the five qualities demonstrated by the first bhikkhu (fewness of wishes, contentment, etc.) "gradually fulfill all the stages of the practice culminating in arahantship." Based on the Sutta, explain how these personal qualities form the foundation for following the Middle Way and achieving the ultimate goal of Nibbāna.