Notes on MN 3 Dhammadāyādasutta - Heirs in the Teaching
Summary Notes & Applications
Summary
In MN 3 Dhammadāyādasutta the Buddha draws a hard line between inheriting a lifestyle of perks and inheriting a lineage of practice. He urges disciples to be heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh. A short parable about leftover food tests this principle, praising the mendicant who chooses contentment over indulgence. After the Buddha departs, Sāriputta systematizes the point: real heirs train in seclusion by giving up what should be given up and walking the middle way of the noble eightfold path to end greed and hate. The lesson is simple: choose Dhamma over comfort, principle over perks.
Summary
Etymology
Dhamma means the teaching, truth, the law of reality.
Dāyāda means heir or inheritor.
Dhammadāyāda means an heir to the Dhamma, not an heir to material benefits.
The foil is āmisa (flesh, bait, material gain). To chase āmisa is to inherit trinkets, not liberation.
Setting
Sāvatthī, Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. The Buddha addresses the mendicants.
Buddha’s injunction
Be heirs in the teaching, not in things of the flesh. If disciples chase material benefits, both they and the Teacher become open to rightful criticism. If they inherit the teaching, both are beyond reproach.
The leftover food test
The Buddha, already full, offers surplus almsfood that would otherwise be discarded.
Mendicant A declines, choosing to remain hungry, remembering the call to be an heir in the teaching rather than in material things.
Mendicant B accepts, then practices after eating.
Verdict: Mendicant A is more worthy of respect and praise because that choice cultivates fewness of wishes, contentment, modesty, lightness, and energy. This illustrates how giving up reliance on material ease supports the path. It is not an endorsement of fasting as a rule. It is a training in non-greed and sufficiency.
Sāriputta’s exposition on seclusion and training
Question: How do disciples of a teacher who lives in seclusion fail to train, and how do they train well
Failure pattern across senior, middle, and junior monks: they do not give up what the Teacher says to give up, they are indulgent and slack, they neglect seclusion, and they lead others backward. They should be criticized on these grounds.
Success pattern across all ranks: they train in seclusion, give up what should be given up, refuse indulgence and backsliding, and should be praised.
The cure for greed and hate, and for a whole bundle of unwholesome traits (anger, acrimony, contempt, jealousy, stinginess, deceit, deviousness, obstinacy, aggression, conceit, arrogance, vanity, negligence) is the same middle way: the noble eightfold path. This path gives vision and knowledge and leads to peace, direct knowledge, awakening, and extinguishment.
Practicing During Meditation
Begin with intention: “Today I choose to be an heir to the teaching.” Let this lean the mind toward simplicity and away from hunting for pleasant extras.
Guard the mind from craving small comforts in the sit. If the impulse to tweak posture, seek a sweeter breath, or chase a pleasant image arises, notice it as āmisa hunger. Relax, stay with enough.
Cultivate contentment as a skill. Settle on a simple anchor, breathe gently, and let the mind learn satisfaction with very little.
When greed or aversion appears, apply the middle way: right effort becomes the lever. Prevent unwholesome states, abandon those that have arisen, arouse wholesome states, and maintain them.
Strengthen seclusion factors:
Physical: minimize stimulation during the sit.
Mental: steady attention to abandon the hindrances.
Emotional: incline to gladness, calm, and equanimity so the mind does not need treats to behave.
Close the session with a quick review: where did I inherit Dhamma over comfort, and where did I slip into taking the bait
Off the Cushion
Choose principles over perks. Before accepting opportunities or conveniences, ask: does this grow contentment, energy, and modesty, or does it thicken appetite
Practice fewness of wishes. Set caps on discretionary pleasures for a period, not from self-hate but from love of clarity. Notice how much energy returns when you live light.
Right use of resources. Eat to sustain practice, not to entertain boredom. Buy tools for function, not for status. Declutter until attention feels roomy.
Seclusion in modern terms. Carve daily quiet windows with no feeds, no notifications, and no shopping tabs. Protect that time as training, not as a treat.
Community hygiene. Praise colleagues and friends who model restraint and reliability. Do not reward flashy indulgence with your attention.
Address the bundle of traits Sāriputta lists. Create one-week sprints:
Week 1 anger: pause before replies, name the feeling, choose clean speech.
Week 2 jealousy and stinginess: practice small, anonymous generosity.
Week 3 deceit and deviousness: speak one difficult truth kindly each day.
Week 4 vanity and negligence: pick one humble task and complete it well.
Conclusion
To be an heir in the teaching is to inherit a way of living that does not need sweeteners. The Buddha’s standard is clear, and Sāriputta shows the method. Train in seclusion, give up what should be given up, and walk the middle way of the eightfold path. In small choices and large, prefer Dhamma to āmisa. Do this consistently and your life gets lighter, your practice gets cleaner, and the mind no longer looks to the world for its inheritance.