“Those folk in the world who are stingy, miserly and abusive, setting up obstacles for others who give.
What kind of result do they reap? What kind of future life? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: how are we to understand this?”
“Those folk in the world who are stingy, miserly and abusive, setting up obstacles for others who give:
they’re reborn in hell, the animal realm, or Yama’s world. If they return to the human state, they’re born in a poor family,
where clothes, food, pleasure, and play are hard to find. They don’t even get what they hope for from others. This is the result in the present life, and in the next, a bad destination.”
“We understand what you’re saying, and ask another question, Gotama. What about those who’ve gained the human state, who are bountiful and rid of stinginess,
confident in the Buddha and the teaching, with keen respect for the Saṅgha? What kind of result do they reap? What kind of future life? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: how are we to understand this?”
“Those who’ve gained the human state who are bountiful and rid of stinginess, confident in the Buddha and the teaching, with keen respect for the Saṅgha: they illuminate the heavens wherever they’re reborn.
If they return to the human state, they’re reborn in a rich family, where clothes, food, pleasure, and play are easy to find.
They rejoice like those who control the possessions of others. This is the result in the present life, and in the next, a good destination.”
Stingy
SN 1.49 · Maccharisutta
Connections
Collection & context
- Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.