9.Macchari Sutta
Discourse on Stinginess
Aditta Vagga, Devata Samyutta
Sagatha Vagga Samyutta, Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

9.Macchari Sutta
Discourse on Stinginess

      49. (The deva said)

      "There are stingy persons in this world who are miserly, who upbraid others¹,and who thwart other people's acts of charity.² What will be their lot as a consequence (of their stinginess)? What kind of future existence will they have? We have come to ask the Bhagava this question. How shall we know the answer to it?"

      (The Bhagava said:)

      "There are stingy persons in this world who are miserly, who upbraid others, and who thwart other people's acts of charity. They go to realms of suffering, or are reborn as animals, or become hungry spirits where King Yama rules. If perchance they are reborn as human beings, they will be reborn in poor families.

      "Such people will get only with difficulty clothing, food, sensual enjoyment or pleasure. These foolish ones covet other people's possessions but do not get them. This will be their lot in human life as a consequence (of their stinginess). In future existences they will be reborn in the realms of misery"

      (The deva said:)

      "We (now) understand this matter (as explained by the Bhagava). May we ask Gotama another question? In this world certain persons, having been born as human beings, understand the (unspoken) words.³ They are free from stinginess

      "They have confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha, and they greatly venerate these. What will be their lot as a consequence (of their reverence)? What kind of future existence will they have? We have come to ask the Bhagava this question. How shall we know the answer to it?"

      (The Bhagava said)

      "In this world certain persons, having been born as human beings, understand the (unspoken) words. They are free form stinginess.

      "They have confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Samgha, and they greatly venerate these. When they are reborn in the celestial worlds they shine brightly. If they are reborn as human beings they will be reborn in well-to-do families.

      Such people will get without difficulty clothing, food sensual enjoyment or pleasure.

      "Like devas of the Vasavatti realm they enjoy pleasure created by others. This will be their lot in human life. In future existences they will be reborn in the happy deva realms."

End of the Macchari Sutta,

the ninth in this vagga.

     1. upbraiding others: Such stingy people would upbraid a bhikkhu in quest of alms-food with such rude words as, "What have you ploughed or sown or reaped? We don't get enough, so how should we give to you? Be off!"

     2. who thwart other people's acts of charity. Such stingy persons prevent the person seeking alms from getting the alms and the would-be giver from earning merit. They also prevent them selves from advancing to the fortunate existences.

     3. the (unspoken) words: vadannu: Such people when they see a bhikkhu come and stand at their door know that the bhikkhu is seeking alms although the bhikkhu may not say anything.