1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the hall with the peaked roof. Then Sīha the general approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:

"Is it possible, Bhante, to point out a directly visible fruit of giving?"

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2"Well then, Sīha, I will question you about this matter. You should answer as you see fit."

(1) "What do you think, Sīha? There might be two persons, one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, and another endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity. What do you think, Sīha? To whom would the arahants first show compassion: to the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or to the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?" [n.1544] Mp: "They arouse compassion with the thought: ‘Whom should we help today? Whose gift should we receive or to whom should we teach the Dhamma?’"

3"Why, Bhante, would the arahants first show compassion to the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive? They would first show compassion to the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity."

4(2) "What do you think, Sīha? Whom would the arahants approach first: the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"Why, Bhante, would the arahants first approach the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive? They would first approach the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity."

5(3) "What do you think, Sīha? From whom would the arahants first receive alms: from the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or from the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"Why, Bhante, would the arahants first receive alms from the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive? They would first receive alms from the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity."

6(4) "What do you think, Sīha? To whom would the arahants first teach the Dhamma: to the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or to the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"Why, Bhante, would the arahants first teach the Dhamma to the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive? They would first teach the Dhamma to the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity."

7(5) "What do you think, Sīha? Which person would acquire a good reputation: the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"How, Bhante, would the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive acquire a good reputation? It is the person endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity, who would acquire a good reputation."

8(6) "What do you think, Sīha? Which person would approach any assembly—whether of khattiyas, brahmins, householders, or ascetics— confidently and composed: the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"How, Bhante, could the person without faith, who is miserly, mean, and abusive, approach any assembly—whether of khattiyas, brahmins, householders, or ascetics—confidently and composed?

It is the person endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity, who would approach any assembly … confidently and composed."

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9(7) "What do you think, Sīha? With the breakup of the body, after death, which person would be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world: the one without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive, or the one endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity?"

"How, Bhante, could the person without faith who is miserly, mean, and abusive be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, with the breakup of the body, after death? It is the person endowed with faith, a munificent giver who delights in charity, who would be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world, with the breakup of the body, after death.

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10"Bhante, I do not go by faith in the Blessed One concerning those six directly visible fruits of giving declared by him. I know them, too. For I am a donor, a munificent giver, and the arahants first show compassion to me. I am a donor, a munificent giver, and the arahants first approach me. I am a donor, a munificent giver, and the arahants first receive alms from me. I am a donor, a munificent giver, and the arahants first teach the Dhamma to me. I am a donor, a munificent giver, and I have acquired a good reputation: ‘Sīha the general is a donor, a sponsor, a supporter of the Saṅgha.’ I am a donor, a munificent giver, and whatever assembly I approach—whether of khattiyas, brahmins, householders, or ascetics—I approach it confidently and composed. I do not go by faith in the Blessed One concerning these six directly visible fruits of giving declared by him. I know them, too. But when the Blessed One tells me: ‘Sīha, with the breakup of the body, after death, a donor, a munificent giver, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world,’ I do not know this, and here I go by faith in the Blessed One."

"So it is, Sīha, so it is! With the breakup of the body, after death, a donor, a munificent giver, is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho sīho senāpati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sīho senāpati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"sakkā nu kho, bhante, sandiṭṭhikaṁ dānaphalaṁ paññāpetun"ti?

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2"Tena hi, sīha, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, idha dve purisā – eko puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, eko puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kaṁ nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampeyyuṁ: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

3"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampissanti. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato taṁyeva arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampeyyuṁ". (1)

4"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kaṁ nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkameyyuṁ: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkamissanti. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato taṁyeva arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkameyyuṁ". (2)

5"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇhissanti. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇheyyuṁ". (3)

6"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā deseyyuṁ: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā desessanti. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā deseyyuṁ". (4)

7"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, kassa nu kho kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggaccheyya: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kintaṁ tassa kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggacchissati. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato tasseva kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggaccheyya". (5)

8"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, ko nu kho yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkameyya, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkameyya amaṅkubhūto: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kiṁ so yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamissati, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkamissati amaṅkubhūto.

Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato so yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkameyya, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ yadi brāhmaṇaparisaṁ yadi gahapatiparisaṁ yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkameyya amaṅkubhūto". (6)

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9"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīha, ko nu kho kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjeyya: ‘yo vā so puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, yo vā so puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato’"ti?

"Yo so, bhante, puriso assaddho maccharī kadariyo paribhāsako, kiṁ so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjissati. Yo ca kho so, bhante, puriso saddho dānapati anuppadānarato so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjeyya. (7)

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10Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā sandiṭṭhikāni dānaphalāni akkhātāni, nāhaṁ ettha bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi. Ahampi etāni jānāmi. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, maṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ anukampantā anukampanti. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, maṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ upasaṅkamantā upasaṅkamanti. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ paṭiggaṇhantā paṭiggaṇhanti. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ arahanto paṭhamaṁ dhammaṁ desentā desenti. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati, mayhaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato: ‘sīho senāpati dāyako kārako saṅghupaṭṭhāko’ti. Ahaṁ, bhante, dāyako dānapati yaṁyadeva parisaṁ upasaṅkamāmi, yadi khattiyaparisaṁ … pe … yadi samaṇaparisaṁ visārado upasaṅkamāmi amaṅkubhūto. Yānimāni, bhante, bhagavatā sandiṭṭhikāni dānaphalāni akkhātāni, nāhaṁ ettha bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmi. Ahampi etāni jānāmi. Yañca kho maṁ, bhante, bhagavā evamāha: ‘dāyako, sīha, dānapati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjatī’ti. Etāhaṁ na jānāmi, ettha ca panāhaṁ, bhagavato saddhāya gacchāmī"ti.

"Evametaṁ, sīha, evametaṁ, sīha. Dāyako, sīha, dānapati kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjatī"ti.

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Catutthaṁ.