Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN1: Connected Discourses with Devatas

SN1:49 Stingy

A devata:

1v.160 "Those who are stingy here in the world,
Niggardly folk, revilers,
People who create obstacles
For others engaged in giving alms:

2v.161 What kind of result do they reap?
What kind of future destiny?
We’ve come to ask the Blessed One this:
How are we to understand it?"

The Blessed One:

3v.162 "Those who are stingy here in the world,
Niggardly folk, revilers,
People who create obstacles
For others engaged in giving alms:
They might be reborn in hell,
In the animal realm or Yama's world. [n.106] "Yama's world" (yamaloka) here evidently refers to the pettivisaya, the domain of ghosts. Yama is the Lord of Death; see MN III 179–86, AN I 138–42.

4v.163 "If they come back to the human state
They are born in a poor family
Where clothes, food, pleasures, and sport
Are obtained only with difficulty.

5v.164 "Whatever the fools may expect from others,
Even that they do not obtain.
This is the result in this very life;
And in the future a bad destination."


A devata:

6v.165 "We understand thus what you have said;
We ask, O Gotama, another question:
Those here who, on gaining the human state,
Are amiable and generous,

7v.166 Confident in the Buddha and the Dhamma
And deeply respectful towards the Saṅgha:What kind of result do they reap?
What kind of future destiny?
We’ve come to ask the Blessed One this:
How are we to understand it?"

The Blessed One:

8v.167 "Those here who, on gaining the human state,
Are amiable and generous,
Confident in the Buddha and the Dhamma
And deeply respectful towards the Saṅgha,
These brighten up the heavens
Where they’ve been reborn. [n.107] I read with Se and Ee1 ete sagge pakasenti, as against Be ete sagga pakasanti, "these heavens shine," and Ee2 ete sagge pakasanti, "these shine in heaven." I take sagge as accusative plural rather than locative singular, which is also plausible. sn.i.35

9v.168 "If they come back to the human state
They are reborn in a rich family
Where clothes, food, pleasures, and sport
Are obtained without difficulty.

10v.169 "They rejoice like the devas who control
The goods amassed by others. [n.108] Spk-pṭ: Because they are endowed with happiness they are like the devas who exercise control over the goods created by others. The comparison is with the devas of the paranimmitavāsavātti realm, the sixth sense-sphere heaven.
This is the result in this very life;
And in the future a good destination."

1"Yedha maccharino loke,
kadariyā paribhāsakā;
Aññesaṁ dadamānānaṁ,
antarāyakarā narā.

2Kīdiso tesaṁ vipāko,
samparāyo ca kīdiso;
Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan"ti.

3"Yedha maccharino loke,
kadariyā paribhāsakā;
Aññesaṁ dadamānānaṁ,
antarāyakarā narā.

4Nirayaṁ tiracchānayoniṁ,
yamalokaṁ upapajjare;
Sace enti manussattaṁ,
dalidde jāyare kule.

5Coḷaṁ piṇḍo ratī khiḍḍā,
yattha kicchena labbhati;
Parato āsīsare bālā,
tampi tesaṁ na labbhati;
Diṭṭhe dhammesa vipāko,
samparāye ca duggatī"ti.


6"Itihetaṁ vijānāma,
aññaṁ pucchāma gotama;
Yedha laddhā manussattaṁ,
vadaññū vītamaccharā.

7Buddhe pasannā dhamme ca,
saṅghe ca tibbagāravā;
Kīdiso tesaṁ vipāko,
samparāyo ca kīdiso;
Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan"ti.

8"Yedha laddhā manussattaṁ,
vadaññū vītamaccharā;
Buddhe pasannā dhamme ca,
saṅghe ca tibbagāravā;
Ete saggā pakāsanti,
yattha te upapajjare.

9Sace enti manussattaṁ,
aḍḍhe ājāyare kule;
Coḷaṁ piṇḍo ratī khiḍḍā,
yatthākicchena labbhati.

10Parasambhatesu bhogesu,
vāsavāttīva modare;
Diṭṭhe dhammesa vipāko,
samparāye ca suggatī"ti.

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