1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then Princess Sumanā, escorted by five hundred chariots and five hundred royal maidens, went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

2“Sir, suppose there were two disciples equal in faith, ethics, and wisdom. One is a giver, one is not. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. When they have become gods, would there be any distinction or difference between them?”

---

3“There would be, Sumanā,” said the Buddha.

“As a god, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in five respects: divine lifespan, beauty, happiness, fame, and sovereignty. As a god, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in these five respects.”

4“But sir, if they pass away from there and come back to this state of existence as human beings, would there still be any distinction or difference between them?”

“There would be, Sumanā,” said the Buddha.

“As a human being, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in five respects: human lifespan, beauty, happiness, fame, and sovereignty. As a human being, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in these five respects.”

5“But sir, if they both go forth from the lay life to homelessness, would there still be any distinction or difference between them?”

“There would be, Sumanā,” said the Buddha.

“As a renunciate, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in five respects. They’d usually use only what they’ve been invited to accept — robes, alms-food, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick — rarely using them without invitation. When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually treat them agreeably by way of body, speech, and mind, rarely disagreeably. As a renunciate, the one who was a giver would surpass the other in these five respects.”

---

6“But sir, if they both attain perfection, as perfected ones would there still be any distinction or difference between them?”

“In that case, I say there is no difference between the freedom of one and the freedom of the other.”

---

7It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! Just this much is quite enough to justify giving gifts and making merit. For merit is helpful for those who have become gods, human beings, and renunciates.”

“That’s so true, Sumanā. It’s quite enough to justify giving gifts and making merit. For merit is helpful for those who have become gods, human beings, and renunciates.”

8That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

---

9“The moon so immaculate,
journeying across the dimension of space;
outshines with its radiance
all the world’s stars.

10So too, a faithful individual,
perfect in ethics,
outshines with their generosity
all the world’s stingy people.

11The thundering rain cloud,
its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,
pours down over the rich earth,
soaking the plains and lowlands.

12Even so, an astute person accomplished in vision,
a disciple of the fully awakened Buddha,
surpasses a stingy person
in five respects:

13long life and fame,
beauty and happiness.
Blessed with riches,
they depart to rejoice in heaven.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ … pe … anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho sumanā rājakumārī pañcahi rathasatehi pañcahi rājakumārisatehi parivutā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho sumanā rājakumārī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Idhassu, bhante, bhagavato dve sāvakā samasaddhā samasīlā samapaññā – eko dāyako, eko adāyako. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjeyyuṁ. Devabhūtānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan"ti?

---

3"Siyā, sumane"ti bhagavā avoca: 

"yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ devabhūto samāno pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti – dibbena āyunā, dibbena vaṇṇena, dibbena sukhena, dibbena yasena, dibbena ādhipateyyena. Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ devabhūto samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti".

4"Sace pana te, bhante, tato cutā itthattaṁ āgacchanti, manussabhūtānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan"ti?

"Siyā, sumane"ti bhagavā avoca:  "yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ manussabhūto samāno pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti – mānusakena āyunā, mānusakena vaṇṇena, mānusakena sukhena, mānusakena yasena, mānusakena ādhipateyyena. Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ manussabhūto samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti".

5"Sace pana te, bhante, ubho agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, pabbajitānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan"ti?

"Siyā, sumane"ti bhagavā avoca:  "yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ pabbajito samāno pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhāti – yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati appaṁ ayācito, yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjati appaṁ ayācito, yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjati appaṁ ayācito, yācitova bahulaṁ gilānapaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjati appaṁ ayācito. Yehi kho pana sabrahmacārīhi saddhiṁ viharati tyassa manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti appaṁ amanāpena, manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti appaṁ amanāpena, manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti appaṁ amanāpena, manāpaṁyeva bahulaṁ upahāraṁ upāhāranti appaṁ amanāpaṁ. Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ pabbajito samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhātī"ti.

---

6"Sace pana te, bhante, ubho arahattaṁ pāpuṇanti, arahattappattānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan"ti?

"Ettha kho panesāhaṁ, sumane, na kiñci nānākaraṇaṁ vadāmi, yadidaṁ vimuttiyā vimuttin"ti.

---

7"Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhante, alameva dānāni dātuṁ alaṁ puññāni kātuṁ; yatra hi nāma devabhūtassāpi upakārāni puññāni, manussabhūtassāpi upakārāni puññāni, pabbajitassāpi upakārāni puññānī"ti.

"Evametaṁ, sumane. Alañhi, sumane, dānāni dātuṁ alaṁ puññāni kātuṁ. Devabhūtassāpi upakārāni puññāni, manussabhūtassāpi upakārāni puññāni, pabbajitassāpi upakārāni puññānī"ti.

8Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā: 

---

9"Yathāpi cando vimalo,
gacchaṁ ākāsadhātuyā;
Sabbe tārāgaṇe loke,
ābhāya atirocati.

10Tatheva sīlasampanno,
saddho purisapuggalo;
Sabbe maccharino loke,
cāgena atirocati.

11Yathāpi megho thanayaṁ,
vijjumālī satakkaku;
Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,
abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.

12Evaṁ dassanasampanno,
sammāsambuddhasāvako;
Macchariṁ adhigaṇhāti,
pañcaṭhānehi paṇḍito.

13Āyunā yasasā ceva,
vaṇṇena ca sukhena ca;
Sa ve bhogaparibyūḷho,
pecca sagge pamodatī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.