1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

2“When your house is on fire,
you rescue the pot
that’s useful,
not the one that’s burnt.

3And as the world is on fire
with old age and death,
you should rescue by giving,
for what’s given is rescued.

4What’s given has happiness as its fruit,
but not what isn’t given.
Bandits take it, or rulers,
it’s consumed by fire, or lost.

5Then in the end this corpse is cast off,
along with all your possessions.
Knowing this, a clever person
would enjoy what they have and also give it away.
After giving and using according to their means,
blameless, they go to a heavenly place.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

2"Ādittasmiṁ agārasmiṁ,
yaṁ nīharati bhājanaṁ;
Taṁ tassa hoti atthāya,
no ca yaṁ tattha ḍayhati.

3Evaṁ ādittako loko,
jarāya maraṇena ca;
Nīharetheva dānena,
dinnaṁ hoti sunīhataṁ.

4Dinnaṁ sukhaphalaṁ hoti,
nādinnaṁ hoti taṁ tathā;
Corā haranti rājāno,
aggi ḍahati nassati.

5Atha antena jahati,
Sarīraṁ sapariggahaṁ;
Etadaññāya medhāvī,
Bhuñjetha ca dadetha ca;
Datvā ca bhutvā ca yathānubhāvaṁ,
Anindito saggamupeti ṭhānan"ti.