AN 5.31

Sumanasutta

Ekaṁ 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:

With Sumanā

At 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:

“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?

“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?”

“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”.

“There would be, Sumanā,” said the Buddha. “As a god, the one who was a giver surpasses the other in five respects: heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty. As a god, the one who was a giver surpasses the other in these five respects.”

“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”.

“But sir, if they pass away from there and come back to this place 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 surpasses the other in five respects: human lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty. As a human being, the one who was a giver surpasses the other in these five respects.”

“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 upaharanti appaṁ amanāpaṁ. Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ pabbajito samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhātī”ti.

“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 surpasses the other in five respects. They usually use only what they’ve been invited to accept—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—rarely using them without invitation. When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually find themselves treated agreeably by them by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably. And they are usually presented with agreeable things by them, rarely with disagreeable ones. As a renunciate, the one who was a giver surpasses the other in these five respects.”

“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.

“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.”

“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.

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! This 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.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evaṁ dassanasampanno, sammāsambuddhasāvako; Macchariṁ adhigaṇhāti, pañcaṭhānehi paṇḍito.

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

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

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