Destinations for Those Who Are Stingy and Those Who Are Generous

[A heavenly being:]

Those who are stingy here in the world,

Selfish people, abusers,

People who create obstacles

For others engaged in giving alms (a donation);

What kind of result do they experience?

What kind of future destination?

We’ve come to ask The Perfectly Enlightened One this:

How are we to understand it?

[The Perfectly Enlightened One:]

Those who are stingy here in the world,

Selfish people, abusers,

People who create obstacles

For others engaged in giving alms (a donation):

They might be reborn in hell,

In the animal realm or Yama’s world.

If they come back to the human state

They are born in a poor family

Where clothes, food, pleasures, and play

Are obtained only with difficulty.

Whatever the unwise 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 heavenly being:]

We understand thus what you have said:

We ask, O Gotama, another question:

Those here who, on gaining the human state,

Are friendly and generous,

Confident in The Buddha and The Teachings

And deeply respectful towards The Community;

What kind of result do they experience?

What kind of future destination?

We’ve come to ask The Perfectly Enlightened One this:

How are we to understand it?

[The Perfectly Enlightened One:]

Those here who, on gaining the human state,

Are friendly and generous,

Confident in The Buddha and The Teachings

And deeply respectful towards The Community,

These brighten up the heavens

Where they’ve been reborn.

If they come back to the human state

They are reborn in a rich family

Where clothes, food, pleasures, and play

Are obtained without difficulty.

They rejoice like the heavenly beings who control

The goods acquired by others.

This is the result in this very life;

And in the future a good destination.

(Reference: SN 1.49)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares explanations to questions from heavenly beings asking the difference between a stingy person and a generous person in regards to their next rebirth.

The Buddha explains that a stingy person who is selfish, abusers, and create obstacles for others who choose to make donations might be reborn in hell, the animal realm, or in Yama’s world.

Yama is considered to be associated with death and hell. There are different associations in each culture.

The Buddha explains further that if a person such as this is reborn back into the human realm, they are reborn into a family who lacks wealth and the basic necessities to sustain life are difficult to obtain. One would also have difficulties to obtain pleasures and play.

The Buddha answers the question regarding the results of a being who is friendly and generous with confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community that these beings are reborn into the heavenly realm.

The Buddha explains further that if a person such as this is reborn back into the human realm, they are reborn into a family that is rich where the basic necessities to sustain life are obtained without difficulty. One would also have no difficulties to obtain pleasures and play.