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: “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?” “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.” “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?”
PL
“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”. “Sace pana te, bhante, tato cutā itthattaṁ āgacchanti, manussabhūtānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan”ti?
EN
“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.”
PL
“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”.
EN
“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.” “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.”
PL
Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ pabbajito samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhātī”ti. “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.
EN
“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.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
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: “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?” “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.” “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?”
PL
“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”. “Sace pana te, bhante, tato cutā itthattaṁ āgacchanti, manussabhūtānaṁ pana nesaṁ, bhante, siyā viseso, siyā nānākaraṇan”ti?
EN
“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.”
PL
“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”.
EN
“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.” “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.”
PL
Yo so, sumane, dāyako so amuṁ adāyakaṁ pabbajito samāno imehi pañcahi ṭhānehi adhigaṇhātī”ti. “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.
EN
“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.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
Sutraya