Dhammapada 177
The stingy do not go to the world of the gods
The stingy do not go to the world of the gods; fools do not praise giving. But the wise rejoice in giving, and through that are happy in the world beyond.
Translated from the Pāli by Banya
Pāli
Na ve kadariyā devalokaṁ vajanti,
Bālā have nappasaṁsanti dānaṁ;
Dhīro ca dānaṁ anumodamāno,
Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.
In plain words
The verse contrasts stinginess with appreciating generosity. It says the wise person's happiness extends to the world after death, and leaves open whose giving is being appreciated.
Key words
- anumodamāna
- rejoicing in, appreciating — Can include approval or appreciation of giving.
The story behind the verse
Gifts beyond Compare
In the commentary, King Pasenadi and his subjects alternated in making increasingly large offerings. The king finally arranged an exceptional gift for the Buddha and the monks, and Elephants stood beside the monks holding parasols. The minister Kāla resented the money spent on the offerings, and the minister Juṇha rejoiced in the giving. The Buddha gave a brief acknowledgment rather than the longer teaching the king expected, and when the king asked why, the Buddha explained the ministers’ contrasting attitudes and taught about appreciating generosity.
Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).
To reflect on
What do you appreciate about an act of generosity?
Try it today
Pause to appreciate one act of giving, your own or someone else's.
Practise it with
Shared joy (muditā)
Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.