[31] Then Sumanā the royal princess (rājakumārī), surrounded by five hundred chariots and five hundred royal maidens, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, she sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Sumanā the royal princess said this to the Blessed One: "Suppose, venerable sir, there were two disciples of the Blessed One equal in faith (saddhā), equal in virtue (sīla), and equal in wisdom (paññā) — one a giver (dāyaka), one a non-giver. With the breaking up of the body, after death, they would be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. But when they have become devas, venerable sir, would there be any distinction between them, any difference?"
"There would be, Sumanā," the Blessed One said. "The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having become a deva, surpasses the non-giver in five respects: in divine lifespan, divine beauty, divine happiness, divine fame, and divine sovereignty (adhipateyya). The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having become a deva, surpasses the non-giver in these five respects."
"But if, venerable sir, having passed away from there, they come back to this state of being — when they have become humans, venerable sir, would there be any distinction between them, any difference?"
"There would be, Sumanā," the Blessed One said. "The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having become a human, surpasses the non-giver in five respects: in human lifespan, human beauty, human happiness, human fame, and human sovereignty. The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having become a human, surpasses the non-giver in these five respects."
"But if, venerable sir, both of them go forth from the household life into homelessness — when they have gone forth, venerable sir, would there be any distinction between them, any difference?"
"There would be, Sumanā," the Blessed One said. "The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having gone forth, surpasses the non-giver in five respects: he usually uses robes upon being asked [to accept them], seldom without being asked; he usually uses almsfood upon being asked, seldom without being asked; he usually uses lodging upon being asked, seldom without being asked; he usually uses medicinal requisites for the sick upon being asked, seldom without being asked. Moreover, those companions in the holy life with whom he dwells usually behave toward him with agreeable bodily action, seldom with disagreeable; they usually behave toward him with agreeable verbal action, seldom with disagreeable; they usually behave toward him with agreeable mental action, seldom with disagreeable; they usually present him with what is agreeable, seldom with what is disagreeable. The one who was a giver, Sumanā, having gone forth, surpasses the non-giver in these five respects."
"But if, venerable sir, both of them attain arahantship — when they have attained arahantship, venerable sir, would there be any distinction between them, any difference?"
"In this case, Sumanā, I declare that there is no difference whatsoever, that is, between the liberation (vimutti) of the one and the liberation of the other."
"It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is marvelous, venerable sir! So much so, venerable sir, that it is indeed fitting to give gifts (dāna), fitting to make merit (puñña), since merits are helpful even to one who has become a deva, merits are helpful even to one who has become a human, and merits are helpful even to one who has gone forth."
"So it is, Sumanā! So it is, Sumanā! It is indeed fitting, Sumanā, to give gifts, fitting to make merit; merits are helpful even to one who has become a deva, merits are helpful even to one who has become a human, and merits are helpful even to one who has gone forth."
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Sublime One, the Teacher, further said this:
Just as the stainless moon, moving through the element of space,
outshines with its radiance all the hosts of stars in the world,
even so a person accomplished in virtue, endowed with faith,
outshines by generosity (cāga) all the misers in the world.
Just as the thundering rain-cloud, garlanded with lightning, hundred-crested,
raining down upon the earth, fills the highland and the hollow,
even so the disciple of the Fully Enlightened One,
accomplished in vision, the wise one, surpasses the miser in five respects:
in lifespan and in fame, in beauty and in happiness;
and he, abounding in wealth, rejoices after death in heaven.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.