[54] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then Sīha the general approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Sīha the general said this to the Blessed One: "Is it possible, venerable sir, to point out a fruit of giving (dāna) that is visible in this very life (sandiṭṭhika)?"
"Well then, Sīha, I shall question you in return about this matter; you may answer it as seems fit to you. What do you think, Sīha? Suppose there were two men here: one man without faith (saddhā), stingy, miserly, and abusive; the other a man of faith, a master of giving (dānapati), who delights in charity. What do you think, Sīha? To whom would the arahants, when showing compassion, show compassion first: to the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or to the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, why would the arahants, when showing compassion, show compassion first to the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive? It is to the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, that the arahants, when showing compassion, would show compassion first."
"What do you think, Sīha? To whom would the arahants, when approaching, approach first: to the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or to the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, why would the arahants, when approaching, approach first the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive? It is the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, that the arahants, when approaching, would approach first."
"What do you think, Sīha? From whom would the arahants, when receiving, receive first: from the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or from the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, why would the arahants, when receiving, receive first from the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive? It is from the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, that the arahants, when receiving, would receive first."
"What do you think, Sīha? To whom would the arahants, when teaching the Dhamma, teach it first: to the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or to the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, why would the arahants, when teaching the Dhamma, teach it first to the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive? It is to the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, that the arahants, when teaching the Dhamma, would teach it first."
"What do you think, Sīha? Of whom would a fair report of fame spread abroad: of the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or of the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, how would a fair report of fame spread abroad of the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive? It is of the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, that a fair report of fame would spread abroad."
"What do you think, Sīha? Which one, whatever assembly he approaches — whether a company of noblemen, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, or a company of recluses — would approach it confident and unabashed: the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, how would the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, whatever assembly he approaches — whether a company of noblemen, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, or a company of recluses — approach it confident and unabashed? It is the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, who, whatever assembly he approaches — whether a company of noblemen, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, or a company of recluses — would approach it confident and unabashed."
"What do you think, Sīha? Which one, with the breakup of the body, after death, would be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world: the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, or the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity?"
"Venerable sir, how would the man without faith, stingy, miserly, and abusive, with the breakup of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world? It is the man of faith, a master of giving, who delights in charity, who, with the breakup of the body, after death, would be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.
"Venerable sir, as to these six fruits of giving visible in this very life declared by the Blessed One, I do not go by faith in the Blessed One in this matter; I too know them. Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and the arahants, when showing compassion, show compassion to me first. Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and the arahants, when approaching, approach me first. Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and the arahants, when receiving, receive from me first. Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and the arahants, when teaching the Dhamma, teach it to me first. Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and a fair report of fame has spread abroad of me: 'Sīha the general is a donor, a doer of good works, an attendant of the Saṅgha.' Venerable sir, I am a donor, a master of giving, and whatever assembly I approach — whether a company of noblemen, a company of brahmins, a company of householders, or a company of recluses — I approach it confident and unabashed. Venerable sir, as to these six fruits of giving visible in this very life declared by the Blessed One, I do not go by faith in the Blessed One in this matter; I too know them. But as to what the Blessed One has said to me thus: 'Sīha, a donor, a master of giving, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world' — this I do not know, and in this matter I go by faith in the Blessed One."
"So it is, Sīha! So it is, Sīha! A donor, Sīha, a master of giving, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.