Chapter 39
it manifests itself as parting with only an insignificant part of one's possession under
unavoidable circumstances, i.e., giving away merely as name-sake which does not
amount to a real meaningful gift. This is manifestation as result.
(4) The proximate cause of stinginess is one's own possession or rights.
—— Commentary to Abhidhamma ——
Five Kinds of Macchariya or Stinginess or Meanness
(1) Stinginess or meanness about living place: monastery, dwelling place, park, day
resort, night camp etc., (
ÈvÈsa-macchariya
).
(2) Stinginess or meanness about one's circle of friends or relatives, i.e., unwillingness to
see one's or relatives friends to be on friendly terms with others (
kula-macchariya
).
(3) Stinginess or meanness to share any form of gain with another (
lÈbha-macchariya
).
(4) Stinginess or meanness in being painful to see others look as attractive in appearance
as oneself or gain as fair a reputation as oneself (
vaÓÓa-macchariya
).
(5) Stinginess or meanness to share doctrinal knowledge with others, (
dhamma-
macchariya
).
(To expand this:)
(1) ‚Living place‛ may mean any living space for bhikkhus, whether the whole monastic
complex or a room or space allotted for residing by day or by night. A bhikkhu, who
has a specific place to dwell, lives in comfort as a bhikkhu and enjoys the four
bhikkhu requisites (i.e., food, robes, lodging, medicines). A stingy or mean bhikkhu
cannot agree to the idea of sharing his living place with some other bhikkhu who
fulfils his bhikkhu obligations, big or small. If that other bhikkhu happens to get a
chance of living there, the stingy one is wishing in his own mind that the newcomer
leave soon. This attitude or state of mind is called stinginess or meanness about
living quarters. Exception: If the co-resident of a living place is quarrelsome, the
unwillingness to share with him is not stinginess.
(2) Stinginess about ones friends or followership:
Kula-macchariya
(kula: clan;
supporter to a bhikkhu).
The relatives and lay supporters of a
bhikkhu
form the subject of stinginess or
meanness here. A stingy
bhikkhu
wants to monopolise them. He does not wish any of
them going to the monastery of another
bhikkhu
or let them have any relationship
between them and the
bhikkhu
. Exception: If the other
bhikkhu
is of an immoral type
(
dussÊla
), the unwillingness to see that happen does not amount to stinginess. As
immoral
bhikkhu
is likely to debase his lay supporters; so the unwillingness to have
relations with one's own relatives and lay supporters is proper. It is stinginess only
when that other
bhikkhu
is a virtuous one.
(3) "Any form of gain" includes the four bhikkhu-requisites, which are robe, alms-food,
dwelling, medicine. When, on seeing a virtuous bhikkhu receiving the four requisites,
a bhikkhu harbours such thoughts as ‚May that one be deprived of these gains‛, this
is stinginess or meanness about gain. Exception: Where the unwillingness to see
another bhikkhu receive the four requisites is justifiable, there is no evil of stinginess
or meanness. It is justifiable where that other bhikkhu is in the habit of misusing the
four requisites, thus destroying the faith of the donors, or if that bhikkhu does not
make proper use of them but hoards them without giving them away in time so that
they turn unusable (having gone stale or gone to rot.)
(4) ‚
VaÓÓa
‛ means personal appearance or attributes. Meanness regarding
VaÓÓa
means
displeasure at other person's good looks or attributes in the sense that no one must
have the same good looks or the same good attributes as oneself. The mean person
(bhikkhu) hates to discuss about other peoples personal attractiveness or good name
concerning morality, practice of austerity, or practice of dhamma.
(5) ‚Dhamma‛ is of two kinds: pariyatta-dhamma, learning the piÔaka and paÔivedha-