Maccharinīsutta — Andhakavindavagga — the twelfth chapter of the Fives
Setting
None stated; the discourse continues from AN 5.1, whose setting at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove is understood to hold
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
two paired five-item lists, addressed specifically to nuns, closing with a vivid stock hell/heaven verdict
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — addressed specifically to nuns, using strong stock language; handled here plainly
Why this discourse
This discourse opens a run of six consecutive discourses (AN 5.115–120), all addressed specifically to nuns rather than the monks who are this nipāta's usual audience. Five domains of stinginess are named, closing with a vivid stock verdict: placed in hell, or in heaven, ‘as if delivered there’.
Reading guide
Six discourses about nuns begin here
AN 5.115 opens a run of six consecutive discourses, all addressed specifically to bhikkhunī (nuns) rather than bhikkhu (monks), unlike the rest of this chapter and most of this nipāta. This reading guide notes the shift plainly: no equivalent monk-specific series appears at this point in the collection, and this guide does not assert whether a parallel formula addressed to monks exists elsewhere in the canon.
A vivid stock verdict
‘Placed in hell, or in heaven, as if delivered there’ (yathābhataṁ nikkhittā) is a striking idiom — as though rebirth follows automatically and immediately from present conduct, with no further intervening steps. This same phrase recurs across all six discourses in this run.
Five kinds of stinginess
Macchariya applied to five specific domains: dwellings, families (the network of lay supporters associated with oneself), material possessions, praise or reputation, and the teaching itself — withholding instruction from others.
Withholding teaching, worth noting specifically
Dhammamacchariya, stinginess specifically with the Dhamma, stands out among the five: unlike the other four, sharing the teaching costs nothing material.
The mirrored positive
Pure negation across all five domains, placed in heaven as if delivered there.
What comes next
AN 5.116 restates the identical hell/heaven verdict formula, introducing a two-part ‘unexamined praise and criticism’ opening that will recur, with variations, through the rest of this run.
Key terms
yathābhataṁ nikkhittā — “placed there as if delivered” — the vivid stock verdict recurring across this whole run of six discourses.
macchariya — stinginess — this discourse's central fault, applied to five domains.
āvāsamacchariya — stinginess with dwellings.
dhammamacchariya — stinginess with the teaching, the fifth domain, distinct from the other four.
vaṇṇamacchariya — stinginess with praise, or credit.
The text
The discourse in full: five domains of stinginess, and their absence. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Placed in hell
§1“Mendicants, a nun with five qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there. What five? She is stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teaching. A nun with these five qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.
Placed in heaven
§2A nun with five qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there. What five? She is not stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, or the teaching. A nun with these five qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.”
· · ·
Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
Who is this discourse, and the five that follow it, specifically addressed to?
Correct: B. Bhikkhunī — a shift from this nipāta's usual audience.
Question 2 of 10
How many consecutive discourses does this nun-specific run include?
Correct: B. AN 5.115 through AN 5.120.
Question 3 of 10
What vivid stock phrase names this discourse's verdict?
Correct: A. Yathābhataṁ nikkhittā, recurring across all six discourses.
Question 4 of 10
What five domains of stinginess are named?
Correct: A. Five specific applications of macchariya.
Question 5 of 10
What makes stinginess with the teaching distinct from the other four domains?
Correct: B. Dhammamacchariya, worth noting specifically.
Question 6 of 10
Does this reading guide assert that an equivalent formula addressed to monks exists elsewhere?
Correct: B. A deliberately cautious, non-speculative framing.
Question 7 of 10
How is the positive list constructed relative to the negative one?
Correct: B. Pure negation, placed in heaven instead.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'āvāsamacchariya' mean?
Correct: A. The first domain named.
Question 9 of 10
What comes right before this discourse in the chapter's sequence?
Correct: A. At Andhakavinda, appearing fourth in this chapter.
Question 10 of 10
What does AN 5.116 introduce next, while keeping the same verdict formula?
Correct: B. Recurring, with variations, through the rest of this run.
