Asappurisadānasutta — Tikaṇḍakīvagga — the fifteenth 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, concerning the manner rather than the fact of giving
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — a practical distinction worth noticing
Why this discourse
A discourse about how a gift is given, not whether one gives at all: even genuine material generosity can be undermined by carelessness, thoughtlessness, refusal to give with one's own hand, giving only the dregs, or giving without regard for consequences.
Reading guide
The manner, not the fact, of giving
This discourse doesn't ask whether someone gives; it asks how. Five specific manners of giving are named as belonging to an ‘untrue person’ (asappurisa), regardless of whether the gift itself is genuine.
Five careless manners
Giving carelessly; giving thoughtlessly; not giving with one's own hand; giving the dregs or leftovers; and giving without any consideration for consequences.
The mirrored positive
Giving carefully, thoughtfully, with one's own hand, not the dregs, and with consideration for consequences — the exact opposite manner in each respect.
A distinct discourse from its immediate successor
AN 5.148 shares this discourse's ‘true person’ title concept but names an entirely different five-item list, worth noting explicitly so the two aren't conflated: this discourse concerns the manner of giving, while AN 5.148 names five distinct motivations and their distinct karmic results.
What comes next
AN 5.148 gives its own, different five gifts of a true person, this time each with its own specific karmic fruit.
Key terms
asappurisa — “an untrue, bad person” — literally ‘not a good person’, this discourse's subject.
asakkaccaṁ deti — “gives carelessly” — the first manner named.
asahatthā deti — “doesn't give with one's own hand” — the third manner.
apaviddhaṁ deti — “gives the dregs, leftovers” — the fourth manner.
anāgamanadiṭṭhiko deti — “gives without consideration for consequences” — the fifth manner.
The text
The discourse in full: five careless manners of giving, and their opposite. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Gifts of an untrue person
§1“Mendicants, there are these five gifts of an untrue person. What five? They give carelessly. They give thoughtlessly. They don’t give with their own hand. They give the dregs. They give without consideration for consequences. These are the five gifts of an untrue person.
Gifts of a true person
§2There are these five gifts of a true person. What five? They give carefully. They give thoughtfully. They give with their own hand. They don’t give the dregs. They give with consideration for consequences. These are the five gifts of a true person.”
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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
What does this discourse concern, unlike whether one gives at all?
Correct: A. Even genuine generosity can be undermined by how it is given.
Question 2 of 10
What does 'asakkaccaṁ deti' mean?
Correct: A. The first careless manner.
Question 3 of 10
What does 'asahatthā deti' mean?
Correct: A. The third careless manner.
Question 4 of 10
What does 'apaviddhaṁ deti' mean?
Correct: A. The fourth careless manner.
Question 5 of 10
How is the 'true person' list constructed relative to the 'untrue person' list?
Correct: B. A clean mirror image.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'anāgamanadiṭṭhiko deti' mean?
Correct: A. The fifth careless manner.
Question 7 of 10
How does this discourse relate to AN 5.148, which shares its title concept?
Correct: B. Manner of giving, versus motivation and karmic result.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'asappurisa' mean?
Correct: A. Literally 'not a good person'.
Question 9 of 10
What chapter does this discourse belong to?
Correct: B. Continuing the chapter's practical guidance.
Question 10 of 10
What does AN 5.148 give, with a different structure from this discourse?
Correct: B. Five distinct motivations, five distinct fruits.
