Maccharīsutta — Dīghacārikavagga — the twenty-third 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, drawbacks then benefits
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
not identified in this collection
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — short, a classical formula in an unexpected frame
Why this discourse
Sharing its title with AN 5.223 but naming entirely different content, this discourse gives the classical five kinds of stinginess — over dwellings, patronage, possessions, praise, and even the teaching itself — framing them, notably, as consequences of overstaying rather than a standalone vice.
Reading guide
The five classical objects of stinginess
Stinginess with dwellings (āvāsamacchariya); with families, meaning the patronage relationships a mendicant depends on (kulamacchariya); with material things (lābhamacchariya); with praise (vaṇṇamacchariya); and, most strikingly, with the teaching itself (dhammamacchariya).
Stinginess with the teaching, the most surprising item
The fifth item is genuinely pointed: hoarding the Dhamma, unwilling to share it freely, treated as a form of stinginess on par with hoarding possessions or a comfortable dwelling — a reminder that even spiritual knowledge can be grasped at rather than offered.
Overstaying as the cause, not simply the occasion
This discourse's framing is worth noticing carefully: these five stingy attitudes are named as drawbacks specifically of overstaying, not as an independent character flaw — suggesting prolonged residence itself, with its accumulated possessions and settled relationships, is where these forms of possessiveness actually take root.
Five matching benefits
Not being stingy in any of the five domains — the clean negation, presented as a benefit of staying only a reasonable length of time, per AN 5.223's positive framing.
A formula with a wider life beyond this discourse
This exact five-kind classification of stinginess appears elsewhere in the early texts as a standalone teaching in its own right; this discourse's distinctive move is placing it specifically within the context of dwelling-length, rather than presenting it independently.
Key terms
macchariya — “stinginess” — this discourse's central concept, named across five distinct objects.
āvāsamacchariya — “stinginess with dwellings” — the first of the five classical objects.
kulamacchariya — “stinginess with families” — referring to the patronage relationships supporting a mendicant.
dhammamacchariya — “stinginess with the teaching” — the fifth and most pointed item, hoarding spiritual knowledge itself.
samavatthavāsa — “staying for a reasonable length of time” — the positive framing this discourse's benefits are attributed to.
The text
The discourse in full: the five kinds of stinginess, framed as drawbacks of overstaying. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
Five kinds of stinginess
§1“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of overstaying. What five? You become stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teaching. These are the five drawbacks of overstaying.
Freedom from stinginess
§2There are these five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time. What five? You’re not stingy with dwellings, families, material things, praise, and the teaching. These are the five benefits of staying for a reasonable length of time.”
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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 five kinds of stinginess does this discourse name?
Correct: A. The classical five-part classification of stinginess.
Question 2 of 10
What is genuinely striking about the fifth item, 'dhammamacchariya'?
Correct: A. A reminder that even spiritual knowledge can be grasped at.
Question 3 of 10
How does this discourse frame these five kinds of stinginess?
Correct: A. Prolonged residence as where possessiveness takes root.
Question 4 of 10
What does 'āvāsamacchariya' mean?
Correct: A. The first of the five classical objects of stinginess.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'kulamacchariya' refer to?
Correct: A. The second of the five objects.
Question 6 of 10
Where else does this exact five-kind classification of stinginess appear, according to this guide?
Correct: A. This discourse's distinctive move is its dwelling-length framing.
Question 7 of 10
How does this discourse relate to AN 5.223?
Correct: A. A different, complementary treatment of the same title.
Question 8 of 10
What does 'vaṇṇamacchariya' mean?
Correct: A. The fourth of the five classical objects of stinginess.
Question 9 of 10
What is this discourse's positive counterpart?
Correct: A. The clean negation across all five domains.
Question 10 of 10
What chapter does this discourse belong to?
Correct: A. 'Long Wandering', this session's twenty-third chapter.
