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Aṅguttara Nikāya · Discourse 5.35

The Benefits of Giving

Dānānisaṁsasutta — Sumanavagga — the fourth 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
A bare list of five general benefits, closing with verses
Length
~1 minute to read
Northern parallel
General lists of giving's this-life and next-life benefits recur across the Chinese Āgamas; this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — short, best read against its more personal predecessor

Why this discourse

Where AN 5.34 built its five fruits around one general's own verified experience, this discourse states the same territory as a general teaching to mendicants, with one substitution worth noticing: in place of confidently entering any assembly, this discourse names not neglecting the ordinary duties of a layperson. The swap says something about which quality the collection considers essential to keep, and which one is negotiable depending on the audience.

Reading guide

The teaching in one sentence

A giver is dear and beloved by many people, is associated with by good and true persons, gains a good reputation, does not neglect a layperson's duties, and is reborn in a heavenly realm.

One item swapped, four kept

The first three and the fifth benefit here are worded almost identically to AN 5.34's first three and fifth fruits. The fourth is different: gihidhammā anapagato hoti, they don't neglect a layperson's duties, replaces AN 5.34's confident, self-assured presence in any assembly. A general like Sīha might reasonably be praised for public confidence; a general audience of mendicants addressing lay listeners might instead emphasize not letting generosity come at the expense of ordinary household obligations.

A general teaching, not a personal exchange

AN 5.34 unfolded as dialogue, with a named questioner testing and confirming each claim against his own experience. This discourse has no questioner at all; it opens with the standard mendicants, there are five benefits of giving and states the list directly, without anyone verifying or challenging any part of it.

The closing verse's sharper turn

The verses closing this discourse move further than AN 5.34's did, ending not simply with heavenly rebirth but with the Dhamma taught by good companions casting aside all suffering, so that the undefiled one is fully extinguished. A discourse that opened on giving's ordinary social and worldly benefits closes by pointing all the way to full extinguishment, the same movement AN 5.31 traced explicitly at the start of this chapter.

Key terms

gihidhammā anapagato — “not neglecting a layperson’s duties” — this discourse’s substitution for AN 5.34’s confident public presence.
sappurisā — “true persons, good people” — the second benefit, matching AN 5.34’s wording closely.
kalyāṇo kittisaddo — “a good reputation” — the third benefit, a fixed phrase for renown used identically across several discourses in this chapter.
sabbadukkhāpanūdana — “casting aside all suffering” — the closing verse’s description of the Dhamma good companions teach.
parinibbāti anāsavo — “the undefiled one is fully extinguished” — the discourse’s final line, reaching well beyond the worldly benefits it opened with.

The text

The discourse in full: the five general benefits of giving, closing with verses. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, there are five benefits of giving. What five? A giver, a donor is dear and beloved by many people. Good and true persons associate with them. They get a good reputation. They don’t neglect a layperson’s duties. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. These are the five benefits of giving.

The closing verses

§2Giving, one is loved, and follows the way of the good. The good, disciplined spiritual practitioners always associate with you.

§3They teach you the Dhamma that casts aside all suffering. Having understood this teaching, the undefiled one is fully extinguished.”

· · ·

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
Which single benefit differs between AN 5.34's list and this discourse's list?
Correct: B. Four items match closely; the fourth is swapped for a different quality.
Question 2 of 10
Why might this discourse's audience explain the swap, according to the guide?
Correct: B. A general like Sīha suits public confidence; a broader lay audience suits a different emphasis.
Question 3 of 10
How does this discourse's form differ from AN 5.34's?
Correct: B. A direct teaching, not a personal exchange.
Question 4 of 10
What does the discourse's closing verse ultimately point toward?
Correct: B. A movement from ordinary benefit to the furthest goal, echoing AN 5.31's arc.
Question 5 of 10
What are the five benefits of giving named in this discourse?
Correct: A. The general five-item version of the benefits this chapter has been tracing.
Question 6 of 10
Is this discourse's list identical in every wording to AN 5.34's?
Correct: B. Close but not identical, a pattern worth noticing rather than assuming automatic repetition.
Question 7 of 10
Does this discourse include a named questioner testing the claims personally?
Correct: B. A structural difference from the previous discourse's personal exchange.
Question 8 of 10
What phrase describes the Dhamma taught by good companions in the closing verse?
Correct: B. A phrase reaching toward the teaching's furthest claim.
Question 9 of 10
How long is this discourse compared to AN 5.34?
Correct: B. A bare list plus closing verses, without the personal exchange.
Question 10 of 10
Where is AN 5.35 set?
Correct: B. Consistent with the default setting used throughout this nipāta when nothing new is stated.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousAN 5.34 · With General Sīha