Lokavagga · The World · Gāthā 177

Na ve kadariyā devalokaṃ vajanti, bālā have nappasaṃsanti dānaṃ; dhīro ca dānaṃ anumodamāno, teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.

Na ve kadariyā devalokaṃ vajanti, bālā have nappasaṃsanti dānaṃ; dhīro ca dānaṃ anumodamāno, teneva so hoti sukhī parattha.

The stingy do not go to the heaven of the gods, fools do not praise generosity; but the wise one who rejoices in generosity, by that very fact is happy in the hereafter.

Na ve kadariyā devalokaṃ vajanti — the stingy do not go to heaven: kadariya is the miser, the stingy one. Generosity (dāna) is the first of the Buddhist perfections (pāramī). Its absence closes the door to fortunate rebirths.

Bālā have nappasaṃsanti dānaṃ — fools do not praise generosity: the fool does not value dāna because they do not understand the dynamics of karma. For them, giving is losing. They cannot see that giving is the most profitable investment in the moral universe.

Dhīro ca dānaṃ anumodamāno — but the wise one who rejoices in generosity: anumodamāna is rejoicing in, delighting in. The wise one not only practices generosity — they rejoice in it. This joy (muditā) multiplied is itself a meritorious practice.

Teneva so hoti sukhī parattha — by that very fact is happy in the hereafter: joyful generosity produces fruits of well-being not only in this life but also in future rebirths. The logic of karma rewards both the act and the attitude.