The five kinds of stinginess are selfishness regarding dwelling place, supporting families, acquisitions, praise, and the Dhamma. The worst of these is stinginess regarding the Dhamma.

AN 5.254  Pañcamacchariya sutta - Five Kinds of Stinginess

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, macchariyāni. Katamāni pañca? Āvāsamacchariyaṁ, kulamacchariyaṁ, lābhamacchariyaṁ, vaṇṇamacchariyaṁ, dhammamacchariyaṁ imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca macchariyāni. Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ macchariyānaṁ etaṁ paṭikuṭṭhaṁ, yadidaṁ dhammamacchariyan”ti.

“Bhikkhus, there are five kinds of stinginess. What five? 1) |Stinginess::selfishness, meanness, tight-fistedness [macchariya]| regarding |dwelling place::residence, home [āvāsa]|, 2) stinginess regarding supporting families, 3) stinginess regarding |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābha]|, 4) stinginess regarding |praise::approval [vaṇṇa]|, and 5) stinginess regarding the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|. These, bhikkhus, are the five kinds of stinginess. The worst of these five kinds of stinginess is stinginess regarding the Dhamma.”

Qualities:

Stinginess

Stinginess

A contracted, possessive refusal to share what one has—whether material goods, knowledge, or status. It clings tightly to what is “mine,” fearing loss and closing the hand against generosity.

Also known as: miserliness, meanness, tight-fistedness
Pāli: macchariya
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Last updated on December 13, 2025