neuter
avarice
avarice; niggardliness
Macchariya and Macchera (neuter) [cf. Epic Sanskrit mātsarya] avarice, stinginess, selfishness, envy; one of the principal evil passions and the main cause of rebirth in the Petaloka. 1. macchariya: A I 95, 299; III 272; Dhp III 44 (issā°), 289; Snp 863 (°yutta), 928; Pp 19, 23; Vibh 357, 389, 391. — Five sorts of selfishness are mentioned: āvāsa°, kula°, lābha°, vaṇṇa°, dhamma° D III 234; Nidd I 118, 227; A IV 456; Dhs 1122 (cf. BMPE page 276); Vism 683; As 373, 374. Selfishness is one of the evil conditions which have to be renounced as habits of mind by force of intelligence A V 40, 209; Miln 289; Pv-a 87, 124. 2. macchera A I 105 (°mala), 281; Dhp 242; It 18; Nidd I 260; Saddh 313, 510. At A II 58 and elsewhere the state called vigata-mala-macchera "with the stain of avarice vanished," is frequently mentioned as a feature of the blameless life and a preparation for Arahantship. Note: The (etymological) explanation of macchariya at Vibh-a 513 is rather interesting: "idaṃ acchariyaṃ mayhaṃ eva hotu, mā aññassa acchariyaṃ hotū ti pavattattā macchariyan ti vuccati" (from the Purāṇas?).
(nt, nt, abstr, from macchara) selfishness; stinginess; meanness; tight-fistedness (regarding) avarice, niggardliness [lit.] envy state Construction: macchara + iya