The Buddha teaches three qualities of ladies—being irritable, jealous, and stingy—and how these make a woman disagreeable to her husband and family.

SN 37.4 Three Qualities

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo yebhuyyena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati. Katamehi tīhi?

Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati. Majjhanhikasamayaṁ issāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati. Sāyanhasamayaṁ kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo yebhuyyena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

(…)

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tīhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo yebhuyyena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

“Mendicants, when ladies have three qualities, when their body breaks up, after death, they are mostly reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Katamehi tīhi?

What three?

Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo pubbaṇhasamayaṁ maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati.

A lady lives at home with a heart full of the stain of stinginess in the morning, jealousy in the afternoon, and sexual desire in the evening.

Majjhanhikasamayaṁ issāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati.

Sāyanhasamayaṁ kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo yebhuyyena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjatī”ti.

When ladies possess these three qualities, when their body breaks up, after death, they are mostly reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.”

Catutthaṁ.

(…)

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Jealousy

Jealousy

A painful mental state that arises when seeing the good fortune or qualities of others. It begrudges what others have and resents their happiness, closing the heart to appreciative joy.

Also known as: covetousness, envy, possessiveness, protective of, unwilling to part with
Pāli: issā
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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 July 27, 2026