Episode Transcript
## Sutta 1 - Present Welfare, Future Welfare
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Kakkarapatta. Then Dīghajāṇu the Koliyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha:
“Sir, we are laypeople who enjoy sensual pleasures and living at home with our children. We use sandalwood imported from Kāsi, we wear garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and we accept gold and currency. May the Buddha please teach us the Dhamma in a way that leads to our welfare and happiness in this life and in future lives.”
“Byagghapajja, these four things lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in this life. What four?
Accomplishment in initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances. And what is accomplishment in initiative? It’s when a gentleman earns a living by means such as farming, trade, raising cattle, archery, government service, or one of the professions. He understands how to go about these things in order to complete and organize the work. This is called accomplishment in initiative.
And what is accomplishment in protection? It’s when a gentleman owns legitimate wealth that he has earned by his own efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow. He ensures it is guarded and protected, thinking: ‘How can I prevent my wealth from being taken by rulers or bandits, consumed by fire, swept away by flood, or taken by unloved heirs?’ This is called accomplishment in protection.
And what is accomplishment in good friendship? It’s when a gentleman resides in a town or village. And in that place there are householders or their children who may be young or old, but are mature in conduct, accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. He associates with them, converses and engages in discussion. And he emulates the same kind of accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. This is called accomplishment in good friendship.
And what is accomplishment in balanced finances? It’s when a gentleman, knowing his income and expenditure, balances his finances, being neither too extravagant nor too frugal. He thinks, ‘In this way my income will exceed my expenditure, not the reverse.’ It’s like an appraiser or their apprentice who, holding up the scales, knows that it’s low by this much or high by this much. In the same way, a gentleman, knowing his income and expenditure, balances his finances, being neither too extravagant nor too frugal. He thinks, ‘In this way my income will exceed my expenditure, not the reverse.’ If a gentleman has little income but an opulent life, people will say: ‘This gentleman eats their wealth like a fig-eater!’ If a gentleman has a large income but a spartan life, people will say: ‘This gentleman is starving themselves to death!’ But a gentleman, knowing his income and expenditure, leads a balanced life, neither too extravagant nor too frugal, thinking, ‘In this way my income will exceed my expenditure, not the reverse.’ This is called accomplishment in balanced finances.
There are four drains on wealth that has been gathered in this way. Womanizing, drinking, gambling, and having bad friends, companions, and associates. Suppose there was a large reservoir with four inlets and four drains. And someone was to open up the drains and close off the inlets, and the heavens don’t provide enough rain. You’d expect that large reservoir to dwindle, not expand. In the same way, there are four drains on wealth that has been gathered in this way. Womanizing, drinking, gambling, and having bad friends, companions, and associates.
There are four inlets for wealth that has been gathered in this way. Not womanizing, drinking, or gambling, and having good friends, companions, and associates. Suppose there was a large reservoir with four inlets and four drains. And someone was to open up the inlets and close off the drains, and the heavens provide plenty of rain. You’d expect that large reservoir to expand, not dwindle. In the same way, there are four inlets for wealth that has been gathered in this way. Not womanizing, drinking, or gambling, and having good friends, companions, and associates.
These are the four things that lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in this life.
These four things lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in future lives. What four? Accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.
And what is accomplishment in faith? It’s when a gentleman has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ This is called accomplishment in faith.
And what is accomplishment in ethics? It’s when a gentleman doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. This is called accomplishment in ethics.
And what is accomplishment in generosity? It’s when a gentleman lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. This is called accomplishment in generosity.
And what is accomplishment in wisdom? It’s when a gentleman is wise. He has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is called accomplishment in wisdom.
These are the four things that lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in future lives.
AN 8:54
## Sutta 2 - Avoiding wrong livelihood
“Mendicants, a lay follower should not engage in these five trades. What five? Trade in weapons, living creatures, meat, intoxicants, and poisons. A lay follower should not engage in these five trades.”
AN 5:177
## Sutta 3 - The Proper Use of Wealth
There are four fitting deeds that a noble disciple does with the legitimate wealth he has earned by his efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow. What four?
To start with, with his legitimate wealth he makes himself happy and pleased, keeping himself properly happy. He makes his mother and father happy … He makes his children, partners, bondservants, workers, and staff happy … He makes his friends and colleagues happy … This is his first expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause.
Furthermore, with his legitimate wealth he defends himself against threats from such things as fire, flood, rulers, bandits, or unloved heirs. He keeps himself safe. This is his second expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause.
Furthermore, with his legitimate wealth he makes five spirit-offerings: to relatives, guests, ancestors, king, and deities. This is his third expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause.
Furthermore, with his legitimate wealth he establishes an uplifting religious donation for ascetics and brahmins—those who refrain from intoxication and negligence, are settled in patience and gentleness, and who tame, calm, and extinguish themselves—that’s conducive to heaven, ripens in happiness, and leads to heaven. This is his fourth expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause.
’these are the four fitting deeds that a noble disciple does with the legitimate wealth he has earned by his efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow.
Whatever wealth is spent on something other than these four fitting deeds is said to not be expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause. But whatever wealth is spent on these four fitting deeds is said to be expenditure in an appropriate sphere on a deserved and fitting cause.
AN 4:61
## Sutta 4 - A Family Man’s Happiness
Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:
“Householder, these four kinds of happiness can be earned by a layperson who enjoys sensual pleasures, depending on time and occasion. What four? The happiness of ownership, using wealth, debtlessness, and blamelessness.
And what is the happiness of ownership? It’s when a gentleman owns legitimate wealth that he has earned by his own efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow. When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. This is called ‘the happiness of ownership’.
And what is the happiness of using wealth? It’s when a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth, and makes merit with it. When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. This is called ‘the happiness of using wealth’.
And what is the happiness of debtlessness? It’s when a gentleman owes no debt, large or small, to anyone. When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. This is called ‘the happiness of debtlessness’.
And what is the happiness of blamelessness? It’s when a noble disciple has blameless conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. This is called ‘the happiness of blamelessness’.
These four kinds of happiness can be earned by a layperson who enjoys sensual pleasures, depending on time and occasion.
AN 4:62
## Sutta 5 - Winning in this Life
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Then Visākhā, Migāra’s mother, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to her:
“Visākhā, a female who has four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it. What four? It’s when a female is well-organized at work, manages the domestic help, acts lovingly toward her husband, and preserves his earnings.
And how is a female well-organized at work? It’s when she’s deft and tireless in doing domestic duties for her husband, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work. That’s how a female is well-organized at work.
And how does a female manage the domestic help? It’s when she knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete. She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods. That’s how a female manages the domestic help.
And how does a female act lovingly toward her husband? It’s when a female would not transgress in any way that her husband would not consider agreeable, even for the sake of her own life. That’s how a female acts lovingly toward her husband.
And how does a female preserve his earnings? It’s when she ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it. That’s how a female preserves his earnings.
A female who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.
A female who has four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it. What four? It’s when a female is accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.
And how is a female accomplished in faith? It’s when a female has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ That’s how a female is accomplished in faith.
And how is a female accomplished in ethics? It’s when a female doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. That’s how a female is accomplished in ethics.
And how is a female accomplished in generosity? It’s when she lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. That’s how a female is accomplished in generosity.
And how is a female accomplished in wisdom? It’s when a female is wise. She has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. That’s how a female is accomplished in wisdom.
A female who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.
AN 8:49
