NUMERICAL DISCOURSES OF THE BUDDHA

THE CHAPTER OF THE EIGHTS

(P.221)

170. A Layperson's Welfare

 

 

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Koliyans where there was a market town of the Koliyans named Kakkarapatta. Then the Koliyan family man Dighajanu approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. So seated, he said to the Blessed One:

 

"Lord, we are laypeople who enjoy sensual pleasures, dwelling at home in a house crowded with children, enjoying Kasian sandalwood, wearing garlands, scents and unguents, accepting gold and silver. Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma to us in a way that will lead to our welfare and happiness both in the present life and in the future life as well."

 

"There are, Byagghapajja, four things that lead to the welfare and hap­piness of a family man in this very life. What four? The accomplishment of persistent effort, the accomplishment of protection, good friendship and balanced living.

 

"And what is the accomplishment of persistent effort? Here, Byaggha­pajja, whatever may be the means by which a family man earns his living - whether by farming, trade, cattle raising, archery or civil service, or by some other craft - he is skilful and diligent; he investigates the approp­riate means and is able to act and arrange everything properly. This is called the accomplishment of persistent effort.

 

"And what is the accomplishment of protection? Here, Byagghapajja, a family man sets up protection and guard over the wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, thinking: 'How can I prevent kings and bandits from taking this away, fire from burning it, floods from sweeping it off, and unloved heirs from taking it?' This is called the accomplishment of protection.

 

"And what is good friendship? Here, Byagghapajja, in whatever vil­lage or town a family man dwells, he associates with householders or their sons, whether young or old, who are of mature virtue, accom­plished in faith, virtue, generosity and wisdom; he converses with them and engages in discussions with them. He emulates them in regard to their accomplishment in faith, virtue, generosity and wisdom. This is called good friendship.

 

"And what is balanced living? Here, Byagghapajja, a family man knows his income and expenditures and leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly, so that his income exceeds his expenditures rather than the reverse. Just as a goldsmith or his apprentice, holding up a scale, knows, 'By so much it has dipped down, by so much it has tilted up', so a family man leads a balanced life.

 

"The wealth thus amassed has four sources of dissipation: womanizing, drunkenness, gambling and evil friendship. Just as in the case of tank with four inlets and outlets, if one should close the inlets and open the outlets, and there would not be adequate rainfall, a decrease rather than an increase of the water could be expected in the tank, so these four things bring about the dissipation of amassed wealth.

 

"Similarly, there are four sources for the increase of amassed wealth, abstinence from womanizing, from drunkenness, from gambling at from evil friendship. Just as in the case of a tank with four inlets and outlets, if one should open the inlets and close the outlets, and there won be adequate rainfall, an increase rather than a decrease of the water could be expected in the tank, so these four things bring about t increase of amassed wealth.

 

"These four things, Byagghapajja, lead to a family man's welfare a happiness in the present life.

 

"Four other things lead to a family man's welfare and happiness in the future life. What four? Accomplishment in faith, virtue, generosity and wisdom.

 

"And how is a family man accomplished in faith? Here, Byagghapajja a family man has faith; he places faith in the enlightenment of the Tathagata thus ... (**) ... In this way a family man is accomplished in faith.

 

"And how is a family man accomplished in virtue? Here, Byagghapajja, a family man abstains from the destruction of life, from stealing, from sexual misconduct, from false speech, and from wines, liquors and intoxicants which are a basis for negligence. In this way a family man accomplished in virtue.

 

"And how is a family man accomplished in generosity? Here, Byagghapajja, a family man dwells at home with a mind devoid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment one devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing. In this way family man is accomplished in generosity.

 

"And how is a family man accomplished in wisdom? Here, Byagghapajja, a family man possesses the wisdom which sees into the arising and passing away of phenomena, which is noble and penetrative and leads to the complete destruction of suffering. In this way a family man is accomplished in wisdom.

 

"These four things, Byagghapajja, lead to a family man's welfare and happiness in the future life."   

                                                                                        

                                     …(AN VIII, 54) translated by Nyanapondika Thera & Bhikkhu Bodhi

 

(**see AN V.2) And what is the power of faith? Here, monks, a noble disciple has faith; he places faith in the enlightenment of the Tathagata: “The Blessed One is an arahant, fully enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.”