“Mendicants, there are these eight accomplishments. What eight? Accomplishment in initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances. And accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. 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?’
PL
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, ārakkhasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, kulaputtassa bhogā honti uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā te ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti: ‘kinti me bhoge neva rājāno hareyyuṁ, na corā hareyyuṁ, na aggi ḍaheyya, na udakaṁ vaheyya, na appiyā dāyādā hareyyun’ti.
EN
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.’
PL
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kalyāṇamittatā. Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samajīvitā? Idha, bhikkhave, kulaputto āyañca bhogānaṁ viditvā vayañca bhogānaṁ viditvā samaṁ jīvikaṁ kappeti nāccogāḷhaṁ nātihīnaṁ: ‘evaṁ me āyo vayaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, na ca me vayo āyaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti.
EN
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, there’ll be some who say: ‘This gentleman eats their wealth like a fig-eater!’ If a gentleman has a large income but a spartan life, there’ll be some who 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. And what is accomplishment in faith?
PL
Yato ca khoyaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputto āyañca bhogānaṁ viditvā vayañca bhogānaṁ viditvā samaṁ jīvikaṁ kappeti nāccogāḷhaṁ nātihīnaṁ: ‘evaṁ me āyo vayaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, na ca me vayo āyaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samajīvitā. Katamā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāsampadā?
EN
It’s when a gentleman has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha … 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 intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. This is called accomplishment in ethics. And what is accomplishment in generosity? It’s when a gentleman lives at home with heart 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.
“Mendicants, there are these eight accomplishments. What eight? Accomplishment in initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances. And accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. 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?’
PL
Katamā ca, bhikkhave, ārakkhasampadā? Idha, bhikkhave, kulaputtassa bhogā honti uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā te ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti: ‘kinti me bhoge neva rājāno hareyyuṁ, na corā hareyyuṁ, na aggi ḍaheyya, na udakaṁ vaheyya, na appiyā dāyādā hareyyun’ti.
EN
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.’
PL
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kalyāṇamittatā. Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samajīvitā? Idha, bhikkhave, kulaputto āyañca bhogānaṁ viditvā vayañca bhogānaṁ viditvā samaṁ jīvikaṁ kappeti nāccogāḷhaṁ nātihīnaṁ: ‘evaṁ me āyo vayaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, na ca me vayo āyaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti.
EN
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, there’ll be some who say: ‘This gentleman eats their wealth like a fig-eater!’ If a gentleman has a large income but a spartan life, there’ll be some who 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. And what is accomplishment in faith?
PL
Yato ca khoyaṁ, bhikkhave, kulaputto āyañca bhogānaṁ viditvā vayañca bhogānaṁ viditvā samaṁ jīvikaṁ kappeti nāccogāḷhaṁ nātihīnaṁ: ‘evaṁ me āyo vayaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, na ca me vayo āyaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samajīvitā. Katamā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāsampadā?
EN
It’s when a gentleman has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha … 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 intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. This is called accomplishment in ethics. And what is accomplishment in generosity? It’s when a gentleman lives at home with heart 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.
Sutraya