Aṅguttara Nikāya(AN5.41)- Five Benefits Derived from Wealth: Adiya Sutta

K.S. Chow

Purport:

Gotama Buddha did not preach only transcendental dhamma alone but also expounded worldly Dhamma to his lay Buddhist disciples or householders. Gotama’s Buddha most important financial or material supportive lay disciple was Anāthapiṇḍika, a householder and a millionaire who built his business empire along both sides of Ganges River in the 6th. Century B.C.E in ancient India. Once, the Exalted One expounded the Adiya Sutta to Anāthapiṇḍika and the audience of other Buddhist disciples or devotees. The Lord promulgated that a lay person of integrity utilizes economic or material wealth righteously and diligently earned in five ways which benefit himself and others.

Firstly, the wealth furnishes pleasure and satisfaction to himself to support his personal living expenses before marriage. Besides, his wealth also provides pleasure and satisfaction to his own parents as the fulfillment of the deontological ethics of filial piety by a son towards the parents. After marriage, of course, the wealth is utilized to provide pleasure, satisfaction and comfort to his wife and children. If he employs servants and assistants, a portion of his wealth is distributed to them as wages or gifts (bonuses) to satisfy their pleasure, satisfaction and comfort.

Secondly, his wealth is also utilized to furnish pleasure and satisfaction to his friends and associates in friendly get-togethers in social intercourses or business interactions. Modernists designate such expenditure as social or business entertainment expenses.

Thirdly, the wealth earned righteously and diligently ought to be protected from losses and destructions caused by man-made or natural disasters,such as floods, storms, fires, thefts or hateful heirs. Such an admonition from the Tathāgata is sound in the sense that what is earned with one’s own sweats ought to be protected from losses or damages caused by thefts or natural disasters.

Fourthly, wealth may be utilized to promote and foster friendship and goodwill by offering social gifts or throwing social gathering parties to friends or guests to strengthen the bond of friendship. Religious offerings are also made to the departed ones,such as relatives and devas. Religious offerings can be made to the devas. But the Exalted One advises the devotees not to take refuge in the devas but they can only pay respect to them. All genuine Buddhists only take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Eventually, all Buddhists must take refuge in the mind of self-awakening to the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality. There is no harm to pay respect to the devas but the Exalted advises us not to take refuge in them as they are still sentient beings who have not yet perfected their knowledge and virtue. Only an Enlightened One is the supermodel to be emulated because he or she has perfected his wisdom and conduct. An Enlightened One is a Perfect Man who is an image of the Buddha.

Fifthly, Offerings are made to those morally restrained, virtuous priests or contemplatives who genuinely tread on the holy path of the Nobel Eight-fold Path to seek the final emancipation – self-redemption. They are our religious gurus worthy to be venerated and to be offered gifts of four requisites: food, shelter, attire and medicine. Such a person of integrity is extolled in the present life. After demise, he will rejoice in the heavenly world.

According to the Word of the Buddha, an enlightened Arahant is more worthy to be venerated with offerings than the devas. In the absence of the Buddha, Buddhists are recommended to take refuge in the knowledge or wisdom of an Arahant. An Arahant is a living Truth. Therefore, an Arahant is a supermodel for all Buddhists to emulate. Liberation is arisen from knowledge of Truth not from taking refuge in any external power, such as a deva or expecting blessings directly from paying homage to the deva. The Truth is sought within not without. Both the Truth of the Absolute and untruths of the phenomenal world are discerned through the mind of Man. Whether it is designated as Brahman, Buddha, Tao, God or Allah, the ultimate Truth of salvation is found only in the intuitive mind of the inner Heart of Man. Knowing one True Self is the proper path to emancipation. One’s True Self is the cosmic Self which is the absolute Truth of Ultimate Reality. This is equally applicable to both Buddhism, Hinduism as well as Monotheism.

The untruths are fabricated by the conceptual or intellectual mind. Religion guides us to shift from the conceptual or intellectual mind to the intuitive mind of the inner Heart. The shift is mental purification by eliminating the self-centric ego. Brahman, Buddha, Tao, God or Allah does not dwell in the conceptual mind but only the intuitive mind of the inner Heart. Brahman, Buddha, Tao, God or Allah is Truth beyond the comprehension of the intellectual mind. This Absolute Truth, concealed by the conventional or relative truth can only be intuitively discerned or realized through intuitive realization. It can not be intellectually comprehended.