Issue

11th Issue (March, 2009)

Purport of Adiya Sutta (AN5.41) Five Benefits from Economic Wealth

K.S.Chow

Introduction

A multitude of  Buddhists as well as Non-Buddhists misconstrue Buddhist teaching of renunciation, detachment, non-grasping  or non-clinging and content and non-greed as a discouragement of wealth acquisition, possession and utility . The same misconstruction is also evident in other religions as well. If one truly comprehends the conventional and  Absolute or world and God relationship in the right perspective, one would be awed and pleasantly amazed that the ultimate Reality is innately bipolarized into non-dual and reciprocal relationship between  secularity and spirituality. In other words, secularity and spirituality are inseparable. The  secularists separate them. This is root-cause of human vexation or anguish. They  actually interpenetrate harmoniously. Metaphorically put, secular life is the husk of a coconut; spiritual life is  its  kernel. The coconut is the unity of its husk and kernel. Thus, normal human life is the synthesis of both secular dimension and the spiritual dimension.  Their relationship is like the waves and the Ocean. This Truth of bipolarization between phenomenon and principle is what is to be discovered if a faith believer desires to know his or her Lord. Without knowing one’s Lord, salvation is impossible.

 The intrinsic bilopolarization between the conventional truth (sammuti sacca) and ultimate Truth (paramattha Sacca)  is the discovery of this communal Truth of Wisdom sought by all religions. It is the core knowledge of Gnosis. Gnosis (paramatthavijjā) is knowing the ultimate Truth of the Buddha or knowing one’s True Self.

Adiya Sutta

I have brought in Adiya Sutta (AN5.41) for elaborations in order to  corroborate the position of Gotama Buddha’s stance on Buddhist Economics.  The Exalted One not only does not discourage wealth but actually encourages us  to acquire and  amass wealth diligently and righteously so that we are able to enjoy the five benefits derived from our own wealth. Gotama Buddha preached the  Dhamma to his beloved lay Buddhist disciple, Anāthapiṇḍ̣ika, a contemporary and foremost Dhamma patron of the Exalted One in ancient  India in the 6th century B.C.E.

First Benefit

Firstly, Gotama Buddha expounds that an economically affluent lay Buddhist, like Anāthapiṇḍika, a millionaire along both sides of Ganges River, enjoys financial independence to meet his or her personal financial needs and wants. Besides , the wealth possessor is able to support his parents, wife, children, servants and employees.  Such financial self-sufficiency, supporting close relations  and employing assistants   are a source of pleasure and satisfaction derived from the first benefit of gaining and amassing economic wealth diligently and righteously.

Second Benefit

Secondly, the wealth possessor  is able to share his or her wealth with his or her friends and associates. Such wealth sharing is a source of pleasure and satisfaction derived from   the  second benefit of economic wealth earned and accumulated diligently and righteously.

Third Benefit

Thirdly, the wealth possessor enjoys pleasure and satisfaction from the protection of his wealth from depletions or losses. He or she  is able to  ward off accidental calamities, such as unexpected natural disasters like fire, flood, thefts from thieves and breach of trusts from hateful heirs. He or she enjoys in the security of his economic wealth.

Fourth Benefit

Fourthly, the wealth possessor is able to share his or her wealth with his or her relatives and guests, and  to transfer merits to the departed ones and devas through the performance of generous charity (dāna). Such distribution and sharing of wealth are a source of pleasure and satisfaction of fourth benefit of economic wealth obtained diligently and  righteously and wisely protected .

Fifth Benefit

Fifthly, the wealth possessor is able to perform generosity or charity (dāna) towards the morally restrained and virtuous recluses heading towards spiritual liberation. This is the source of pleasure and satisfaction derived from the fifth benefit of economic wealth utilized righteously .

Additional benefits

In additions to the aforementioned blessings, the wealth possessor is extolled and esteemed like Anāthapiṇḍika in the present life and will rejoice again in his or her  rebirth in the heaven after the demise.

As long as one is engaged in Right Livelihood (Sammā Ājiva), the fifth training aggregate of the Noble Eight Fold Path, and wealth is righteously utilized for one’s self benefit and benefits of others, the acquisition, accumulation and utility of economic wealth are encouraged in Buddhism. Right Livelihood  is a noble career, job or occupation that does not transgress the Five Precepts (Pañcasīlas) of refraining from the commission of evil kammas, such as destructions of living beings, thefts, sexual misconduct, dishonesty or untruthfulness and self-intoxications . Right Livelihhood is compatible with Buddhist ethics . Most significantly,  Right Livelihood is consummated when it is supported by the wisdom of the four foundations of mindfulness (cattāri satipațțhāna)

Conclusion

Buddhism encourages the lay Buddhists to earn sufficient economic wealth so that they are able to  sustain their lifelihood and  to avert suffering due to impoverishment . It is a feather on the cap when they are above to  perform dāna (giving or charity). Dāna  is the core of religious practice. Buddhistly put, it is the first skillfully humane means (upāya) of four-fold Buddhist benevolent practice (Saṅgaha vatthus) of Generosity (Dāna), Pleasing Speech (Piya-vācā), Beneficial Conduct (Attha Cariyā) and Equal Participation (Samānattatā).  Strictly put, the right practice of dāna by a wise Buddhist is performed in terms of three-fold purity of the mind. The three-fold  purity is attained by not reifying and grasping upon the giver, the gift and the receiver as separate or discrete entities. This is the genuine practice of the spirit of Anattā in action.  Anattā strategy consummates mental liberation from suffering and kammic bondage. Anattā strategy is the annihilation of self-centric ego in cosmic Self.

The three-fold purity of generous giving is actually is the consummate application of Anattā (Selflessness or Egolessness) strategy of virtue of doing good. Anattā is the annihilation of self-identity and other identity in the larger whole in order for benefit of public interest or benefiting others. The giver is  the subject whilst the receiver and the gift are objects. Non-grasping requires the wisdom of Non-duality or Non-discrimination (advaya)  between the subject and the object. Dāna is the beautiful practice of four Brahma-vihāras of non-discriminative or sublime lovingkindness (mettā) and compassion (karuṇā) and  equanimity (upekkhā). Equanimity purifies the performance of dāna. The wisdom of Non-duality purifies the mind and annihilates the notion of  individuals, such as giver, gift and receiver. Dāna is the supreme practice of the conglomeration of secular compassion  and spiritual wisdom.

Hence, we perceive that secularity does not conflict with spirituality. Spirituality, in fact,  synergizes and enhances secularity. This is the harmonious biporalization between the secularity and spirituality. Before the Truth of Anattā is discovered, we experience  a tension between the pole of secularity and the pole of spirituality. Having discovered the Truth, we experience an intimate relationship between the two poles. Dāna is a materialistic and secular activity whilst purity of giving is mental and  spiritual state. The physical phenomenon (rūpadhamma) and the mental phenomenon (nāmadhamma) interpenetrate as  the non-interference between phenomenon and principle. The two poles merge into a perfection in a man of wisdom (paññāvantu).