The Chapter on Deeds of Substance

AN 4.61 Fitting Deeds Pattakammasutta

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

"Householder, these four things, which are likable, desirable, and agreeable are hard to get in the world. What four? The first thing is the wish: 'May wealth come to me by legitimate means!'

The second thing, having got wealth by legitimate means, is the wish: 'May fame come to me, together with my family and teachers.'

The third thing, having got wealth and fame, is the wish: 'May I live long, keeping alive for a long time!'

The fourth thing, having got wealth, fame, and long life, is the wish: 'When my body breaks up, after death, may I be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm!' These are the four things, which are likable, desirable, and agreeable, but hard to get in the world.

These next four things lead to the getting of those four things. What four? Accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.

And what is accomplishment in faith? It's when a noble disciple 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 noble disciple 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 noble disciple 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? When your heart is mastered by covetousness and immoral greed, you do what you shouldn't, and fail to do what you should. Your fame and happiness fall to dust. When your heart is mastered by ill will ... dullness and drowsiness ... restlessness and remorse ... doubt, you do what you shouldn't, and fail to do what you should. Your fame and happiness fall to dust.

Knowing that 'covetousness and immoral greed are corruptions of the mind', that noble disciple gives them up. Knowing that 'ill will ...' ... 'dullness and drowsiness ...' ... 'restlessness and remorse ...' ... 'doubt is a corruption of the mind', that noble disciple gives it up.

When a noble disciple has given up these things, they're called 'a noble disciple of great wisdom, of widespread wisdom, who sees what matters, and is accomplished in wisdom'. This is called accomplishment in wisdom. These are the four things that lead to the getting of the four things, which are likable, desirable, and agreeable, but hard to get in the world.

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 sweetness, 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.

'I've enjoyed my wealth,
>supporting those who depend on me;
I've overcome losses;
I've given uplifting religious donations;
and made the five spirit-offerings.
I have served the ethical and
disciplined spiritual practitioners.

I've achieved the purpose
for which an astute lay person
wishes to gain wealth.
I don't regret what I've done.'

A mortal person who recollects this
stands firm in the teaching of the noble ones.
They're praised in this life,
and they depart to rejoice in heaven."

AN 4.62 Debtlessness Ānaṇyasutta

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.

Knowing the happiness of debtlessness,
and the extra happiness of possession,
a mortal enjoying the happiness of using wealth,
then discerns clearly with wisdom.

Discerning clearly, a clever person knows
both kinds of happiness:
the other kind is not worth a sixteenth part
of the happiness of blamelessness."

AN 4.63 Living with Divinity Brahmasutta

"Mendicants, a family where the children honor their parents in their home is said to live with divinity. A family where the children honor their parents in their home is said to live with the first tutors. A family where the children honor their parents in their home is said to live with the old deities. A family where the children honor their parents in their home is said to live with those worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods.

'Divinity' is a term for your parents.

'First tutors' is a term for your parents.

'Old deities' is a term for your parents.

'Worthy of an offering dedicated to the gods' is a term for your parents.

Why is that? Parents are very helpful to their children, they raise them, nurture them, and show them the world.

Parents are said to be 'Divinity'
and 'first tutors'.
They're worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods
>from their children,
for they love their offspring.

Therefore an astute person
would revere them and honor them
with food and drink,
clothes and bedding,
by anointing and bathing,
and by washing their feet.

Because they look after
their parents like this,
they're praised in this life by the astute,
and they depart to rejoice in heaven."

AN 4.64 Hell Nirayasutta

"Mendicants, someone with four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? They kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, and lie. Someone with these four qualities is cast down to hell.

Killing, stealing,
telling lies,
and visiting others' wives:
astute people don't praise these things."

AN 4.65 Appearance Rūpasutta

"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? There are those whose estimation of and confidence in others is based on their appearance, on their voice, on their mortification, and on principle.

These are the four people found in the world.

Those who judge on appearance,
and those swayed by a voice,
are full of desire and greed;
those people just don't understand.

Not knowing what's inside,
nor seeing what's outside,
the fool shut in on every side,
gets carried away by a voice.

Not knowing what's inside,
but discerning what's outside,
seeing the fruit outside,
they're also carried away by a voice.

Understanding what's inside,
and discerning what's outside,
seeing without hindrances,
they don't get carried away by a voice."

AN 4.66 Greedy Sarāgasutta

"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The greedy, the hateful, the delusional, and the conceited.

These are the four people found in the world.

Full of desire for desirable things,
enjoying things that seem pleasant,
beings veiled by delusion
only tighten their bonds.

Born of greed, born of hate,
born of delusion: the ignorant
do unskillful deeds
that afflict and produce pain.

If you act out of these qualities,
>that's what you become.
But men shrouded by ignorance,
are blind, with no eyes to see,
and they never imagine that this could be so."

AN 4.67 The Snake King Ahirājasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.

Now, at that time a monk in Sāvatthī passed away due to a snake bite. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, "Sir, a monk in Sāvatthī has passed away due to a snake bite."

"Mendicants, that monk mustn't have spread a mind of love to the four royal snake families. If he had, he wouldn't have died due to a snake bite.

What four? The royal snake families of Virūpakkha, Erāpatha, Chabyāputta, and Kaṇhāgotamaka. ...

Mendicants, I urge you to spread a mind of love to the four royal snake families, for your own safety, security, and protection.

I love the Virūpakkhas,
the Erāpathas I love,
I love the Chabyāputtas,
the Kaṇhāgotamakas I love.

I love the footless creatures,
the two-footed I love,
I love the four-footed,
the many-footed I love.

May the footless not harm me!
May I not be harmed by the two-footed!
May the four-footed not harm me!
May I not be harmed by the many-footed!

All sentient beings, all living things,
all creatures, every one:
may they see only nice things,
may bad not come to anyone.

The Buddha is immeasurable,
the teaching is immeasurable,
the Saṅgha is immeasurable.
But limited are crawling things,

snakes and scorpions, centipedes,
spiders and lizards and mice.
I've made this safeguard, I've made this protection:
go away, creatures!
And so I revere the Blessed One,
I revere the seven perfectly awakened Buddhas."

AN 4.68 Devadatta Devadattasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture's Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left. There the Buddha spoke to the mendicants about Devadatta:

"Possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall.

It's like a banana tree, or a bamboo, or a reed, all of which bear fruit to their own ruin and downfall ...

It's like a mule, which becomes pregnant to its own ruin and downfall. In the same way, possessions, honor, and popularity came to Devadatta for his own ruin and downfall.

The banana tree is destroyed by its own fruit,
as are the bamboo and the reed.
Honor destroys a sinner,
as pregnancy destroys a mule."

AN 4.69 Effort Padhānasutta

"Mendicants, there are these four efforts. What four? The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain? It's when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities don't arise. This is called the effort to restrain.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up? It's when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities are given up. This is called the effort to give up.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop? It's when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. This is called the effort to develop.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve? It's when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fulfilled by development. This is called the effort to preserve.

These are the four efforts.

Restraint and giving up,
development and preservation:
these are the four efforts
taught by the kinsman of the Sun.
Any mendicant who keenly applies these
may attain the ending of suffering."

AN 4.70 Unprincipled Adhammikasutta

"At a time when kings are unprincipled, royal officials become unprincipled. When royal officials are unprincipled, brahmins and householders become unprincipled. When brahmins and householders are unprincipled, the people of town and country become unprincipled. When the people of town and country are unprincipled, the courses of the moon and sun become erratic. ... the courses of the stars and constellations ... the days and nights ... the months and fortnights ... the seasons and years become erratic. ... the blowing of the winds becomes erratic and chaotic. ... the deities are angered. ... the heavens don't provide enough rain. ... the crops ripen erratically. When people eat crops that have ripened erratically, they become short-lived, ugly, weak, and sickly.

At a time when kings are principled, royal officials become principled. ... brahmins and householders ... people of town and country become principled. When the people of town and country are principled, the courses of the sun and moon become regular. ... the stars and constellations ... the days and nights ... the months and fortnights ... the seasons and years become regular. ... the blowing of the winds becomes regular and orderly. ... the deities are not angered ... ... the heavens provide plenty of rain. When the heavens provide plenty of rain, the crops ripen well. When people eat crops that have ripened well, they become long-lived, beautiful, strong, and healthy.

When cattle ford a river,
if the bull goes off course,
they all go off course,
because their leader is off course.

So it is for humans:
when the one deemed chief
behaves badly,
what do you expect the rest to do?
The whole country sleeps badly,
when the king is unprincipled.

When cattle ford a river,
if the bull goes straight,
they all go straight,
because their leader is straight.

So it is for humans:
when the one deemed chief
does the right thing,
what do you expect the rest to do?
The whole country sleeps at ease,
when the king is just."