The Chapter on Wealth
AN 7.1 Pleasing (1st) Paṭhamapiyasutta
SO I HAVE HEARD. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, "Mendicants!"
"Venerable sir," they replied. The Buddha said this:
"Mendicants, a mendicant with seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired. What seven? It's when a mendicant desires material things, honor, and status. They lack conscience and prudence. They have corrupt wishes and wrong view. A mendicant with these seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.
A mendicant with seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired. What seven? It's when a mendicant doesn't desire material things, honor, and status. They have conscience and prudence. They have few desires and right view. A mendicant with these seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired."
AN 7.2 Pleasing (2nd) Dutiyapiyasutta
"Mendicants, a mendicant with seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired. What seven? It's when a mendicant desires material things, honor, and status. They lack conscience and prudence. They're jealous and stingy. A mendicant with these seven qualities is disliked and disapproved by their spiritual companions, not respected or admired.
A mendicant with seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired. What seven? It's when a mendicant doesn't desire material things, honor, and status. They have conscience and prudence. They're not jealous or stingy. A mendicant with these seven qualities is liked and approved by their spiritual companions, respected and admired."
AN 7.3 Powers in Brief Saṁkhittabalasutta
SO I HAVE HEARD. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. ... "Mendicants, there are these seven powers. What seven? The powers of faith, energy, conscience, prudence, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. These are the seven powers.
The powers are faith and energy,
conscience and prudence,
mindfulness and immersion,
and wisdom as the seventh power.
Empowered by these,
an astute mendicant lives happily.They should examine the teaching rationally,
discerning the meaning with wisdom.
The liberation of their heart
is like a lamp going out."
AN 7.4 Powers in Detail Vitthatabalasutta
"Mendicants, there are these seven powers. What seven? The powers of faith, energy, conscience, prudence, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom.
And what is the power of 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 the power of faith.
And what is the power of energy? It's when a noble disciple lives with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They're strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities. This is called the power of energy.
And what is the power of conscience? It's when a noble disciple has a conscience. They're conscientious about bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and conscientious about acquiring any bad, unskillful qualities. This is called the power of conscience.
And what is the power of prudence? It's when a noble disciple is prudent. They're prudent when it comes to bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and prudent when it comes to the acquiring of any bad, unskillful qualities. This is called the power of prudence.
And what is the power of mindfulness? It's when a noble disciple is mindful. They have utmost mindfulness and alertness, and can remember and recall what was said and done long ago. This is called the power of mindfulness.
And what is the power of immersion? It's when a noble disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. ... Giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. This is called the power of immersion.
And what is the power of wisdom? It's when a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is called the power of wisdom.
These are the seven powers.
The powers are faith and energy,
conscience and prudence,
mindfulness and immersion,
and wisdom as the seventh power.
Empowered by these,
an astute mendicant lives happily.They should examine the teaching rationally,
discerning the meaning with wisdom.
The liberation of their heart
is like a lamp going out."
AN 7.5 Wealth in Brief Saṁkhittadhanasutta
"Mendicants, there are these seven kinds of wealth. What seven? The wealth of faith, ethics, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom. These are the seven kinds of wealth.
Faith and ethical conduct are kinds of wealth,
as are conscience and prudence,
learning and generosity,
and wisdom is the seventh kind of wealth.When a woman or man
has these kinds of wealth,
they're said to be prosperous,
their life is not in vain.So let the wise devote themselves
to faith, ethical behavior,
confidence, and insight into the teaching,
remembering the instructions of the Buddhas."
AN 7.6 Wealth in Detail Vitthatadhanasutta
"Mendicants, there are these seven kinds of wealth. What seven? The wealth of faith, ethics, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
And what is the wealth of faith? It's when a noble disciple has faith in the Realized One's awakening ... This is called the wealth of faith.
And what is the wealth of ethical conduct? It's when a noble disciple doesn't kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, use speech that's false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. This is called the wealth of ethical conduct.
And what is the wealth of conscience? It's when a noble disciple has a conscience. They're conscientious about bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and conscientious about having any bad, unskillful qualities. This is called the wealth of conscience.
And what is the wealth of prudence? It's when a noble disciple is prudent. They're prudent when it comes to bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and prudent when it comes to the acquiring of any bad, unskillful qualities. This is called the wealth of prudence.
And what is the wealth of learning? It's when a noble disciple is very learned, remembering and keeping what they've learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that's entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically. This is called the wealth of learning.
And what is the wealth of 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 the wealth of generosity.
And what is the wealth of wisdom? It's when a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is called the wealth of wisdom.
These are the seven kinds of wealth.
Faith and ethical conduct are kinds of wealth,
as are conscience and prudence,
learning and generosity,
and wisdom is the seventh kind of wealth.When a woman or man
has these kinds of wealth,
they're said to be prosperous,
their life is not in vain.So let the wise devote themselves
to faith, ethical behavior,
confidence, and insight into the teaching,
remembering the instructions of the Buddhas."
AN 7.7 With Ugga Uggasutta
Then Ugga the government chief minister went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, "It's incredible, sir, it's amazing! Migāra of Rohaṇa is so rich, so very wealthy."
"But Ugga, how rich is he?"
"He has a hundred thousand gold coins, not to mention the silver coins!"
"Well, Ugga, that is wealth, I can't deny it. But fire, water, rulers, thieves, and unloved heirs all take a share of that wealth. There are these seven kinds of wealth that they can't take a share of. What seven? The wealth of faith, ethics, conscience, prudence, learning, generosity, and wisdom. There are these seven kinds of wealth that fire, water, rulers, thieves, and unloved heirs can't take a share of.
Faith and ethical conduct are kinds of wealth,
as are conscience and prudence,
learning and generosity,
and wisdom is the seventh kind of wealth.When a woman or man
has these kinds of wealth,
they're really rich in the world,
invincible among gods and humans.So let the wise devote themselves
to faith, ethical behavior,
confidence, and insight into the teaching,
remembering the instructions of the Buddhas."
AN 7.8 Fetters Saṁyojanasutta
"Mendicants, there are these seven fetters. What seven? The fetters of attraction, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the seven fetters."
AN 7.9 Giving Up Pahānasutta
"Mendicants, the spiritual life is lived to give up and cut out these seven fetters. What seven? The fetters of attraction, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. The spiritual life is lived to give up and cut out these seven fetters. When a mendicant has given up the fetters of attraction, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, desire to be reborn, and ignorance---cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them, so they are unable to arise in the future---they're called a mendicant who has cut off craving, untied the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering."
AN 7.10 Stinginess Macchariyasutta
"Mendicants, there are these seven fetters. What seven? The fetters of attraction, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, jealousy, and stinginess. These are the seven fetters."