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9. Pathama Aputtaka Sutta
First Discourse on a Childless Man
Dutiya Vagga, Kosala Samyutta,
Sagatha Vagga Samyutta,
Samyutta Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka
SOURCE: "FIVE SAMYUTTAS FROM SAGATHAVAGGA SAMYUTTA"
Translated by U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1998
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130. The Bhagava was staying at Savatthi...
During that time right at noon in the day King Pasenadi of Kosala approached
the Bhagava, paid obeisance, and sat at a suitable place. To the King seated
thus the Bhagava asked, "Great King, where do you
come from at this time of high noon?"
"Venerable Sir, in
Savatthi a rich householder has died. I have come here after transporting his
treasures into the palace as he was childless. Venerable Sir, the property
consists of eight million in gold alone, not to speak of the (huge amount)
silver and metal coins. Venerable Sir, the meals he took were such as cooked
broken rice with sour gruel. The clothes he wore were such as a garment made up
of three narrow pieces of hempen cloth stitched together. He used such means of
transport as travelling in an old rickety carriage, and carrying an umbrella
made of leaves."
"Quite so, Great King; quite so, Great King. An ignorant person, Great
King, though having great wealth does not make himself happy and well-fed. He
does not make his mother and father happy and well-fed; He does notmake his
wife and children happy and well-fed; he does not make his slaves and workers
happy and well-fed; he does notmake his friends and companions happy and
well-fed. He does not make offerings to samanas and brahmaas with a view to
attaining the higher realms, the abodes of devas and obtainning happy and
beneficial results. Such possessions, not put to good use, may be taken away by
king or may be taken away by thieves, or may be bunt up by fire, or may be
carried away by water, or may be taken by unloved heirs. thus, Great King, his
possessions, being not used rightly, may be lost to him and will be of no use
to him."
"For example, Great King, there lies at an uninhabited place, a delightful
lake full of clear, cool, fresh and sparkling water with pleasant beaches.
(But) there is no one who draws water from it, or drinks from it, or bathes in
it, or puts its water to any good use. Thus, Great King, will its water,
without being put to good use, go to waste. It is not of any use. In the same
way, Great King, an ignorant person, though having great wealth, does not make
himself happyand well-fed. He does not make his mother and father happy and
well-fed; he does not make his wife and children happy and well-fed; he does
not make make his friends and companions happy and well-fed. He does not make
offerings to samanas and brahmanas with a view to attaining the higher realms,
the abodes of devas and attaining happy 'and beneficial results, Such
possessions, not put to good use, may be taken away by king, or may be taken
away by thieves, or may be burnt up by fire, or may be carried away by water,
or may be taken by unloved heirs. Thus, Great King, his possessions, being not
used rightly, may be lost to him and will be of no use to him."
"A wise person, Great King, however, in having great wealth makes himself
happy and well-fed. He makes his mother and father happy and well-fed; he makes
his wife and children happy and well-fed; he makes his slaves and workers happy
and well-fed; he makes his friends and companions happy and well-fed, he makes
offerings to samanas and brahamanas with a view to attaining the higher realms,
the abodes of devas and attaining happy beneficial realms. Such possessions,
put to good use, may not be taken away by king, or may not be taken away by
thieves, or may not be burnt up by fire, of may not be carried away by water,
or may not be taken by unloved heirs. Thus, Great King, his possessions, being
enjoyed rightly, become of use to him and do not go to waste."
"For example, Great King, there lies not far from or town a delightful
lake filled with clear, cool, fresh and sparkling water, with pleasant beaches.
People draw water from it, or drink from it, or bathe in it, or use its water
as they like. Thus, Great King, will its water, being put to good use nor go to
waste. In the same way, Great King, a rich person. in having great wealth,
makes himself happy and well-fed. He makes his mother and father happy and
well-fed; he makes his wife and children happy and well-fed; he makes his
slaves and workers happy and well-fed; he makes his friends and companions
happy and well-fed; he makes offerings to samanas and brahmanas with a view to
attaining the higher realms, the abodes of devas and attaining happy beneficial
realms. Such possessions, put to good use, may not be taken away by king, or
may not be taken away by thieves, or may not be burnt up by fire, or may not be
carried away by water, or may not be taken by unloved heirs. Thus, Great King,
his possessions, being enjoyed rightly, become of use to him and do not go to
waste."
"Cool water in an
uninhabited place is wasted away from non-use: likewise, the property acquired
by an ignorant person is not used by himself, nor is it given away.
"The wise man, the man of firm character, on acquiring wealth, enjoys it,
puts it to propcr use, That wise man, having provided well for kith and kin, is
free from blame and reaches the celestial world."
End of the Pathama Aputtaka Sutta,
the ninth in this vagga.
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