Dutiyasampadāsuttaṃ [AN 8.76, PTS 4.323–4.325]

6.

The Second Discourse on Accomplishment

76. "Monks, there are these eight accomplishments. What are the eight? Accomplishment in industriousness, accomplishment in protection, good friendship, balanced living, accomplishment in faith, accomplishment in morality, accomplishment in generosity, accomplishment in wisdom. And what, monks, is accomplishment in industriousness? Here, monks, a son of good family earns his living by whatever occupation - whether by farming, whether by trade, whether by cattle-herding, whether by archery, whether by government service, whether by some other craft - therein he is skilled, not lazy, endowed with investigation into the means for that, able to do and able to arrange. This is called, monks, accomplishment in industriousness.

"And what, monks, is accomplishment in protection? Here, monks, a son of good family has wealth acquired through industrious effort, gathered by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous and righteously obtained. That he safeguards with protection and guarding - 'How might kings not take my riches, how might thieves not take them, how might fire not burn them, how might water not carry them away, how might disagreeable heirs not take them.' This is called, monks, accomplishment in protection.

"And what, monks, is good friendship? Here, monks, in whatever village or town a son of good family dwells, there whoever they are - householders or householders' sons, whether young ones of mature morality, or elders of mature morality, accomplished in faith, accomplished in morality, accomplished in generosity, accomplished in wisdom - with them he stands together, converses, and engages in discussion; he trains in the accomplishment in faith of those accomplished in faith, he trains in the accomplishment in morality of those accomplished in morality, he trains in the accomplishment in generosity of those accomplished in generosity, he trains in the accomplishment in wisdom of those accomplished in wisdom. This is called, monks, good friendship.

"And what, monks, is balanced living? Here, monks, a son of good family, having understood the income of his wealth and having understood the expenditure of his wealth, leads a balanced livelihood, neither too extravagant nor too meagre - 'Thus my income will exceed my expenditure, and my expenditure will not exceed my income.' Just as, monks, a weigher or a weigher's apprentice, having held up the scales, knows - 'By this much it has gone down, by this much it has gone up'; so too, monks, a son of good family, having understood the income of his wealth and having understood the expenditure of his wealth, leads a balanced livelihood, neither too extravagant nor too meagre - 'Thus my income will exceed my expenditure, and my expenditure will not exceed my income.' If, monks, this son of good family, having little income, leads an extravagant livelihood, there are those who will say of him: 'This son of good family consumes his wealth like a fig-eater.' But if, monks, this son of good family, having great income, leads a miserly livelihood, there are those who will say of him - 'This son of good family will die like one without a master.' But when, monks, this son of good family, having understood the income of his wealth and having understood the expenditure of his wealth, leads a balanced livelihood, neither too extravagant nor too meagre - 'Thus my income will exceed my expenditure, and my expenditure will not exceed my income.' This is called, monks, balanced living.

"And what, monks, is accomplishment in faith? Here, monks, a son of good family has faith, he believes in the enlightenment of the Truth-finder - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' This is called, monks, accomplishment in faith.

"And what, monks, is accomplishment in morality? Here, monks, a son of good family abstains from killing living beings, etc. abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence. This is called, monks, accomplishment in morality.

"And what, monks, is accomplishment in generosity? Here, monks, a son of good family dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, etc. accessible to requests, delighting in giving and sharing. This is called, monks, accomplishment in generosity.

"And what, monks, is accomplishment in wisdom? Here, monks, a son of good family is wise, etc. leading rightly to the complete elimination of suffering. This is called, monks, accomplishment in wisdom. These, monks, are the eight accomplishments."