9.
The First Heirless Discourse
130.
At Sāvatthī.
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, during the day, approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
To King Pasenadi of Kosala seated to one side, the Blessed One said this:
"Well now, from where are you coming, great king, in the middle of the day?"
"Here, venerable sir, a millionaire householder in Sāvatthī has died. I have come after having his heirless property conveyed to the royal inner palace. Eighty hundred thousand in gold alone, venerable sir, what then to say of silver! Yet, venerable sir, such was the enjoyment of food of that millionaire householder - he ate porridge of broken rice with vinegar as a second. Such was his enjoyment of clothing - he wore hempen cloth, a garment of three pieces. Such was his enjoyment of vehicles - he travelled in a decrepit little chariot with a leaf-umbrella held over him."
"So it is, great king, so it is, great king! A bad person, great king, having obtained abundant wealth, does not make himself happy and pleased, does not make his mother and father happy and pleased, does not make his children and wife happy and pleased, does not make his slaves, workmen and servants happy and pleased, does not make his friends and colleagues happy and pleased, does not establish among ascetics and brahmins an offering that is conducive to higher states, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven. When his wealth is thus not rightly used, either kings take it, or thieves take it, or fire burns it, or water carries it away, or disagreeable heirs take it. Thus, great king, wealth not rightly used goes to utter elimination, not to enjoyment.
"Just as, great king, in a place uninhabited by humans there might be a pond with clear water, with cool water, with sweet water, with pure water, with good fords, delightful. People would neither carry away that water, nor drink it, nor bathe in it, nor use it as they need. For thus, great king, that water not rightly used would go to utter elimination, not to enjoyment. So too, great king, a bad person, having obtained abundant wealth, does not make himself happy and pleased, does not make his mother and father happy and pleased, does not make his children and wife happy and pleased, does not make his slaves, workmen and servants happy and pleased, does not make his friends and colleagues happy and pleased, does not establish among ascetics and brahmins an offering that is conducive to higher states, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven. When his wealth is thus not rightly used, either kings take it, or thieves take it, or fire burns it, or water carries it away, or disagreeable heirs take it. Thus, great king, wealth not rightly used goes to utter elimination, not to enjoyment.
"But a good person, great king, having obtained abundant wealth, makes himself happy and pleased, makes his mother and father happy and pleased, makes his children and wife happy and pleased, makes his slaves, workmen and servants happy and pleased, makes his friends and colleagues happy and pleased, establishes among ascetics and brahmins an offering that is conducive to higher states, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven. When his wealth is thus rightly used, neither do kings take it, nor do thieves take it, nor does fire burn it, nor does water carry it away, nor do disagreeable heirs take it. Thus, great king, wealth rightly used goes to enjoyment, not to utter elimination.
"Just as, great king, not far from a village or a town there might be a pond with clear water, with cool water, with sweet water, with pure water, with good fords, delightful. People would carry away that water, and drink it, and bathe in it, and use it as they need. For thus, great king, that water rightly used would go to enjoyment, not to utter elimination. So too, great king, a good person, having obtained abundant wealth, makes himself happy and pleased, makes his mother and father happy and pleased, makes his children and wife happy and pleased, makes his slaves, workmen and servants happy and pleased, makes his friends and colleagues happy and pleased, establishes among ascetics and brahmins an offering that is conducive to higher states, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven. When his wealth is thus rightly used, neither do kings take it, nor do thieves take it, nor does fire burn it, nor does water carry it away, nor do disagreeable heirs take it. Thus, great king, wealth rightly used goes to enjoyment, not to utter elimination."
That, not being drunk, dries up;
So a contemptible person, having obtained wealth,
Neither consumes it himself nor gives.
He consumes and becomes a doer of duties;
He, a leading bull, having supported the congregation of relatives,
Blameless, one goes to the heavenly state."