BHIKKHU BASNAGODA RAHULA

INTHE

AT HOMEAT WORKWORLD

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fore

wordby

Arthu

r C. Clarke

wisdom

TheBuddha’sTeachingsonProsperity

Rahula

“Very little of the valuable information in this book has previously been

collected and so clearly presented. This is a very important book.”

—Bhante Gunaratana,bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English

Money and investing. Family. Relationships. Work and business. Sex.

What could the Buddha tell us about such worldly concerns?

Actually, quite a lot. The Buddha had an unusually keen insight into what peo-ple with everyday concerns need to know, and you’ll find it all here. Some ofit might well surprise you. All of it will guide you toward a more lastingly pros-perous, more fulfilling, and truly happier life.

This book delivers the particular teachings that he gave to all the manylaypeople he encountered—the people who, like most of us, were not monks ornuns, and sometimes not even meditators.

The Buddha’s Teachings on Prosperity offers guidance for many of the impor-tant challenges of our lives, including:

• Taking care of children and aging parents• Providing for our families• Working with employees and business partners• Finding and maintaining love relationships and marital partnerships• Making responsible, ethical financial decisions• Cultivating the best in your personality

These very do-able teachings are for anyone. All you need is the wish to min-imize your suffering, to maximize your joy, and to help create a better world.

“This is a beautiful reinforcement of the potential dignity of lay life anda clear, well-written, and meticulous documentation of the Buddha’s

attitude towards it. This major contribution, coupled with ouralready-existing enthusiasm for contemplative practice, will

bring into existence a more authentic, balanced life.”—Larry Rosenberg, Author of Breath by Breath

ISBN 978-0-86171-547-3ISBN-10: 0-86171-547-0 US $16.95ISBN-13: 978-0-86171-547-3

Wisdom Publications • Bostonwisdompubs.org

buddhism

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THE BUDDHA’STEACHINGS ONPROSPERITY

Produced with Environmental Mindfulness

THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS ON PROSPERITY

Wisdom Publications • Boston

Th e Buddha ’ sT e a ch i ng s on

pro s p e r i t y

at home , a t work , i n th e wor ld

by Bh i k khu Ba snagoda R ahu l a , Ph . D .

For eword by S i r A rthur C . C l a r k e

Wisdom Publications199 Elm StreetSomerville MA 02144 USAwww.wisdompubs.org

© 2008 Basnagoda RahulaAll rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system or technologies now known orlater developed, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataRahula, Basnagoda, Bhikkhu.The Buddha's teachings on prosperity : at home, at work, in the world / byBhikkhu Basnagoda Rahula ; foreword by Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 0-86171-547-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)1. Religious life—Buddhism. 2. Buddhist laymen—Conduct of life. I. Title.BQ5400.R35 2008294.3’444—dc22

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Wise laypeople improve two kinds of skills.First, they develop the ability to obtain newwealth and to secure the acquired wealth.

Next, they learn how to differentiate betweenwholesome and unwholesome conduct andhow to follow a wholesome way of life.

Lay followers of my teaching secure a tenfoldimprovement. [In their external progress],

they [develop skill to] obtain more property,increase wealth, improve family relationships,establish a strong workforce, and obtain more

four-footed animals [such as horses andsheep]. [In their inner growth], my lay follow-ers develop confidence in their spiritual path,discipline themselves, acquire more knowl-edge, practice generosity, and gain wisdom.

The Buddha, The Numerical Discourses

PU B L I S H E R ’ S AC KNOWL ED GMENT

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous help ofthe Hershey Family Foundation in sponsoring the productionof this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword by Arthur C. Clarke ix

Preface xi

Chapter Organization xiii

Translation of Pali Texts xv

Citation of Pali Sources xvii

Chapter 1: A Treasure Buried in Time 1

Chapter 2: The Buddha’s View on Prosperity 13

Chapter 3: Gaining Wealth 21

Chapter 4: Retaining Wealth 33

Chapter 5: The Buddha’s View on Relationships 47

Chapter 6: Establishing a Marital Partnership 55

Chapter 7: Being Proud Parents 67

Chapter 8: Dealing with Conflict 77

Chapter 9: Succeeding Socially 95

Chapter 10: The Buddha’s View on Decision-Making 111

viii T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

Chapter 11: Correct Reasoning, Right Decisions 131

Chapter 12: What Not to Do in Daily Life 147

Chapter 13: Developing an Attractive Personality 167

Chapter 14: Lasting Happiness 181

Notes 201

Acknowledgments 215

Index 217

About the Author 227

FOREWORD

BY A RTHUR C . C L A R K E

I have to admit that there is some incongruity in a lifelong sec-ularist like myself writing these words to introduce a book onthe Buddha’s way to prosperity, wisdom, and inner peace. Myviews on religion have been widely publicized, and I believeall religions are a form of mind virus that affects otherwisehealthy—and often educated—human beings.Buddhism stands apart in being tolerant, accommodating,

and pragmatic. Having lived for a half-century in Sri Lanka, Ihave seen how the Buddha’s teachings are applied by variousgroups in many different ways. Strange as it might seem, per-fectly rational people and rabid fundamentalists both claim toderive their beliefs and attitudes from the same source. Clearly,many liberties are being taken with the original teachings.That is why I welcome the publication of this book, by

Bhikkhu Basnagoda Rahula, Ph.D., which aims to rediscoverthe principles and values of Buddhism that have been obscuredby centuries of culture and history.Many years ago, I had the pleasure of associating with the late

Dr. Walpola Rahula, one of the few truly erudite people I have

X T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

met. He struggled long and hard to rid Buddhism of fanaticismand rituals. I hope the current Bhikkhu Rahula will continue thatnoble mission, as there is much unfinished business.

—King’s College, London

PREFACE

Determined to bring benefit and happiness to a great numberof people, the Buddha established a well-organized society.This social movement attracted hundreds of thousands of menand women who belonged to all social classes.The Buddha’s new society consisted of two groups, ordained

disciples and lay followers, both of which he considered equallyimportant. While the Buddha made every effort to lead hisordained disciples to the highest spiritual progress, he alsomade every effort to guide his lay followers toward prosperity,wisdom, and inner peace—yet history seems to have largelyburied this part of his guidance!The passage of twenty-six centuries has obscured the

Buddha’s teachings for the lay community—and often whatreference can be found makes these teachings seem insignifi-cant or presents them in a way that can be misleading. Thisbook intends to restore them to prominence, with contextand clarity. Breaking through historical and cultural barriers,it traces what the Buddha actually taught for the benefit ofhis lay followers, and regroups and elucidates his teachingson lay life.Numerous requests from various quarters, especially from the

audiences of my public talks, sowed the seeds of this book onthe Buddha’s philosophy and guidance of lay life. Considering

xii T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

the scarcity of similar works and the usefulness of such a bookto society, I ventured to undertake the task. This book is theresult.

CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

Chapter 1 examines the causes behind the obscurity and mis-interpretation of the Buddha’s guidance for the layperson’s life.Why have these teachings on everyday life drawn so littleattention? Why had they remained hidden for so long? Chap-ter 1 answers these questions.Chapter 2 focuses on the freedom the Buddha offered to the

layperson to be prosperous, and denies the popular but erro-neous view that the Buddha discouraged striving for success.Based on this false view, some people mistakenly believe thatbeing wealthy goes against the Buddha’s teachings—a misun-derstanding that may make the Buddha’s teachings seem irrel-evant to lay life. Chapter 2 examines this in detail.The following chapters identify the requirements for a suc-

cessful life. In them, the Buddha clarifies virtually everythingthat makes a layperson’s life prosperous, meaningful, andpeaceful.Chapter 3 introduces his instructions, techniques, and tips

for reaching material success, and clarifies how to initiate thatjourney.Chapters 4 through 13 discuss the various topics that the

Buddha identified as important for a layperson’s success, includ-ing personal and social relationships, decision-making, and per-sonality development.

xiv T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

The final chapter brings the discussion to the most importanttopic: the achievement of inner peace and lasting happiness.This, the Buddha emphasized, should be life’s ultimate goal. Toreach this elusive but feasible goal, he introduced effectivetechniques. For readers who might feel confused about how toobtain inner peace and happiness, these techniques should berevealing.The purpose of this book is to present practical, helpful

instructions for daily life. The contents have been selected,organized, and designed to serve this purpose. Metaphysicalconcepts have been omitted since they represent an altogetherdifferent field. Anyone looking for practical guidance to pros-perity and lasting happiness should find this book extremelybeneficial.

TRANSLATION OF PALI TEXTS

Almost every translation of the Pali texts used in this work isoriginal. While new reliable translations, such as those ofBhikkhu Bodhi, are now being published, some existent trans-lations fail to present the correct meanings of important Paliwords and phrases. Some also lack clarity and simplicity. Word-for-word translations of Pali passages may not convey theiroriginal meaning nor preserve their original tone. These diffi-culties prompted me to spend hours with Pali scholars in aneffort to present the best possible meaning of the Pali quota-tions used in this book.Several characteristics of these translations are worth men-

tioning. One is the avoidance of repetition. In the original Palitexts, some sentences and phrases are redundant, making aword-for-word translation of these passages meaningless. I haveomitted such repetitions in order to convey the clearest mean-ing without being wordy.Further, most quotations in this book give the best possible

meanings, rather than direct translations, of the Pali passages.For instance, one English rendition in chapter 1 reads: “Master,we are the laypeople who live with a family…” The Pali phraseI have translated as “live with a family” is puttadara samba-dhasayanam ajjhavasama, which literally means “to sleep togetherin a bed where children and wife cause disturbances.” What the

xvi T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

speaker actually wants to convey, of course, is that he has afamily to whom he must fulfill his duties. Thus, instead of a lit-eral translation, I have provided the most relevant equivalent ofthe Pali phrase. I have followed this method of translatingthroughout the book.The translations are also in keeping with modern linguistic

norms, particularly with regard to gender impartiality, clarity,and simplicity. Pronouns referenced as “he or she” and “his orher” are meant to avoid gender bias. To avoid repetition of thesepronoun references, some singular nouns in original quotationshave been changed to the plural. Also, some long, complex Palisentences have been divided into two or more short, simplesentences without changing their meaning.The sources of translations are given in the endnotes. Even

if a quotation occurs in several Pali suttas, only one source iscited. Special notes appear within the endnotes whenever thetranslation requires an explanation.

CITATION OF PALI SOURCES

Because the English translations given in this book are origi-nal, I have cited the place, number, and name of original Palisources (e.g.: Anguttara Nikaya VIII: Gotami Vagga: GotamiSutta). For those who wish to refer to other English transla-tions, I have selected the texts translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi andpublished by Wisdom Publications. Both references appearunder the same number in the endnote section. When citingtexts not yet translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, I have given onlythe original Pali sources. When the name does not appear in theoriginal Pali texts, only the original numerical order has beencited. This method of citation may help an interested readerto find the original sources.This book does not use diacritical symbols to aid with the

pronunciation of Pali words. Since the objective of using Paliquotations and original Pali texts is to authenticate and clarifythe points of discussion, a pronunciation guide to Pali wordsdoes not seem necessary.

CHAPTER 1: A TREASURE BURIED IN TIME

The moon, the sun, and my teaching…They all shine brightly when they are uncovered.

The Buddha, The Numerical Discourses

For some readers, the Buddha’s guidance to the skillful liv-ing of lay life might seem an altogether new and unusualtopic. Many embrace the common assumption that the

Buddha taught only about impermanence, suffering, and thedenial of pleasure. Influenced by this belief, you may assumethat he ignored the happiness of lay life and discouraged peoplefrom seeking success. What’s more, you may make the commonassumption that the Buddha advised all his listeners to renouncethe pleasures of daily life and seek happiness in the spiritual life.However, an in-depth study of the Buddha’s teachings reveals

this interpretation to be inaccurate. The Buddha clearly recog-nized and admired happiness in life. He not only encouragedpeople to obtain wealth but instructed them on how to save,invest, and manage their wealth as well. He also offered guid-ance to his lay community on successful interpersonal andsocial relationships, decision-making, and healthy personalitydevelopment. Above all, he showed the lay community thepath to happiness.

2 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

Contrary to what some believe today, the Buddha’s teach-ings include invaluable instructions for success and happiness ineveryday life.

UNIQUE SOCIETY, UNIQUE REL IGION

A curious reader might wonder why the Buddha would focus onsecular life. We might expect a religion to have a system ofbeliefs beyond sensory experience, rather than a system of guid-ance for worldly life. The Buddha’s teachings, however, offer anapproach to religion notably different from most others’.Both his basic philosophy and the unique social factors pres-

ent in India in the sixth century B.C.E. paved the way for theBuddha not only to guide his listeners’ spiritual progress butalso to oversee their daily lives. The Buddha never presentedhimself or his disciples as messengers or representatives of adivine power. Therefore, the importance and value of his teach-ing to society had to be specifically and empirically demon-strated mainly in terms of its social usefulness.Whereas a Brahmin teacher might recommend and direct a

huge offering to a deity to avert an impending catastrophe, theBuddha refused to stress such beliefs and practices. Instead, heemphasized human effort and human responsibility as the keyto dealing with difficult situations. Whenever a listener raiseda question about his or her personal life, the Buddha would ana-lyze the problem and offer a solution based on human respon-sibility and skill. Because he and his ordained disciplesconstantly offered such rational solutions to their lay followers,“worldly life” became a popular topic in the Buddha’s teaching.Social expectations further encouraged this focus on daily

life. The Buddha lived in an age during which hundreds ofthinkers and religious leaders were competing for followers.Some of those campaigners argued openly against spiritualismand convinced people that such concepts as enlightenment,

A T R E A S U R E B U R I E D I N T I M E 3

after-death existence, and rebirth were myths. As a result, thatsociety became so atheistic and secular that most people foundtheir present lives more attractive than what seemed to awaitthem—and they were more attentive to those teachers whoprovided assistance for their everyday life than to those whotalked about life after death.The Buddha’s audiences brought these expectations to the

Buddha and inquired whether he had anything to offer towardtheir worldly success. The Buddha’s teaching ideally suited sucha society. He relentlessly applied his philosophy toward thebenefit of his lay community, which added depth to the topicof worldly life. Thus the prosperity of the Buddha’s societyresulted in secular life becoming a broad and profound subjectin his teaching.The sixth century B.C.E. was an age of renaissance in India.

Business people carried on extensive trading with Persia andthe Greek world by land and by sea. With business boomingand wealth increasing, affluent communities expanded in Mag-adha and Kosala—the two states in which the Buddha traveledwidely. Consequently, business management and wise decision-making—along with family life and managing social relation-ships—emerged as important aspects of daily life. The Buddha,with his power, popularity, and rational approach to such top-ics, distinguished himself in that society as the most qualifiedadviser to the lay community.Moreover, the Buddha had to play an especially active role in

nurturing the prosperous lay community, because his ordainedcommunity could not have existed without affluent lay sup-porters. Neither the Buddha nor his ordained disciples wereascetics who practiced self-torture; they were social campaign-ers who lived a moderate life, avoiding both self-denial andself-indulgence. For the welfare of his ordained disciples, theBuddha freely accepted lands and houses donated by wealthy

4 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

admirers; and he regularly accepted invitations to their palacesand mansions for meals, often with hundreds of bhikkhus. Withthe existence of his ordained community resting upon the pros-perity of lay supporters, it was essential for the Buddha to skill-fully guide their material success.The Buddha’s approach to various aspects of secular life

seems to have been inspired by his own relationships with thewealthy. Some of the Buddha’s most faithful followers and sup-porters were kings, princes, and business people who strove toincrease their wealth and satisfy their senses. King Kosala, forinstance, often asked the Buddha such questions as “Whichsense should be satisfied most?”1 Many others inquired aboutmaking their lives happier. Given this unique social back-ground, “success and happiness in secular life” became animportant topic in his teaching. The Buddha also voluntarilyhelped families in various ways in their daily lives, and he per-suaded his ordained disciples to do the same.

TWO ATTITUDES TOWARD HAPPINESS

The Buddha viewed the subject of happiness realistically: assomething that actually exists. Addressing his ordained disci-ples to encourage their search for happiness in the renouncedlife, he taught:

Two kinds of happiness exist: one in lay life [gihi sukha]and the other in renounced life [pabbajja sukha]. Of thesetwo, happiness in renounced life is better.

Two kinds of happiness exist: one derived from sensorysatisfaction [kama sukha] and the other derived fromgiving up sensory satisfaction [nekkhamma sukha]. Ofthese two, the happiness derived from giving up sen-sory satisfaction is better.2

A T R E A S U R E B U R I E D I N T I M E 5

These two statements offer a vital clue to the Buddha’s atti-tude toward happiness. He explicitly noted that happinessexists in lay life, and in the satisfaction of the senses. Even in thepresence of bhikkhus, who needed strong emphasis on the dis-satisfactions of secular life, the Buddha never denied the fact ofhappiness in the material and sensory worlds. He merely placedhappiness in the renounced life above it.More evidence found elsewhere in the Sutta Pitaka confirms

this attitude. Defining happiness, the Buddha again said:

Happiness exists inworldly life….What is that happiness?It is the satisfaction gained through the five senses

(kamaguna). Sensory objects related to sight, sound,smell, taste, and physical contact do exist. Theseobjects are attractive, desirable, pleasant, appealing,and worthy. Experiences through the five sensesmeans the fivefold advantage one can obtain in laylife. The happiness one derives from experiencingthese five kinds of benefits is called happiness inworldly life.3

The Buddha’s view of happiness in secular life is clear andcomplete. A layperson constantly experiences sensory pleas-ures, or kamaguna, and their five benefits: beautiful sights, pleas-ing sounds, pleasant scents, delicious tastes, and agreeablephysical contact. These benefits are inherent in worldly life,and people are entitled to enjoy them.

APPRECIATING THE BENEF ITS OF LAY L IFE

Not only did the Buddha acknowledge the existence of happi-ness in secular life, he also admired it. Although he stressed(especially in the presence of bhikkhus) that the happiness oflay life is secondary to the happiness of the renounced life, this

6 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

assertion was not meant to devalue lay life. It simply meant thata more profound happiness awaits those who are willing to giveup worldly pleasures.Because renunciation grants a more stable form of happi-

ness, this “happiness in detachment,” or vimutti sukha, is said tobe “better.” This is the happiness experienced by the Buddhahimself and by his ordained disciples. With fewer duties,those who renounce worldly life find fewer hindrances toinner peace. Happiness in lay life, on the other hand, fluctu-ates constantly because of the numerous conflicts and bur-dens inherent in that life. But other than this singlecomparison, which does indeed raise spiritual happinessabove worldly happiness, no evidence suggests that theBuddha found fault with secular life or the happiness associ-ated with it.Because the Buddha appreciated lay life, he readily advised

and instructed those wanting to know how to make their liveshappier and more prosperous. Many people visited the Buddhaand requested his guidance toward success and happiness. Thefollowing request occurs in many suttas and expresses what thelay community expected from him:

Master, we are the laypeople who live with a family,wear beautiful clothes, use perfumes and ornaments,and accept gold and silver. Please advise us in such away that we may make our present existence and thenext life happy.4

In reply to these requests, the Buddha never showed theslightest disrespect for the speakers’ lifestyle and often gavedetailed explanations on how to make their lives more suc-cessful. He identified these instructions as sampada, the fac-tors that bring benefits for secular life. Forty-five years of his

A T R E A S U R E B U R I E D I N T I M E 7

vigorous social involvement left invaluable instructions in theSutta Pitaka—and these are what we will explore in this book.

ADDRESS ING DIVERSE AUDIENCES

Despite the Buddha’s considerable attention to the layperson’shappiness and material success, the Sutta Pitaka admittedly alsocontains passages with seemingly conflicting views. Some ofthe Buddha’s speeches advocate a sense of dissatisfaction withthe material world and mental detachment from worldly pleas-ure. While this contradictory view occurs repeatedly in numer-ous suttas, we must look at these discourses from social andhistorical points of view to discover their intended audiencesand purposes.Misinterpretation of the Buddha’s teachings has arisen, in par-

ticular, from confusion about his various audiences.As noted above, the Buddha spent considerable time coun-

tering the concepts presented by various traditionalist andextremist groups, and for this purpose he needed a committedand accomplished community. The Vedic system had its Brah-mins, the educated ascetics who defiantly defended its tradi-tion. The Jain order trained its own male and female asceticsto organize its social system. Influenced by both these tradi-tions, the Buddha molded the concept of Sangha. Thisordained community fulfilled an important need: the organi-zation of a highly dedicated and qualified community to takethe Buddha’s message to society. The concepts of imperma-nence, dissatisfaction with worldly pleasure, and detachmentfrom secular life served predominantly to train and maintainthis community.This does not suggest that nibbana, the blissful state one can

achieve by eliminating mental attachment to worldly pleasure,is merely a technique to train the Sangha. We can hardly disre-gard the repeated assertions of the Buddha and his disciples that

8 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

their nonattached existence was extremely happy—a happinessthat one may experience irrespective of time and place, upondetaching oneself from the greedy pursuit of sensory pleasures.Nevertheless, being nonattached to worldly pleasure did

serve as an effective technique to train, organize, andstrengthen the community of monks and nuns, the very foun-dation of the Buddha’s position in society. And while therepeated emphasis on the mental suffering in the material worldwas meant for that community and anyone interested in enter-ing it, the same teaching was not appropriate in the same wayto the Buddha’s lay community.Mental detachment from sensual pleasure provided a

dependable cause for the ordained community to live arenounced life. And while a modern priest might prefer a spir-itual life simply to better serve a divine power, no such reli-gious motive was present in the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddhaencouraged men and women to enter the Sangha because heknew that a renounced life would allow for more inner peacethan a lay life would do. He, therefore, encouraged his disciplesto meditate constantly on the impermanence and dissatisfac-tion of worldly pleasure. This attitudinal change toward secu-lar life made his ordained disciples self-controlled anddedicated monks and nuns, who successfully promoted thesocial influence intended by the Buddha.Not everything in the Sutta Pitaka is for everybody. To avoid

misleading claims, we need to identify the various audiencesfor the various discourses. Just because the Buddha repeatedlytold his ordained disciples to meditate on impermanence anddissatisfaction, we cannot conclude that he wanted everybodyto follow that teaching.In fact, there is no evidence in the Nikayas, the most authenti-

cated collections of the Buddha’s teachings, that he appealed tohis lay followers to meditate on impermanence or dissatisfaction.

A T R E A S U R E B U R I E D I N T I M E 9

The Buddha did, of course, recommend useful meditation meth-ods to his lay community, but these were never meant toobstruct the happiness of lay life. Instead, original texts showthat his lay disciples were persuaded to live their lives joyfullyand meaningfully.To consider the audience and the purpose of the suttas, we

may roughly categorize them into three divisions:

1. Instructive discourses for ordained and soon-to-be-ordained disciples

2. Rational and argumentative speeches to counteropposing views

3. Instructive and rational discourses for the lay community

Of these three groups, the suttas that address the ordainedcommunity of males (bhikkhus) clearly outnumber the others.This may lead to the erroneous conclusion that the Buddha’sonly endeavor was to train his bhikkhus rather than to helphis lay followers. There seem to be, however, other reasonsfor this than the Buddha’s overwhelming attention to bhikkhusalone.

WHY LAY L IFE SEEMS LESS IMPORTANT

Why does the Buddha’s guidance of the layperson never seemto occupy its due position in the Sutta Pitaka? To provide a clearanswer to this question, we must step into history. The impor-tant thing is to consider who, for nearly twenty-six centuries,preserved the Buddha’s speeches—and how.First, the Buddha’s speeches were preserved by the bhikkhus.

And yet, even though the Buddha traveled continuously forforty-five years and talked to great multitudes of people, onlya very small percentage of these teachings and conversationsseems to have been recorded. Over 80 percent of all suttas in

10 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

the Sutta Pitaka are addressed to bhikkhus living inside amonastery. Seemingly, the bhikkhus were more interested inpreserving what they found useful for themselves and not whatthe Buddha taught the public.From the bhikkhus’ point of view, such partial preservation of

the teachings is understandable. Immediately after the Buddha’sdeath, senior bhikkhus found that their most urgent need wasto retain unity and discipline among themselves. With theircommunity expanding, different views and practices wereemerging from within and demanded action. The first majorcouncil, held just three months after the Buddha passed away,was prompted in part by the unruly behavior of some bhikkhus.In this situation, repeated emphasis on the Buddha’s advice tobhikkhus was urgent. And the ordained disciples who memo-rized Pali suttas for preservation seem to have added, modified,and dropped many suttas in order to stress the disciplines fortheir own community.This approach, however, altered the overall appearance of

the Buddha’s teaching. In the preserved Sutta Pitaka, instruc-tions for bhikkhus seem more prominent, and the guidanceof the lay community more obscure. A reader might conse-quently assume, mistakenly, that the Buddha ignored his laydisciples.The method of grouping the suttas also made the Buddha’s

speeches for the lay community appear less important. At thefirst Sangha council, many suttas were categorized according tolength. The Buddha’s long dialogues were grouped in the DighaNikaya, literally “the section of long discourses.” Hundreds ofshorter suttas were placed in the Majjhima Nikaya, the sectionfor middle-length sayings. Thousands of other suttas werearranged according to a numerical order in the Anguttara Nikaya.For example, any discourses that explained two causes, twoeffects, two kinds of individuals, and so on were grouped under

A T R E A S U R E B U R I E D I N T I M E 11

“Number Two.” Sub-numerical headings were also added to fur-ther organize the division.This categorization of the discourses was clearly based on

their external appearance, not on their content. As a result, theBuddha’s speeches to the lay community are found thinly scat-tered throughout the Sutta Pitaka.Moreover, most suttas related to lay life were separated from

similar suttas and placed among hundreds of suttas intendedfor the ordained disciples. This arrangement, again, makes theadvice for lay life seem insignificant and contradictory. And tothe modern reader, the recurring concept of dissatisfaction maystill seem to be the Buddha’s universal philosophy for all people.

MODERN MIS INTERPRETATIONS

Some writers and translators in recent history have becomecaught in this confusion, thinking mistakenly that the path theBuddha recommended for ordained disciples was his teachingfor everyone. In the aftermath of that misunderstanding, suchconcepts as “Buddhist pessimism” emerged.Arthur Schopenhauer, the renowned German thinker, report-

edly formed his theory of pessimism after reading the fewBuddhist texts available to him in translation. Expressing hisappreciation of the Buddha, he paved the way for critics tocompare his philosophy to the Buddha’s. As a result, “Buddhistpessimism” earned recognition in the Western world alongsideSchopenhauer’s theory of pessimism.Further, almost every translator of suttas rendered the recur-

rent keyword dukkha as “suffering,” and had readers believingthat the Buddha regarded worldly life as miserable. However,dukkha indicates the insatiable nature of the human mind, notmerely so-called suffering. The Buddha employed this word forthe purpose of directing the bhikkhus toward nibbana—andnot for the instruction of his lay disciples.

12 T H E B u d d h a ’ s T e a c h i n g s o n p r o s p e r i t y

Worst of all, hundreds of books written about the Buddha’steachings identify his instructions for the ordained communityas the central teaching for the entire Buddhist community. Thismisconception has led to the common assumption that theBuddha discounted worldly life and scorned its happiness.

UNCOVERING THE TRUTH

Closer attention to the Sutta Pitaka would make it clear that theBuddha’s teaching for the layperson is more secular than mostpeople expect it to be. We find in the Sutta Pitaka more than onehundred discourses, ranging from long dialogues to short utter-ances, dealing exclusively with lay life. The following chapterswill focus on these suttas in order to clarify the Buddha’s atti-tude toward worldly life and to elucidate his guidance of thelayperson toward success and happiness.