In short: The Buddha told the wealthy householder Anāthapiṇḍika about four kinds of happiness a lay person can have: "The happiness of ownership, using wealth, debtlessness, and blamelessness."
The four
- Ownership: having wealth earned honestly by your own effort.
- Using wealth: enjoying it and doing good with it.
- Debtlessness: owing nothing to anyone.
- Blamelessness: living with good conduct of body, speech and mind.
The verse at the end says the first three together are not worth a sixteenth part of the happiness of blamelessness. See also the Buddha on money and success.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (AN4.62). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca: | Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: |
| “Cattārimāni, gahapati, sukhāni adhigamanīyāni gihinā kāmabhoginā kālena kālaṁ samayena samayaṁ upādāya. | “Householder, these four kinds of happiness can be earned by a layperson who enjoys sensual pleasures, depending on time and occasion. |
| Katamāni cattāri? | What four? |
| Atthisukhaṁ, bhogasukhaṁ, ānaṇyasukhaṁ, anavajjasukhaṁ. | The happiness of ownership, using wealth, debtlessness, and blamelessness. |
| Katamañca, gahapati, atthisukhaṁ? | And what is the happiness of ownership? |
| Idha, gahapati, kulaputtassa bhogā honti uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā. | It’s when a gentleman owns legitimate wealth that he has earned by his own efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow. |
| So ‘bhogā me atthi uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. | When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. |
| Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, atthisukhaṁ. | This is called ‘the happiness of ownership’. |
| Katamañca, gahapati, bhogasukhaṁ? | And what is the happiness of using wealth? |
| Idha, gahapati, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi paribhuñjati puññāni ca karoti. | It’s when a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth, and makes merit with it. |
| So ‘uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi paribhuñjāmi puññāni ca karomī’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. | When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. |
| Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, bhogasukhaṁ. | This is called ‘the happiness of using wealth’. |
| Katamañca, gahapati, ānaṇyasukhaṁ? | And what is the happiness of debtlessness? |
| Idha, gahapati, kulaputto na kassaci kiñci dhāreti appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā. | It’s when a gentleman owes no debt, large or small, to anyone. |
| So ‘na kassaci kiñci dhāremi appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. | When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. |
| Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, ānaṇyasukhaṁ. | This is called ‘the happiness of debtlessness’. |
| Katamañca, gahapati, anavajjasukhaṁ? | And what is the happiness of blamelessness? |
| Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako anavajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti. | It’s when a noble disciple has blameless conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. |
| So ‘anavajjenamhi kāyakammena samannāgato, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. | When he reflects on this, he’s filled with pleasure and happiness. |
| Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, anavajjasukhaṁ. | This is called ‘the happiness of blamelessness’. |
| Imāni kho, gahapati, cattāri sukhāni adhigamanīyāni gihinā kāmabhoginā kālena kālaṁ samayena samayaṁ upādāyāti. | These four kinds of happiness can be earned by a layperson who enjoys sensual pleasures, depending on time and occasion. |
| Ānaṇyasukhaṁ ñatvāna, | Knowing the happiness of debtlessness, |
| Atho atthisukhaṁ paraṁ; | and the extra happiness of possession, |
| Bhuñjaṁ bhogasukhaṁ macco, | a mortal enjoying the happiness of using wealth, |
| Tato paññā vipassati. | then discerns clearly with wisdom. |
| Vipassamāno jānāti, | Discerning clearly, a clever person knows |
| ubho bhoge sumedhaso; | both kinds of happiness: |
| Anavajjasukhassetaṁ, | the other kind is not worth a sixteenth part |
| kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasin”ti. | of the happiness of blamelessness.” |
| Dutiyaṁ. |
More: contentment, the ultimate wealth.
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Questions people ask
What are the four kinds of happiness in Buddhism?
In AN 4.62: the happiness of ownership, of using wealth, of being debt-free, and of blamelessness, which the Buddha calls the greatest.