4th April

94. Four things lead to worldly progress. What four? Achievement in alertness, in caution, in good friendship and achievement in a balanced livelihood. And what is achievement in alertness? Concerning this, in whatever way one earns a living, whether by farming, trading, cattle rearing, archery, service to the king or by some craft, in that one becomes deft and tireless, gifted with an inquiring turn of mind into ways and means, and able to arrange and carry out the job properly.

And what is achievement in caution? Concerning this, whatever wealth one acquired by energetic striving, won by strength of arm and sweat of brow, justly and lawfully, one husbands, watches and guards so that kings do not confiscate it, thieves do not steal it, fire or water do not destroy it, and disliked heirs do not remove it. 

And what is good friendship? Concerning this, in whatever village or town one lives, one associates with, converses with, discusses things with people either young or old, who are cultured, full of faith and virtue, full of charity and wisdom. One acts in accordance with the faith of the faithful and the virtue of the virtuous, the charity of the charitable and the wisdom of the wise. 

And what is balanced livelihood? Concerning this, one knows both one’s income and expenditure and lives neither extravagantly nor miserly, knowing that income after expenditure will stand at so much, and that expenses will not exceed income. Just as a goldsmith or his apprentice holding up the scales, knows that it has dipped down by so much or that it has tilted up by so much, one knows one’s income and one’s expenditure. If one with a small income were to lead an extravagant life people would say: ‘They enjoy their wealth like a fig-eater.’ Likewise, if one with a good income were to be miserly, people would say: ‘They will die like a beggar.’

There are four channels through which the wealth one has collected is lost: debauchery, drunkenness, gambling and friendship with evildoers. Imagine there were a great tank of water with four inlets and four outlets, and a man was to close the inlets but keep the outlets open. If there were no rain we could expect the water to decrease. In the same way, there are four channels through which wealth is lost. There are these four channels through which the wealth one has collected is preserved. What four? Avoidance of debauchery, drunkenness, gambling and friendship with evildoers. Imagine there were a great tank of water with four inlets and outlets, and a man was to keep the inlets open and close the outlets. If he did this and there were good rainfall, we could expect the water to increase. In the same way, there are these four channels through which wealth is preserved.

A.IV,281 (AN 8.54)