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Can we be successful and Buddhist at the same time?
Jason
God EmperorArrakis Moderator
"Am I allowed to be successful in Buddhism?"
If you have ever asked yourself this same question, then perhaps you may benefit from reading these three excerpts from the Pali Canon:
The Sigalovada Sutta
The Adiya Sutta
The Dighajanu Sutta
Nowhere does the Buddha ever tell his lay-followers to not wish for success or happiness. He instead gives the lay-person a set of guidelines for living in a morally skillful and prosperous way. Certain desires, like that of wanting to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, are actually part of the Path itself (dhamma-chanda).
The advice the Buddha gives is to not attach to these worldly gains, not forsake them altogether. Many people mistake the Buddha's teachings as meaning they must give up everything they own, or refrain from being successful. This is not true. While monastics are required to relinquish their possessions, lay-followers are not. They are simply taught specific conducts which are in line with the Dhamma. A business is no different. The truth is, if the accumulation of wealth is used (and accumulated) in the right way it can be meritous! As he advised the wealthy lay-devotee Anathapindika:
"...There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — provides himself with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. He provides his mother & father with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. He provides his children, his wife, his slaves, servants, & assistants with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. This is the first benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — provides his friends & associates with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. This is the second benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — wards off from calamities coming from fire, flood, kings, thieves, or hateful heirs, and keeps himself safe. This is the third benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — performs the five oblations: to relatives, guests, the dead, kings, & devas. This is the fourth benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — institutes offerings of supreme aim, heavenly, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, given to priests & contemplatives who abstain from intoxication & heedlessness, who endure all things with patience & humility, each taming himself, each restraining himself, each taking himself to Unbinding. This is the fifth benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"If it so happens that, when a disciple of the noble ones obtains these five benefits from wealth, his wealth goes to depletion, the thought occurs to him, 'Even though my wealth has gone to depletion, I have obtained the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth,' and he feels no remorse. If it so happens that, when a disciple of the noble ones obtains these five benefits from wealth, his wealth increases, the thought occurs to him, 'I have obtained the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth, and my wealth has increased,' and he feels no remorse. So he feels no remorse in either case..."
- From the Adiya Sutta: AN V.41
I hope that you find this helpful, and I wish you all the greatest success in your endeavors.
Best wishes to all.
Jason
If you have ever asked yourself this same question, then perhaps you may benefit from reading these three excerpts from the Pali Canon:
The Sigalovada Sutta
The Adiya Sutta
The Dighajanu Sutta
Nowhere does the Buddha ever tell his lay-followers to not wish for success or happiness. He instead gives the lay-person a set of guidelines for living in a morally skillful and prosperous way. Certain desires, like that of wanting to follow the Noble Eightfold Path, are actually part of the Path itself (dhamma-chanda).
The advice the Buddha gives is to not attach to these worldly gains, not forsake them altogether. Many people mistake the Buddha's teachings as meaning they must give up everything they own, or refrain from being successful. This is not true. While monastics are required to relinquish their possessions, lay-followers are not. They are simply taught specific conducts which are in line with the Dhamma. A business is no different. The truth is, if the accumulation of wealth is used (and accumulated) in the right way it can be meritous! As he advised the wealthy lay-devotee Anathapindika:
"...There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — provides himself with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. He provides his mother & father with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. He provides his children, his wife, his slaves, servants, & assistants with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. This is the first benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — provides his friends & associates with pleasure & satisfaction, and maintains that pleasure rightly. This is the second benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — wards off from calamities coming from fire, flood, kings, thieves, or hateful heirs, and keeps himself safe. This is the third benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — performs the five oblations: to relatives, guests, the dead, kings, & devas. This is the fourth benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"Furthermore, the disciple of the noble ones — using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arm, and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained — institutes offerings of supreme aim, heavenly, resulting in happiness, leading to heaven, given to priests & contemplatives who abstain from intoxication & heedlessness, who endure all things with patience & humility, each taming himself, each restraining himself, each taking himself to Unbinding. This is the fifth benefit that can be obtained from wealth.
"If it so happens that, when a disciple of the noble ones obtains these five benefits from wealth, his wealth goes to depletion, the thought occurs to him, 'Even though my wealth has gone to depletion, I have obtained the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth,' and he feels no remorse. If it so happens that, when a disciple of the noble ones obtains these five benefits from wealth, his wealth increases, the thought occurs to him, 'I have obtained the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth, and my wealth has increased,' and he feels no remorse. So he feels no remorse in either case..."
- From the Adiya Sutta: AN V.41
I hope that you find this helpful, and I wish you all the greatest success in your endeavors.
Best wishes to all.
Jason
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Comments
Thanks, elohim, for reminding us