126. （一二六）行欲经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada went to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and said, "World-Honored One! In the world, how many people engage in desire?"

The World-Honored One said, "Householder! In the world, there are ten people who engage in desire. What are the ten? Householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through unrighteous and improper means. Having obtained wealth through unrighteous and improper means, they do not provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers. They also do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through unrighteous and improper means. Having obtained wealth through unrighteous and improper means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, but they do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through unrighteous and improper means. Having obtained wealth through unrighteous and improper means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, and they also make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire.

Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means. Having obtained wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means, they do not provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers. They also do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means. Having obtained wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, but they do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means. Having obtained wealth through both righteous and unrighteous means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, and they also make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire.

Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through righteous and proper means. Having obtained wealth through righteous and proper means, they do not provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers. They also do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through righteous and proper means. Having obtained wealth through righteous and proper means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, but they do not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. This is one person who engages in desire.

Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through righteous and proper means. Having obtained wealth through righteous and proper means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers. They also make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. Having obtained wealth, they become attached and bound. Being bound, they become attached. They do not see the dangers and do not know the way out, and they use it. This is one person who engages in desire. Furthermore, householder, there is one person who engages in desire. They seek wealth through righteous and proper means. Having obtained wealth through righteous and proper means, they are able to provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers. They also make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. Having obtained wealth, they are not attached, not bound, not bound, not attached. They see the dangers and know the way out, and they use it. This is one person who engages in desire.

Householder, if there is a person who engages in desire, who seeks wealth through unrighteous and improper means, and having obtained wealth through unrighteous and improper means, does not provide for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, and also does not make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life, then this person who engages in desire is the lowest among those who engage in desire. Householder, if there is a person who engages in desire, who seeks wealth through righteous and unrighteous means, and having obtained wealth through righteous and unrighteous means, provides for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, and also makes offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life, then this person who engages in desire is the highest among those who engage in desire.

Householder, if there is a person who engages in desire, who seeks wealth through righteous and proper means, and having obtained wealth through righteous and proper means, provides for their own comfort and that of their parents, wives, children, servants, and workers, and also makes offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, causing them to ascend to the upper realms, experience pleasure, and receive the reward of being reborn in heaven and living a long life. Having obtained wealth, they are not attached, not bound, not bound, not attached. They see the dangers and know the way out, and they use it. This person who engages in desire is the highest among those who engage in desire. It is like this: because of a cow there is milk, because of milk there is curd, because of curd there is fresh butter, because of fresh butter there is clarified butter, and because of clarified butter there is butter essence. Butter essence is the highest, the greatest, the most excellent, the most supreme, the most noble, and the most wonderful. In the same way, householder, this person who engages in desire is the highest, the greatest, the most excellent, the most supreme, the most noble, and the most wonderful among those who engage in desire.

Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

If one seeks wealth through unrighteous means, or through both righteous and unrighteous means
and does not provide for oneself, use it, or give it as charity, both
will have evil consequences, and one will be the lowest among those who engage
in desire. If one seeks wealth through righteous means, and obtains it through one's
own diligence, and provides for others, uses it oneself, and gives it as charity
both will have virtuous consequences, and one will be the highest among those who
engage in desire. If one attains the wisdom of liberation, and engages in desire
while dwelling at home, seeing the dangers and being content, and using wealth sparingly
one will attain the wisdom of liberation from desire, and be the highest among
those who engage in desire.

The Buddha spoke thus. The Elder Anāthapiṇḍada and the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and received them with respect.