Sathipattana magazine delved into the Buddha’s teachings regarding the acquisition and management of wealth for happiness. All worldly beings seek contentment in life (Sukha Kamani Bhuthani). Those who seek happiness consistently reject sorrow. The pursuit of contentment varies according to people. Some find satisfaction with little, while others constantly pursue prolonged and uninterrupted happiness. However, those immersed in sensory pleasures never find contentment. The methods people employ to satisfy their insatiable desires vary. In modern society, contentment and happiness are often equated with wealth, prompting individuals to engage in a relentless pursuit of money. In this pursuit, the principles of Dhamma and humanity are often disregarded.
Accumulating wealth at the expense of morality and ethics leads to suffering, as per the Buddha’s teachings. They are known as Michcha Ajiva. Wealth accumulation should be through righteous means and with noble intentions. Engaging in unscrupulous practices to amass wealth leads to negative consequences. The Buddha outlined five trades that a righteous person should avoid, as mentioned in the Vanijja Suthra of Anguttara Nikaya. Deceiving customers, exploiting workers and paying less salary for them for profit is condemned.
Taking loans becomes the easiest and quickest solution for those in poverty. However, the burdens of debt bring further suffering. Borrowers are plagued by high interest rates, relentless pursuit by lenders, and resorting to unethical means to repay debts. The Buddha emphasized the suffering inherent in borrowing and repaying loans. Those who borrow face humiliation and scolding from lenders and struggle to repay accumulating interest.
The concept of taking loans in Arya Vinaya symbolizes engaging in unethical behaviour. When someone takes a loan, they are essentially accumulating debt that must be repaid eventually, similar to how engaging in bad deeds accumulates negative karma. This analogy is elaborated upon in the Vanijja Sutta in the Anguttara Nikaya. A person who lacks righteousness tends to engage in unethical behaviour and dishonest business practices. They lack wisdom and deceive both customers and employees, exploiting them for personal gain. They may resort to using dishonest measures in trade and deceive customers by selling counterfeit goods instead of genuine ones. Additionally, they may withhold rightful payments for their labourers and engage in fraudulent activities with fake documents. This pattern of behaviour is likened to taking loans, as the repayment of such unethical actions cannot be avoided.
Even though someone amasses vast wealth through unrighteous means, it’s crucial to acknowledge that concurrently, they are accumulating substantial debts in the cycle of rebirth. Day by day, the interest on these debts accumulates. Those who attain wealth through deception, exploitation of labour, and falsehood are not in alignment with the teachings of the Buddha. When such an individual reflects on their actions, they experience ongoing suffering. They harbour feelings of guilt and fear that their transgressions will be exposed, thereby compounding the interest on their karmic debts.
Understanding how one becomes indebted in the cycle of rebirth through unscrupulous means is crucial for laypeople. Conversely, a person who accumulates wholesome actions (Kusal) is wealthy in the transactions of life. They transcend poverty and refrain from unethical behaviour. By abstaining from wrongdoing, they evade the need to repay karmic debts. Without misdeeds to conceal, there’s no accruing interest. Hence, no burdensome debt to repay. Such individuals lead righteous lives, shunning harmful practices, and thereby secure well-being in both the present life and the hereafter.
© satipatthana magazine