Financial and life advice from 2500 years ago - from Gotama the Buddha

Gotama the Buddha supposedly lived (apx) 2500 years ago, and his teachings are left in the Tipitaka or Pali canon.

Most of his teachings are for ascetic monks and not really directed toward the general public, who are referred to as 'householders'. However on few occasions, he has addressed householders of which this is one.

Ascetic monks have relinquished all of their possessions and wealth - however for the family man, or 'householder', he encourages them to gain wealth and not be lazy.

DN 31 - 26:
"The wise endowed with virtue
Shine forth like a burning fire,
Gathering wealth as bees do honey
And heaping it up like an ant hill.
Once wealth is accumulated,
Family and household life may follow.

By dividing wealth into four parts, ...
One part should be enjoyed;
Two parts invested in business;
And the fourth set aside Against future misfortunes."

13. "These are the six dangers inherent in laziness:
saying, 'It's too cold,' one does not work;
saying, 'It's too hot,' one does not work;
saying, 'It's too late,' one does not work;
saying, 'It's too early,' one does not work;
saying, 'I'm too hungry,' one does not work;
saying, 'I'm too full,' one does not work.
With an abundance of excuses for not working, new wealth does not accrue and existing wealth goes to waste."

DN 31 - 14:
'Too cold! Too hot! Too late!': such is the cry.
Having wasted work time this way,
The young miss out on opportunities.

For one regarding cold and hot
As not more than blades of grass,
Doing whatever should be done,
Happiness will not be a stranger."

www.accesstoinsight.org...

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Review of points:

1) Don't be a lazy bum! Work enough to make the money you need.
2) Don't be stingy - one part of your money should be set aside for enjoyment!
3) Save 2 parts to invest in your business.
4) Save 1 part for future misfortune.

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He also gives life advice on how not to squander your money, and how to choose your friends.


www.accesstoinsight.org...

Dialog takes place in India, a long time ago.

Wise words. Unfortunately, most people cannot even come close to these ratios. 50% to business, 25% for future security, and 25% to enjoy.

Most people spend 75% on bills and 25% on enjoyment.

I am not one of those people, but my employees, family, and just about every average person I meet lives like this. It's odd when a single man can fell trees and build themselves a house, in just a year or two depending on a few factors. Take a family (my own for example are all union workers), together, they could easily build a house for each of themselves with their work power combined in a years time. Some in my family even did build their own homes, yet, many of them have none. Some work 20+ years hoping they may own their home.

Most can't afford one.

Now, how is it that these people could build themselves a home in such little time, yet have to work 20+ years to own one, or may never own one at all?

Our system is inefficient. People are not made useful. They are boxed up, 20,000+ to a giant office building, filing paperwork all damn day long just so some asshole company can deny you an insurance claim, force you into contract, abuse a contract you already signed. Thousands upon thousands sitting around pissing their lives away mowing down forests for BS paperwork that will be shredded one day instead of forests to build house and people to build them.

(This is an analogy in some sense I realize not everyone can have a home built of wood.)

a reply to: boncho

Spot on, I think Many would struggle to try to adopt that financial advise.

I decided to make a quick mark up for myself on this one see if Im able to apply the same sort of plan.

Thing I realised was that my pleasure side was nearly 90% but I included alot of 'Bills' in that margin. I find things like Internet, TV and phones for instance an extra. I dont actually need it. Fair enough some for work will need these things.

But just for TV, Mob and Internet for me was 10% of my income a month! Then add all the extra elec and water bills from these devices and extra, I actually used to hand wash clothes many moons ago when I used to live on a mobile home site but now I really on a washing machine and even a dishwasher. All these things use up elec and water alot. Yet in reality we have so much in todays world that is more of a bonus than need.

If I turn every thing upside down I think I could apply the idea.....But then Bye Bye ATS from home

a reply to: boncho

Yes I have to agree. These are different times we live in.

Working for an employer 40 something to 60 hours a week plus commuting, there is barely any time or energy for anything else. More than half of your income is spent on rent or mortgage and food, bills, etc. (for me its like ninety-something percent), prob not even 100% of the money which is left over is enough to start a business. Also business is as much about know-how than it is about having start-up cost, and it is very difficult to compete with a large companies and corporations. The Buddha is probably addressing a rural farmer 2500 years ago in a rural land..

But yet I have to say, I have seen it done, somebody start out small in their own business.. only to grow and succeed later on. The work is in investigation, growing skills and developing knowledge as much as it is in gathering up start-up cost. Or even just conceptualizing a successful business. That alone is difficult. I have been trying to figure one out my entire life, one that I would like doing, ...still haven't figured it out.

But this message is mostly to myself.. I realize there is plenty of time I can be utilizing toward working my way toward a better life. I just can't let the various discomforts to get in the way.

"For one regarding cold and hot
As not more than blades of grass,
Doing whatever should be done,
Happiness will not be a stranger."

a reply to: nOraKat

He sounds like a freemason...gathering wealth as bees do honey. I wonder how the poor of his day responded to that idea. I also notice there is no advice as to sharing wealth. There is something about that guy that just doesn't ring true. Another religious snake oil salesman. Got to keep those peasants working...come what may.

a reply to: midicon
He relinquished all of his wealth and (to be) kingship to pursue understanding/knowledge.

He promoted the idea of Dana which was generosity/giving. Without Dana (generosity) from others he would not be able to follow his path or survive, as he depended on it.

a reply to: nOraKat

He promoted the idea of Dana which was generosity/giving. Without Dana (generosity) from others he would not be able to follow his path or survive, as he depended on it.

So we work to keep him...smashing.

Gave it all up to pursue wisdom but tells us to work...come hail or snow...deary me.

a reply to: midicon

He's not telling you to do anything.

You do as you please, or will, as he often mentioned.

He's just saying - this is the case.

a reply to: nOraKat

The Buddha is probably addressing a rural farmer 2500 years ago in a rural land..

Vietnam is a good example. Before Vietnam became part of the world stage, it was really common for a family to save a few bucks and set up shop at a local market. Either that or maybe buy a boat and fish. Or plenty of other things too.

In the West, today... About the only thing I can think off the top of my head that is still possible is landscaping and window washing, cleaning services, etc.

Still see people start out small with these kinds of businesses and really all you need is will and energy.

Even if it say invest it do not say take advantage of others like the current trickle up economics do. That kind of system in the end gives a lot of money/power to the top but also all the karma bill to be repaid where the benefactor of the system needs to work of all the efforts that have been given him/her.

There are some people on this planet that will not like when they get the bill of what their life created.

What does the DN stand for?

originally posted by: midicon
a reply to: nOraKat
I wonder how the poor of his day responded to that idea.

I would hazard a guess that they responded quite well.

We live on a planet where scarcity has been our companion throughout our genetic life. Hording is the response to scarcity. And commerce is how humans organize their attempts at hording (its easier to take what you have than to make it myself).

When it comes to merchants, India is "O.G.", developing trade between Europe and Asia .

a reply to: boncho
There are probably much more things than that. People still produce things by hand or in small factories - food, and other items; provide services, carpentry, design, etc. I'm still figuring it out, but I think there are plenty of things people can do if they look hard enough. It is fortunate if one is born into a family with some sort of sustaining business, because you are taught everything and are shown how it works, but is tough to just get into something without being born into it. Most people are born from parents who worked for other companies/corporations, and are not passed down any knowledge or skills to run a business in some niche.

a reply to: Iamthatbish

Digha-Nikaya

Ty the curiosity was making me Google just to find nothing related to Bhudda

a reply to: nOraKat