AN 4.62  Ānaṇya sutta - Debtlessness

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. When Anāthapiṇḍika was seated to one side, the Blessed One addressed him thus:

“Cattārimāni, gahapati, sukhāni adhigamanīyāni gihinā kāmabhoginā kālena kālaṁ samayena samayaṁ upādāya. Katamāni cattāri? Atthisukhaṁ, bhogasukhaṁ, ānaṇyasukhaṁ, anavajjasukhaṁ.

“Householder, there are these four kinds of |happiness::ease, comfort, pleasure, contentment [sukha]| that are attainable by a lay person |who enjoys sensual pleasures::who indulges in sensual gratification [kāmabhogī]|, from time to time, and on appropriate occasions. What four? The happiness of ownership, the happiness of using wealth, the happiness of debtlessness, and the happiness of blamelessness.

Katamañca, gahapati, atthisukhaṁ? Idha, gahapati, kulaputtassa bhogā honti uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā. So ‘bhogā me atthi uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatā bāhābalaparicitā sedāvakkhittā dhammikā dhammaladdhā’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, atthisukhaṁ.

1 And what, householder, is the |happiness of ownership::pleasure of having [atthisukha]|? Here, householder, a son of a good family has acquired wealth through initiative and effort, built up by hard work, earned by sweat, lawfully and legitimately obtained. When he reflects, ‘I have acquired wealth through initiative and effort, built up by hard work, earned by sweat, lawfully and legitimately obtained,’ he attains happiness and |pleasure::gladness, joy, positive state of mind [somanassa]|. This is called the happiness of ownership, householder.

Katamañca, gahapati, bhogasukhaṁ? Idha, gahapati, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi paribhuñjati puññāni ca karoti. So ‘uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi paribhuñjāmi puññāni ca karomī’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, bhogasukhaṁ.

2 And what, householder, is the |happiness of using wealth::pleasure of enjoying wealth [bhogasukha]|? Here, householder, a son of a good family enjoys wealth acquired through initiative and effort, built up by hard work, earned by sweat, lawfully and legitimately obtained, and he does good deeds with it. When he reflects, ‘I enjoy wealth acquired through initiative and effort, built up by hard work, earned by sweat, lawfully and legitimately obtained, and I do good deeds with it,’ he attains happiness and pleasure. This is called the happiness of using wealth, householder.

Katamañca, gahapati, ānaṇyasukhaṁ? Idha, gahapati, kulaputto na kassaci kiñci dhāreti appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā. So ‘na kassaci kiñci dhāremi appaṁ vā bahuṁ vā’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, ānaṇyasukhaṁ.

3 And what, householder, is the |happiness of debtlessness::pleasure of being debt-free [ānaṇyasukha]|? Here, householder, a son of a good family owes nothing to anyone, whether little or much. When he reflects, ‘I owe nothing to anyone, whether little or much,’ he attains happiness and pleasure. This is called the happiness of debtlessness, householder.

Katamañca, gahapati, anavajjasukhaṁ? Idha, gahapati, ariyasāvako anavajjena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato hoti. So ‘anavajjenamhi kāyakammena samannāgato, anavajjena vacīkammena samannāgato, anavajjena manokammena samannāgato’ti adhigacchati sukhaṁ, adhigacchati somanassaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, gahapati, anavajjasukhaṁ.

4 And what, householder, is the |happiness of blamelessness::pleasure of being faultless [anavajjasukha]|? Here, householder, a disciple of the Noble Ones is endowed with |blameless::irreproachable, faultless [anavajja]| bodily conduct, blameless verbal conduct, and blameless mental conduct. When he reflects, ‘I am endowed with blameless bodily conduct, blameless verbal conduct, and blameless mental conduct,’ he attains happiness and pleasure. This is called the happiness of blamelessness, householder.

Imāni kho, gahapati, cattāri sukhāni adhigamanīyāni gihinā kāmabhoginā kālena kālaṁ samayena samayaṁ upādāyāti.

These, householder, are the four kinds of happiness that are attainable by a lay person who enjoys sensual pleasures, from time to time, and on appropriate occasions.”

Verse

Ānaṇyasukhaṁ ñatvāna,
Atho atthisukhaṁ paraṁ;
Bhuñjaṁ bhogasukhaṁ macco,
Tato paññā vipassati.

Having known the happiness of debtlessness,
and furthermore, the happiness of ownership;
A mortal enjoying the happiness of using wealth,
by that, |sees clearly::understands with insight [vipassati]| with wisdom.

Vipassamāno jānāti,
ubho bhoge sumedhaso;
Anavajjasukhassetaṁ,
kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasin”ti.

While seeing things clearly, the wise one,
knows \**both kinds of happiness** [1];
Compared to the happiness of blamelessness,
these do not amount to even a sixteenth part.