Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One. Having approached 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:

"Householder, there are these four kinds of happiness that are attainable by a lay person who enjoys sensual pleasures, 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.

1 And what, householder, is the happiness of ownership? 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. This is called the happiness of ownership, householder.

2 And what, householder, is the happiness of using wealth? 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.

3 And what, householder, is the happiness of debtlessness? 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.

4 And what, householder, is the happiness of blamelessness? Here, householder, a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with blameless 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.

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."

Having known the happiness of debtlessness, and furthermore, the happiness of ownership; A mortal enjoying the happiness of using wealth, by that, sees clearly with wisdom.

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.

[1] The two kinds of happiness compared here are: the happiness of debtlessness, ownership, and the enjoyment of wealth as one kind, available to laypersons who enjoy sensual pleasures; and the happiness of being blameless as the second kind, available to laypersons who enjoy sensual pleasures and in addition are purified in ethical conduct, disciples of the noble ones.