Subha Sutta
4. “Master Gotama, the brahmins say this: ‘The householder is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome. The one gone forth [into homelessness] is not accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.’ What does Master Gotama say about this?”
[The Buddha said] “Student, I speak about this after making an analysis; I do not speak about this one-sidedly. I do not praise the wrong way of practice on the part either of a householder or one gone forth; for whether it be a householder or one gone forth, one who has entered on the wrong way of practice, by reason of his wrong way of practice, is not accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.
I praise the right way of practice on the part either of a householder or one gone forth; for whether it be a householder or one gone forth, one who has entered on the right way of practice, by reason of his right way of practice, is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.”
5. “Master Gotama, the brahmins say this: ‘Since the work of the household life involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, it is of great fruit. Since the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, it is of small fruit.’ What does Master Gotama say about this?” “Again, student, I speak about this after making an analysis; I do not speak about this one-sidedly. There is work involving a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings,
which, when it fails, is of small fruit. There is work involving a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit. There is work
involving a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, which, when it fails, is of small fruit. There is work involving a small amount of activity, small functions,
small engagements, and small undertakings, which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit. ...
... Just as agriculture, student, is work that involves a great deal of activity…but is of small fruit when it fails, so the work of the household life involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great
engagements, and great undertakings, but is of small fruit when it fails. Just as agriculture is work that involves a great deal of activity…and is of great fruit when it succeeds,
so the work of the household life
involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, and is of great fruit when it succeeds. Just as trade is work that involves a small amount of activity…and is of small
fruit when it fails, so the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, and is of small fruit when it fails. Just as trade is work that involves a small amount of activity…but is of great fruit when it succeeds, so the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, but is of great fruit when it succeeds.”
...
9. “Master Gotama, truth is the first thing that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome. Asceticism is the second thing…[Purity in sexuality] is the third thing…Study is the fourth thing…Generosity is the fifth thing that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome. ... What
does Master Gotama say about this?”
[The Buddha said] .20 “Those five things, student, that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome—where do you often see those five things, among householders or among those gone forth?”
“Those five things, Master Gotama, that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome, I often see among those gone forth,
seldom among householders. For the
householder has a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings: he does not constantly and invariably speak the truth, practise asceticism, observe [purity in sexuality],
engage in study, or engage in generosity. But one gone forth has a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings: he constantly and invariably speaks the truth, practises asceticism, observes celibacy, engages in study, and engages in generosity. Thus those five things that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome, I often see among those gone forth, seldom among householders.”
[The Buddha said] 21. “Those five things, student, that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome, I call equipment of the mind, that is, for developing a mind that is without hostility and without ill will. ...
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