Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c38.s2.4

v2.c38.s2.4

a very few from the Khattiya. About the characteristics of the Gahapatis, the Nikāyas say that they were keen about accumulation of gold, crops, buildings, lands, wife, male and female servants.¹ Their happiness consisted in possessing worldly objects, in enjoyment of the same, and in remaining free from debts and faults.² In short, the Gahapatis enjoyed all worldly pleasures derivable through the five organs of sense.³ Dīghajānu Koḷiyaputta said that the householders sought worldly objects, sons and wife, unguents, garlands and other articles of luxury, gold and silver; he wanted instructions from the Teacher as to the ways and means by which the householders could be happy in this life and the next. The reply was that the householders should be energetic in his vocation (uṭṭhānasampadā), take good care of the wealth earned righteously by the sweat of his brow (ārakkhasampadā), associate with men having faith, good morals, charitable disposition and wisdom (kalyāṇamittatā), and try to acquire their good qualities⁴ and be like them (samajīvitā). Tapussa gahapati⁵ was frank enough to admit that the gahapatis were afraid of retirement, and given to worldly pleasures because they had not realised the evil consequences of attachment to worldly objects. Potaliya gahapati⁶ thought that as he had retired from his works (kammanta) and business (vohāra), leaving his possessions to his sons, and as he had been living on bare requirements of food and dress, he should not be called a gahapati, but Buddha would not listen to him as he had not yet fulfilled the elementary conditions of a retired life. Though the householders remained engrossed in their worldly possessions, some of them were religious minded and approached different religious teachers for instructions. The Brāhmaṇas and Gahapatis of the village Sālā¹ said that they had listened to the teachings of different teachers and had not yet made up their mind to accept any of them as their spiritual guide. They approached Buddha and his disciples and listened to their instructions now and then, and some of them avowed themselves as upāsakas of Buddha, but not necessarily complying with all the conditions to be fulfilled by an upāsaka.