AN 3.19 — A Shopkeeper (1st)

“Mendicants, a shopkeeper who has three factors is unable to acquire more wealth or to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. What three? It’s when a shopkeeper doesn’t carefully focus on their work in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon. A shopkeeper who has these three factors is unable to acquire more wealth or to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. In the same way, a mendicant with three qualities is unable to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired. What three? It’s when a mendicant doesn’t carefully focus on a meditation subject as a basis of immersion in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon. A mendicant who possesses these three qualities is unable to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired. A shopkeeper who has three factors is able to acquire more wealth or to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. What three? It’s when a shopkeeper carefully focuses on their work in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon. A shopkeeper who has these three factors is able to acquire more wealth or to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. In the same way, a mendicant with three qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired. What three? It’s when a mendicant carefully focuses on a meditation subject as a basis of immersion in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon. A mendicant who possesses these three qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired.”