Teacher David,
I was wondering in Volume 2, Chapter 8 (The Two-Eyed Person), why is there so much importance given to wealth acquiring/creation (one eye), instead of pure sustenance (making enough to live).
Thank you.
Words of the Buddha - Volume 2, Chapter 8 (page 39):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tO9I94pZhlvQhKKYQfMYG_Jg_UyZm55l/view
Teacher David replies.
Hello Vibhav…sure, I will help you.
Teacher David, I was wondering in Volume 2, Chapter 8 (The Two-Eyed Person), why is there so much importance given to wealth acquiring/creation (one eye), instead of pure sustenance (making enough to live).
In this Teaching, The Buddha is not encouraging Students to chase after money, as he knows that is not what would lead to peacefulness and joy. Instead, he is teaching that there are individuals who are capable of increasing their wealth, as that is a certain quality that one could possess. He is describing qualities of a human being that they might possess.
It is important not to read into The Teachings and insert information that is not there. One might read this Teaching or others, and due to their own impressions, think that The Teachings are suggesting they should pursue wealth or some other aspect of life. There is nowhere in this Teaching where The Buddha is emphasizing the importance of wealth.
Instead, The Buddha is just sharing a certain quality/ability that some people have in the world.
For someone who is choosing to operate a business, it would be helpful if they were able to have both qualities/abilities The Buddha is speaking of, the ability to acquire wealth and determine wholesomeness/unwholesomeness.
You will not find anywhere that The Buddha is motivating anyone to seek wealth but instead, he teaches to live a balanced lifestyle. That one’s income should exceed their expenses so that, they are not acquiring debt. This would be one aspect of living a balanced lifestyle.
Also, there is no harm in having money. Money is not the problem or the cause of the problem. The problem is discontentedness, the cause of the problem is craving/desire/attachment. So one could be rich and Enlightened. It is not about whether one is wealthy or not, it is about how you acquire your wealth and what you do with it once you have acquired it. If you are attached to it, selfish, or acquire it through wrong livelihood, the mind will not experience Enlightenment. But, you could be wealthy, not attached to it, generous helping countless people, and have acquired it through Right Livelihood. Money and wealth is not a problem, it could actually facilitate helping countless people if acquired wisely and not held onto by the individual.
Related to this discourse, ultimately, the ideal that The Buddha is encouraging would be, for someone to have “attentive eyes”. That is what The Buddha is encouraging.
In most discourses, he will typically leave the most important thing for last. He does that regularly throughout his Teachings.
Therefore, you can see that what he is emphasizing in this discourse from Volume 2 - Chapter 8 is to learn, reflect on (i.e. independently verify), and to practice The Four Noble Truths.
If one does that, then, they can have a “break-through” to finally understanding what is causing their discontent feelings and be able to make an end to their constant suffering and continuous rebirth.
That is what The Buddha is encouraging.
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And how, Monks, does a Monk have attentive eyes
Here, a Monk understands as it really is: ‘This is discontentedness’; a Monk understands as it really is: ‘Thịs is the cause of discontentedness'; a Monk understands as it really is: ‘This is the elimination of discontentedness'; a Monk understands as it really is: ‘This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness.’
It is in this way that a Monk has attentive eyes.
Thank you.
You are welcome, pleased to help you.
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