an.3.19 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

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 apply themselves to 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 who has 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 apply themselves to a meditation subject as a foundation of immersion in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon.
A mendicant who has 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 applies themselves to 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 who has 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 applies themselves to a meditation subject as a foundation of immersion in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon.
A mendicant who has these three qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired.”