Four things for this life
Today, look at one area of your life, money, effort, or company, and ask whether it is in balance.
- Read · about 2 minutes
“Byagghapajja, these four things lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in this life.What four?Accomplishment in initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances.…And what is accomplishment in good friendship?It’s when a gentleman resides in a town or village. And in that place there are householders or their children who may be young or old, but are mature in conduct, accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. He associates with them, converses and engages in discussion. And he emulates the same kind of accomplishment in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.…And what is accomplishment in balanced finances?It’s when a gentleman, knowing his income and expenditure, balances his finances, being neither too extravagant nor too frugal. He thinks, ‘In this way my income will exceed my expenditure, not the reverse.’AN 8.54 · Dīghajāṇu Sutta · “With Dīghajāṇu” · tr. Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0)
From the text
The passage names four things that lead to a gentleman's welfare and happiness in this life: initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances. Good friendship means associating with people mature in conduct and emulating their faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom. Balanced finances means knowing income and expenditure and being neither too extravagant nor too frugal.
In everyday life
This is practical advice for people living at home. 'Gentleman' is the translator's word for a layperson; the one addressed is called Byagghapajja. The text goes on to describe initiative as knowing how to go about your work and protection as guarding what you have earned; one way to take these for anyone is getting on with what is yours to do, paid or not, and looking after what you have. Good friendship means spending time with people whose conduct is mature and letting some of it rub off. Balanced finances means knowing what comes in and what goes out, and staying neither extravagant nor stingy. Carry the word balance into today's sit with the breath: a forced or held breath is out of balance, and you can feel it. One way to take the passage is that the same feel applies to money, effort, and company. Today, pick one of those areas and check it honestly.
- Sit · 3, 5 or 10 minutes
Breath Awareness
Sit comfortably upright, hands in your lap or on your knees. After reading a cue, you may close your eyes and rest with the breath until the next one appears.
- Live · during your day
Take two minutes today to look honestly at one thing you regularly spend on, money, time, or energy. Ask whether it is too much, too little, or about right, and adjust one small thing if needed.
- Reflect · this evening
Where in your life did you find too much, too little, or balance today?
Answer on paper, or in the app’s journal, which stays on your iPhone.