Numbered Discourses 3.19

2. The Chariot-Maker

A Shopkeeper (1st)

“Bhikkhus, 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 bhikkhu 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 bhikkhu doesn’t carefully apply themselves to a meditation subject as an object for samādhi in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon.

A bhikkhu 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 bhikkhu 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 bhikkhu carefully applies themselves to a meditation subject as an object for samādhi in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon.

A bhikkhu who has these three qualities is able to acquire more skillful qualities or to increase the skillful qualities they’ve already acquired.”