Debtlessness
Anaṇa Sutta (AN 4:62)
Then Anāthapiṇḍika the householder went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, “Householder, there are these four types of bliss that—depending on time & occasion—can be experienced by a householder partaking of sensuality. Which four? The bliss of having, the bliss of partaking, the bliss of debtlessness, & the bliss of blamelessness.
“And which is the bliss of having? There is the case where a son of a good family has wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arms and piled up through the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained. [Thinking,] ‘I have wealth earned through my efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of my arms and piled up through the sweat of my brow, righteous wealth righteously gained,’ he experiences bliss, experiences joy. This is called the bliss of having.
“And which is the bliss of partaking? There is the case where a son of a good family, using the wealth earned through his efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of his arms and piled up through the sweat of his brow—righteous wealth righteously gained—partakes of his wealth & makes merit. [Thinking,] ‘Using the wealth earned through my efforts & enterprise, amassed through the strength of my arms and piled up through the sweat of my brow—righteous wealth righteously gained—I partake of my wealth & make merit,’ he experiences bliss, experiences joy. This is called the bliss of partaking.
“And which is the bliss of debtlessness? There is the case where a son of a good family owes nothing—large or small—to anyone at all. [Thinking,] ‘I owe nothing—large or small—to anyone at all,’ he experiences bliss, experiences joy. This is called the bliss of debtlessness.
“And which is the bliss of blamelessness? There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with blameless bodily action, blameless verbal action, blameless mental action. [Thinking,] ‘I am endowed with blameless bodily action, blameless verbal action, blameless mental action,’ he experiences bliss, experiences joy. This is called the bliss of blamelessness.
“Householder, these are four types of bliss that—depending on time & occasion—can be experienced by a householder partaking of sensuality.”
Knowing the bliss of debtlessness,
remembering the bliss of having,
partaking of the bliss of partaking,
a mortal then sees clearly with discernment.
Seeing clearly, the wise one knows both sides:
That side isn’t worth one sixteenth
of the bliss of blamelessness.
