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Aṅguttara Nikāya · Discourse 5.47

Wealth

Dhanasutta — Muṇḍarājavagga — the fifth chapter of the Fives

Setting
None stated; the discourse continues from AN 5.1, whose setting at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove is understood to hold
Speakers
The Buddha alone, addressing the mendicants
Form
The same five named again, then each defined in turn, closing with verses
Length
~3 minutes to read
Northern parallel
Faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom framed as an inalienable wealth recur across the Chinese Āgamas; this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆ — the detailed companion to AN 5.46, reusing several definitions already given elsewhere in this nipāta

Why this discourse

AN 5.46 promised nothing and delivered five bare names. This discourse keeps that promise, defining faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom one at a time, and then makes an argument its title only implies: calling these five qualities dhana, wealth, is not simply metaphorical decoration. The closing verses state directly that whoever has this wealth is adaliddo, not poor, regardless of what they hold in the ordinary sense.

Reading guide

The teaching in one sentence

The wealth of faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom are five kinds of wealth, each defined in turn, and whoever has them is said to be truly prosperous, their life not lived in vain.

Three definitions inherited without change

Faith (the nine-quality recollection of the Buddha) and wisdom (insight into arising and passing away) are worded here exactly as they have been worded every other time this nipāta has defined them. Ethics, too, is given as the standard five precepts. This discourse adds no new content to any of these three; a reader who has met them before can move through these paragraphs quickly, checking only that the wording matches.

Learning, defined by retention and grasp

The wealth of learning is defined as being bahussuta, very learned, remembering and keeping teachings that are good in the beginning, middle, and end, and being able to recite them, scrutinize them mentally, and penetrate them theoretically. This is a fuller definition of learning than any earlier discourse in this nipāta has given, marking it as more than passive exposure to teaching — active retention and comprehension are both required.

Generosity, defined by disposition

The wealth of generosity is defined not by any specific act of giving but by an ongoing disposition: living rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go. Where AN 5.36's timely gifts and AN 5.37's food-giving concerned specific acts, this definition concerns the character a person carries into every occasion for giving, whether or not any particular gift happens.

Wealth that cannot be confiscated

The metaphor's real force becomes clear against AN 5.41's third reason to get rich: legitimate wealth protects against loss from fire, water, kings, bandits, or unloved heirs. This fivefold wealth needs no such protection, since none of the five items named — faith, ethics, learning, generosity, wisdom — can be seized, burned, flooded, or inherited away from the person who holds them. The discourse does not state this contrast explicitly, but it is available to a reader who has read AN 5.41 already.

Key terms

dhana — “wealth” — this discourse's frame for the five qualities, chosen deliberately against the vulnerability of ordinary wealth named at AN 5.41.
bahussuta — “very learned” — the wealth of learning, defined here more fully than any earlier discourse in this nipāta, requiring both retention and comprehension.
muttacāgo payatapāṇi — “loving to let go, open-handed” — part of the wealth of generosity's definition, an ongoing character trait rather than a single act.
adaliddo — “not poor” — the closing verse's direct claim for whoever holds this fivefold wealth, regardless of ordinary material circumstances.
amoghaṁ jīvitaṁ — “a life not in vain” — the verse's further claim, tying this wealth to a life's basic worth rather than only its comfort.

The text

The discourse in full: the five kinds of wealth named again, then each defined in turn, closing with verses. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

The five kinds of wealth, named again

§1“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of wealth. What five? The wealth of faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.

The wealth of faith

§2And what is the wealth of faith? It’s when a noble disciple has faith in the Realized One’s awakening: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ This is called the wealth of faith.

The wealth of ethics

§3And what is the wealth of ethics? It’s when a noble disciple doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. This is called the wealth of ethics.

The wealth of learning

§4And what is the wealth of learning? It’s when a noble disciple is very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically. This is called the wealth of learning.

The wealth of generosity

§5And what is the wealth of generosity? It’s when a noble disciple lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. This is called the wealth of generosity.

The wealth of wisdom

§6And what is the wealth of wisdom? It’s when a noble disciple is wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. This is called the wealth of wisdom. These are the five kinds of wealth.

The closing verses

§7Whoever has faith in the Realized One, unwavering and well grounded; whose ethical conduct is good, praised and loved by the noble ones;

§8who has confidence in the Saṅgha, and correct view: they’re said to be prosperous, their life is not in vain.

§9So let the wise devote themselves to faith, ethical behavior, confidence, and insight into the teaching, remembering the instructions of the Buddhas.”

· · ·

Self-check quiz

Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 10
How are faith, ethics, and wisdom defined in this discourse compared to elsewhere in this nipāta?
Correct: B. Three of the five terms receive the identical treatment given every earlier time this nipāta defined them.
Question 2 of 10
How is the wealth of learning defined?
Correct: B. Active retention and comprehension, not passive exposure.
Question 3 of 10
How is the wealth of generosity defined?
Correct: B. Character carried into every occasion, distinct from AN 5.36 and 5.37's focus on specific acts.
Question 4 of 10
What contrast does the guide draw between this discourse's wealth and AN 5.41's wealth?
Correct: B. A contrast available to a reader who has read AN 5.41, though not stated explicitly here.
Question 5 of 10
What does the closing verse claim about whoever has this fivefold wealth?
Correct: B. A direct claim about a life's basic worth, regardless of ordinary material circumstances.
Question 6 of 10
What are the five kinds of wealth named in this discourse?
Correct: B. Identical to AN 5.46's five accomplishments, under a different frame.
Question 7 of 10
How is ethics defined in this discourse?
Correct: B. No new content added beyond the familiar precept formula.
Question 8 of 10
What is the wealth of faith defined by?
Correct: B. The same buddhānussati formula as at AN 5.2, 5.14, and elsewhere.
Question 9 of 10
Does this discourse claim ordinary material wealth is worthless?
Correct: B. A parallel account, not an explicit renunciation of AN 5.41's earlier material.
Question 10 of 10
Where is AN 5.47 set?
Correct: B. Consistent with the default setting used throughout this nipāta when nothing new is stated.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

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