Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A gentleman in any position of leadership — king, official, general, chief, or clan ruler — can expect only growth, not decline, when he uses his legitimate wealth to honor his parents, his household, his business associates, the deities who receive spirit-offerings, and ascetics and brahmins.
A scene worth pausing on before its lesson
The youths are not described neutrally: caṇḍā pharusā apānubhā, violent, harsh, brash, who steal sweets left out for families and hit girls of good families on their backs. The discourse does not soften this description to make the following scene more flattering; the contrast between what Mahānāma knows of them and what he now sees — silent, cupped-palm homage — is the whole point of his exclamation, and it only lands because the earlier description was left unflattering.
‘They will become Vajjis’
Mahānāma's exclamation is a specific compliment tied to the political identity of his own confederacy: to become Vajjis, in his mouth, means growing into the reputation the Vajjian confederation held for itself, presumably for competent, responsible leadership. The Buddha does not confirm or dwell on this reading of the youths' character; he moves directly to stating the general conditions under which any leader — not only these particular youths — can expect to flourish.
The same wealth, the same five uses, restated for leaders
The five honored parties — parents, household and dependents, business associates, spirit-receiving deities, ascetics and brahmins — closely track AN 5.41's five reasons to get rich from earlier in this nipāta, including the same frank inclusion of spirit-offerings without apology. What is new here is the frame: not an individual's personal satisfaction with how they used their wealth, but a structural claim about what determines whether any leader's position holds or erodes.
Love repaid in the same words, five times over
Each of the five honored parties is said to respond identically: ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehi, live long, stay alive for a long time. The discourse does not vary this wish across parents, household, business partners, deities, or renunciates; the same blessing, repeated five times without change, becomes the discourse's own refrain for what honored parties give back.
Key terms
The text
The Buddha, seated in the wood
§1At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.
§2Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms. Then after the meal, on his return from almsround, he plunged deep into the Great Wood and sat at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.
The youths, homaging silently
§3Now at that time several Licchavi youths took strung bows and, escorted by a pack of hounds, were going for a walk in the Great Wood when they saw the Buddha seated at the root of a tree. When they saw him, they put down their strung bows, dispatched their hounds to one side, and went up to him. They bowed and silently paid homage to the Buddha with cupped palms.
Mahānāma's exclamation
§4Now at that time Mahānāma the Licchavi was going for a walk in the Great Wood when he saw those Licchavi youths silently paying homage to the Buddha with cupped palms. Seeing this, he went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and expressed this heartfelt sentiment, “They will become Vajjis! They will become Vajjis!”
§5“But Mahānāma, why do you say that they will become Vajjis?”
§6“Sir, these Licchavi youths are violent, harsh, and brash. Whenever sweets are left out for families—sugar-cane, jujube fruits, pancakes, pies, or fritters—they filch them and eat them up. And they hit women and girls of good families on their backs. But now they’re silently paying homage to the Buddha with cupped palms.”
Five conditions for growth
§7“Mahānāma, you can expect only growth, not decline, when you find five qualities in any gentleman—whether he’s an anointed aristocratic king, an appointed or hereditary official, an army general, a village chief, a guild chief, or a ruler of his own clan.
§8What five? Firstly, a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth—earned by his efforts and initiative, built up with his own hands, gathered by the sweat of the brow—to honor, respect, esteem, and venerate his mother and father.
§9Honored in this way, his mother and father love him with a good heart, wishing: ‘Live long! Stay alive for a long time!’ When a gentleman is loved by his mother and father, you can expect only growth, not decline.
§10Furthermore, a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth to honor, respect, esteem, and venerate his wives and children, bondservants, workers, and staff. Honored in this way, his wives and children, bondservants, workers, and staff love him with a good heart, wishing: ‘Live long! Stay alive for a long time!’ When a gentleman is loved by his wives and children, bondservants, workers, and staff, you can expect only growth, not decline.
§11Furthermore, a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth to honor, respect, esteem, and venerate those who work the neighboring fields, and those he does business with. Honored in this way, those who work the neighboring fields, and those he does business with love him with a good heart, wishing: ‘Live long! Stay alive for a long time!’ When a gentleman is loved by those who work the neighboring fields, and those he does business with, you can expect only growth, not decline.
§12Furthermore, a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth to honor, respect, esteem, and venerate the deities who receive spirit-offerings. Honored in this way, the deities who receive spirit-offerings love him with a good heart, wishing: ‘Live long! Stay alive for a long time!’ When a gentleman is loved by the deities, you can expect only growth, not decline.
§13Furthermore, a gentleman uses his legitimate wealth to honor, respect, esteem, and venerate ascetics and brahmins. Honored in this way, ascetics and brahmins love him with a good heart, wishing: ‘Live long! Stay alive for a long time!’ When a gentleman is loved by ascetics and brahmins, you can expect only growth, not decline.
§14You can expect only growth, not decline, when you find these five qualities in any gentleman—whether he’s an anointed aristocratic king, an appointed or hereditary official, an army general, a village chief, a guild chief, or a ruler of his own clan.
The closing verses
§15He’s always dutiful to his mother and father, and for the good of his wives and children. He looks after those in his household, and those dependent on him for their livelihood.
§16A kind and ethical person looks after the welfare of relatives—both those who have passed away, and those alive at present.
§17While living at home, an astute person uses legitimate means to give rise to joy for ascetics, brahmins, and also the gods.
§18Having done good, he’s venerable and praiseworthy. They praise him in this life, and he departs to rejoice in heaven.”
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