Indebtedness is Discontentedness in the World

Monks, isn’t poverty discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

If a poor, impoverished, needy person gets into debt, isn’t his indebtedness, too, discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

If a poor, impoverished, needy person who has gotten into debt promises to pay interest, isn’t the interest, too, discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

If a poor, impoverished, needy person who has promised to pay interest cannot pay it when it falls due, they admonish him. Isn’t being admonished, too, discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

If a poor, impoverished, needy person who is admonished does not pay, they prosecute him. Isn’t prosecution, too, discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

If a poor, impoverished, needy person who is prosecuted does not pay, they imprison him. Isn’t imprisonment, too, discontentedness in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?

So, Monks, for one who enjoys sensual pleasures, poverty is discontentedness in the world; getting into debt is discontentedness in the world; having to pay interest is discontentedness in the world; being admonished is discontentedness in the world; prosecution is discontentedness in the world; and imprisonment is discontentedness in the world.

So too, Monks, when one does not have confidence in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, when one does not have a sense of moral wrongdoing in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, when one does not have moral concern in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, when one does not have energy in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, when one does not have wisdom in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, in the Noble One’s discipline one is called a poor, impoverished, needy person.

Having no confidence, no sense of moral wrongdoing, no moral concern, no energy, no wisdom in (cultivating) wholesome qualities, that poor, impoverished, needy person engages in misconduct by body, speech, and mind. This, I say, is his getting into debt.

To conceal his bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct, he nurtures an evil (unwholesome) desire. He wishes: Let no one know me; he intends (with the aim): Let no one know me; he speaks statements (with the aim): Let no one know me; he makes bodily actions (with the aim): Let no one know me. This, I say, is the interest he must pay.

Well-behaved fellow Monks speak thus about him: This Venerable One acts in such a way, behaves in such a way. This, I say, is his being admonished.

When he has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, evil unwholesome thoughts accompanied by remorse attack him. This, I say, is his prosecution.

Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, that poor, impoverished, needy person who engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind is bound in the prison of hell or the prison of the animal realm.

I do not see, Monks, any other prison that is as terrible and harsh, (and) such an obstacle to attaining the unsurpassed security from bondage (Enlightenment), as the prison of hell or the prison of the animal realm.

Poverty is called discontentedness in the world;

so too is getting into debt.

A poor person who becomes indebted

is troubled while enjoying himself.

Then they prosecute him

and he also incurs imprisonment.

This imprisonment is indeed discontentedness

for one yearning for gain and sensual pleasures.

Just so in the Noble One’s discipline,

one in whom confidence is lacking,

who does not see danger in wrongdoing and rude,

heaps up a mass of evil unwholesome Kamma.

Having engaged in misconduct

by body, speech, and mind,

he forms the wish:

‘May no one find out about me.’

He twists around with his body,

(twists around) by speech or mind;

he piles up his evil (unwholesome) deeds,

in one way or another, repeatedly.

This unwise evildoer, knowing

his own misdeeds, is a poor person

who falls into debt,

troubled while enjoying himself.

His thoughts then prosecute him;

painful mental states born of remorse

(follow him wherever he goes)

whether in the village or the forest.

This unwise evildoer,

knowing his own misdeeds,

goes to a certain (animal) realm

or is even bound in hell.

This indeed is the discontentedness of bondage

from which the wise person is freed,

giving (gifts) with wealth righteously gained,

settling his mind in confidence.

(Reference: AN 6.45)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he associates one who is impoverished lacking wealth to one who is lacking confidence, a sense of wrongdoing, moral concern, energy, and wisdom in cultivating wholesome qualities.

He shares how “for one who enjoys sensual pleasures” poverty and all the resulting effects will lead to discontentedness in the mind.

An individual who is indulging in sensual pleasures will have extensive craving/desire/attachment to items to please the senses (i.e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind).

It is expensive to constantly pursue pleasing of The Six Sense Bases. Sometimes the craving for sensual pleasures can even lead to poverty as one might exhaust their resources and compromise their financial stability by chasing things like alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, and other aspects of the material world that are oftentimes pursued in an attempt to please the senses. For one who has craving/desire/attachment to sensual pleasures, poverty will create conditions that make it difficult for them to continue to fulfill the constant cravings for sensual pleasure and discontentedness will be experienced when the mind cannot fulfill the objects of its affection.

For a person who is in poverty to continue to pursue their cravings/desires/attachments, one might turn to debt, leading to interest to be paid, impoverished conditions, being prosecuted, and imprisoned. All of these effects can be experienced based on indulging in sensual pleasures seeking to fulfill a craving mind’s desire for pleasant feelings.

The Buddha associates this with one who does not have confidence in cultivating wholesome qualities, a sense of moral wrongdoing, moral concern, energy, and wisdom. If one lacks these aspects in their life practice, The Buddha is explaining that they are poor, impoverished, and a needy person.

With the lack of interest to cultivate wholesome bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, an individual might try to conceal their bodily, verbal, and mental actions not being interested in others discovering their wrongdoing.

Despite the attempts to conceal one’s misconduct, The Buddha explains how a poor reputation will circulate about an individual who chooses to engage in misconduct.

He also explains how one who engages in misconduct will have remorse and unwholesome thoughts “attack” them when alone. He describes this as being “prosecuted”.

The Buddha shares that one who makes decisions in this way will experience their next life in a lower realm such as hell or the animal realm describing these realms as a prison. Once one is reborn into the lower realms of hell and the animal realm, it is much like a prison as a being will find it very difficult to be reborn into the human or heavenly realms.

It is important to understand, The Buddha is not describing this Teaching as a way to guilt, shame or fear anyone into learning and practicing his Teachings. Instead, he is sharing The Natural Laws of Existence of what will or will not occur based on these natural laws.

His goal is to guide Students towards the elimination of all discontent feelings such as guilt, shame, and fear, among all the others. So he would not use rebirth into the lower realms as a way to guilt, shame, or fear anyone into learning and practicing these Teachings. Instead, he is sharing what will or will not occur so that Students can make informed decisions about their moral conduct.

It is understood that at some point, all beings will ultimately move through The Cycle of Rebirth finding opportunities to attain Enlightenment through rebirth in the human and/or heavenly realms. Rebirth into any specific realm is not permanent. But, once reborn into a lower realm, one will need to experience countless rebirths in the lower realms before there is enough wholesome Kamma created to have the opportunity for a new existence in the human or heavenly realms. In this way, rebirth into the lower realms of hell and the animal realm is like a prison.

A Practitioner who is interested to develop their life practice towards Enlightenment can understand that this Teaching can be used as guidance to cultivate confidence in wholesome qualities, a sense of moral wrongdoing, moral concern, energy, and wisdom.

In doing so, one will experience better results in this life and move closer to Enlightenment to experience a peaceful, calm, serene, and content mind with joy in this life while also avoiding rebirth into any other realm.

Detailed explanation of moral wrongdoing and moral concern is available in this same book series found in Chapter 25 of the book “Generosity” (Volume 13).