>--- Ong Yong Peng <yongpeng.ong@...> wrote:
> > I would like to say that where personal wealth
> > management is concerned,
> > anything along this line is fine. However, I believe
> > the Buddha didn't
> > intend it to be dogmatic
>
>For one thing, he must have been quite aware that not
>everyone is able to live on only 25% of his or her
>gross income. I never could, and I don't feel too
>sorry for being unable to follow the letter of his
>advice.

Dear Friends,

I think another thing to take into consideration here is our
extravagent lifestyles in the West that drive up prices of housing,
food, etc. If someone really wanted to keep to the Buddha's words
here, they might have to move to a poor country, live in a hut, and
be quite clever, like the mouse merchant (Jat 4).

I think it must have been a gutsy thing to say even in the time of the
Buddha, especially given the commentary's explaination implying that
we are not actually meant to live on 25% of our income, we are meant
to live on whatever is left of that 25% after giving alms! (cp
Vighaasa Jat. 393) It might of course be wise to suggest that the two
parts to be used for business include income taxes and other taxes,
which are quite high in developed countries...

Not to outright suggest that one try to follow this to the letter, but
to suggest that sometimes we are quick to think the Buddha's teaching
outdated and impractical when it might in fact just be out of our
reach at the moment... the story goes that Vessantara was born with
his hand outstretched, and the first words he uttered were "mother, I
wish to make some gift, is there anything?" (Jat 547) :) Visayha (Jat
340) mowed grass to make money when Sakka caused his treasure to
disappear, and he gave both halves of the money got to beggars when
asked, six days in a row, before fainting on the seventh day.

maa bhikkhave pu~n~naana.m bhaayittha. sukhasseta.m, bhikkhave,
adhivacana.m - yadida.m pu~n~naani. (Iti 1.3.2 Mettasutta)

amhaaka.m kusalaa kammaa nibbaanapaccayaa hontu,

Yuttadhammo