AN 4.79

Vaṇijjasutta

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā chedagāminī hoti? Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā na yathādhippāyā hoti? Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā yathādhippāyā hoti? Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā parādhippāyā hotī”ti?

Business

Then Venerable Sāriputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why for different people the same kind of business undertaking might fail, while another doesn’t meet expectations, another meets expectations, and another exceeds expectations?”

“Idha, sāriputta, ekacco samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā pavāreti: ‘vadatu, bhante, paccayenā’ti. So yena pavāreti taṁ na deti. So ce tato cuto itthattaṁ āgacchati, so yaññadeva vaṇijjaṁ payojeti, sāssa hoti chedagāminī.

“Sāriputta, take a case where someone goes to an ascetic or brahmin and invites them to ask for what they need. But they fail to give what’s requested. When they’ve passed away from that life, if they’re reborn in this place, whatever business they undertake fails.

Idha pana, sāriputta, ekacco samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā pavāreti: ‘vadatu, bhante, paccayenā’ti. So yena pavāreti taṁ na yathādhippāyaṁ deti. So ce tato cuto itthattaṁ āgacchati, so yaññadeva vaṇijjaṁ payojeti, sāssa na hoti yathādhippāyā.

Take a case where someone goes to an ascetic or brahmin and invites them to ask for what they need. They give what’s requested, but don’t meet expectations. When they’ve passed away from that life, if they’re reborn in this place, whatever business they undertake doesn’t meet expectations.

Idha pana, sāriputta, ekacco samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā pavāreti: ‘vadatu, bhante, paccayenā’ti. So yena pavāreti taṁ yathādhippāyaṁ deti. So ce tato cuto itthattaṁ āgacchati, so yaññadeva vaṇijjaṁ payojeti, sāssa hoti yathādhippāyā.

Take a case where someone goes to an ascetic or brahmin and invites them to ask for what they need. They give what’s requested, meeting expectations. When they’ve passed away from that life, if they’re reborn in this place, whatever business they undertake meets expectations.

Idha, sāriputta, ekacco samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā upasaṅkamitvā pavāreti: ‘vadatu, bhante, paccayenā’ti. So yena pavāreti taṁ parādhippāyaṁ deti. So ce tato cuto itthattaṁ āgacchati, so yaññadeva vaṇijjaṁ payojeti, sāssa hoti parādhippāyā.

Take a case where someone goes to an ascetic or brahmin and invites them to ask for what they need. They give what’s requested, exceeding expectations. When they’ve passed away from that life, if they’re reborn in this place, whatever business they undertake exceeds expectations.

Ayaṁ kho, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā chedagāminī hoti. Ayaṁ pana, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā na yathādhippāyā hoti. Ayaṁ kho pana, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā yathādhippāyā hoti. Ayaṁ pana, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekaccassa tādisāva vaṇijjā payuttā parādhippāyā hotī”ti.

This is the cause, this is the reason why for different people the same kind of business undertaking might fail, while another doesn’t meet expectations, another meets expectations, and another exceeds expectations.”