AN 8.50

Dutiyaidhalokikasutta

“Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti. Katamehi catūhi? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti, saṅgahitaparijano, bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

Winning in This Life (2nd)

“Mendicants, a lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it. What four? It’s when a lady is well-organized at work, manages the domestic help, acts lovingly toward her husband, and preserves his earnings.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti.

And how is a lady well-organized at work? It’s when she’s skilled and tireless in doing domestic duties for her husband … That’s how a lady is well-organized at work.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti.

And how does a lady manage the domestic help? It’s when she knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete. She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods. That’s how a lady manages the domestic help.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattu amanāpasaṅkhātaṁ taṁ jīvitahetupi na ajjhācarati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati.

And how does a lady act lovingly toward her husband? It’s when a lady would not transgress in any way that her husband would not consider agreeable, even for the sake of her own life. That’s how a lady acts lovingly toward her husband.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattā āharati …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.

And how does a lady preserve his earnings? It’s when she tries to guard and protect any income her husband earns … That’s how a lady preserves his earnings. A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.

Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hoti. Katamehi catūhi? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti, sīlasampanno hoti, cāgasampanno hoti, paññāsampanno hoti.

A lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it. What four? It’s when a lady is accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saddho hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti.

And how is a lady accomplished in faith? It’s when a lady has faith in the Realized One’s awakening … That’s how a lady is accomplished in faith.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti.

And how is a lady accomplished in ethics? It’s when a lady doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. That’s how a lady is accomplished in ethics.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti.

And how is a lady accomplished in generosity? It’s when she lives at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. That’s how a lady is accomplished in generosity.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, mātugāmo paññavā hoti …pe… evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hotīti.

And how is a lady accomplished in wisdom? It’s when a lady is wise. She has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. That’s how a lady is accomplished in wisdom. A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.

Susaṁvihitakammantā, saṅgahitaparijjanā; Bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

She’s organized at work, and manages the domestic help. She’s agreeable to her husband, and preserves his wealth.

Saddhā sīlena sampannā, vadaññū vītamaccharā; Niccaṁ maggaṁ visodheti, sotthānaṁ samparāyikaṁ.

Faithful, accomplished in ethics, being bountiful and rid of stinginess. She always purifies the path to well-being in lives to come.

Iccete aṭṭha dhammā ca, yassā vijjanti nāriyā; Tampi sīlavatiṁ āhu, dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavādiniṁ.

And so, a lady in whom these eight qualities are found is known as virtuous, firmly principled, and truthful.

Soḷasākārasampannā, Aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgatā; Tādisī sīlavatī upāsikā, Upapajjati devalokaṁ manāpan”ti.

Accomplished in sixteen respects, complete with the eight factors, a virtuous laywoman such as she is reborn in the realm of the Agreeable Gods.”