Overview
The Buddha did not demand that all laypeople live like monastics. He acknowledged that householders require specific material and social conditions to live peacefully. He outlined four valid sources of happiness that a layperson should strive to achieve righteously.
The List
- Atthi-sukha - The happiness of ownership: The satisfaction of knowing one possesses wealth and property that was acquired energetically, lawfully, and without harming others.
- Bhoga-sukha - The happiness of enjoyment: The satisfaction derived from actively using one’s righteous wealth to support oneself, one’s family, and to perform meritorious deeds (dāna).
- Āṇaṇa-sukha - The happiness of being debtless: The profound peace of mind that comes from knowing one does not owe a debt, large or small, to anyone in the world.
- Anavajja-sukha - The happiness of blamelessness: The supreme satisfaction of knowing that one’s bodily, verbal, and mental actions are morally pure and beyond reproach by the wise. The Buddha declared this the highest of the four.
Textual References
- Canonical: Āṇaṇya Sutta (AN 4.62) – The Buddha details these four to the wealthy benefactor Anāthapiṇḍika.