The setting is in Sāvatthī. At that time, King Pasenadi of Kosala came to the Blessed One during the day. After arriving, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat to one side. The Blessed One said to King Pasenadi of Kosala, who was sitting to one side: "Great King, where are you coming from at this time of day?"

"Lord, in this city of Sāvatthī, a wealthy elder has passed away. I have come after transporting his heirless estate to the royal palace. Lord, there was eighty million in gold alone, not to mention the silver. However, Lord, that wealthy elder's food was like this: he ate coarse red rice with sour gruel. His clothing was like this: he wore rough hempen cloth, triple-sewn garments. His vehicle was like this: he rode in an old, small cart with a leaf awning."

"Indeed it is so, great king, indeed it is so. Great king, when an unvirtuous person obtains great wealth, he neither makes himself happy and satisfied, nor his parents happy and satisfied, nor his wife and children happy and satisfied, nor his slaves, workers and employees happy and satisfied, nor his friends and colleagues happy and satisfied. And he does not establish an offering for ascetics and brahmins that leads to heavenly happiness, that results in happiness. Because those riches are not used properly, they will be confiscated by kings or stolen by thieves or burned by fire or carried away by water or taken by unloved heirs. In this way, great king, those riches, not being used properly, come to waste and not to utilization."

"Great king, it is like a pool in an uninhabited area, with water that is clear, cool, sweet, clean, with good fords, delightful. But no one would draw water or drink or bathe or use it for anything. In this way, great king, that water, not being used properly, would come to waste and not to utilization. Similarly, great king, when an unvirtuous person obtains great wealth, he neither makes himself happy and satisfied, nor his parents happy and satisfied, nor his wife and children happy and satisfied, nor his slaves, workers and employees happy and satisfied, nor his friends and colleagues happy and satisfied. And he does not establish an offering for ascetics and brahmins that leads to heavenly happiness, that results in happiness. Because those riches are not used properly, they will be confiscated by kings or stolen by thieves or burned by fire or carried away by water or taken by unloved heirs. In this way, great king, those riches, not being used properly, come to waste and not to utilization."

"But, great king, when a virtuous person obtains great wealth, he makes himself happy and satisfied, and his parents happy and satisfied, and his wife and children happy and satisfied, and his slaves, workers and employees happy and satisfied, and his friends and colleagues happy and satisfied. And he establishes an offering for ascetics and brahmins that leads to heavenly happiness, that results in happiness. Because those riches are used properly, they will not be confiscated by kings, not stolen by thieves, not burned by fire, not carried away by water, and not taken by unloved heirs. In this way, great king, those riches, being used properly, come to utilization and not to waste."

"Great king, it is like a pool near a village or town, with water that is clear, cool, sweet, clean, with good fords, delightful. People would draw water and drink and bathe and use it for their purposes. In this way, great king, that water, being used properly, would come to utilization and not to waste. Similarly, great king, when a virtuous person obtains great wealth, he makes himself happy and satisfied, and his parents happy and satisfied, and his wife and children happy and satisfied, and his slaves, workers and employees happy and satisfied, and his friends and colleagues happy and satisfied. And he establishes an offering for ascetics and brahmins that leads to heavenly happiness, that results in happiness. Because those riches are used properly, they will not be confiscated by kings, not stolen by thieves, not burned by fire, not carried away by water, and not taken by unloved heirs. In this way, great king, those riches, being used properly, come to utilization and not to waste."

"Cool water in an uninhabited place would dry up if not drunk.

So too, when a vile person gains wealth, he neither enjoys nor gives.

But when the wise man of understanding gains wealth, he both enjoys and does his duty.

Having supported his kin like a great bull, blameless he goes to a heavenly state."

This scripture profoundly expounds on the correct use of wealth and the different outcomes of using wealth wisely versus misusing it. Let's analyze it in detail:

1. Stark contrast: The scripture begins by describing the miserable life of a wealthy man. Despite having enormous wealth, his quality of life was extremely low. This strong contrast highlights that merely possessing wealth does not equate to happiness.

2. The nature of wealth: The Buddha points out that wealth itself is neither good nor evil; the key lies in how it is used. An unvirtuous person may have wealth but cannot benefit himself or others, and such wealth will eventually disappear.

3. Use of metaphor: The Buddha uses the metaphor of a water pool to illustrate the nature of wealth. The unused pool and the properly used pool vividly demonstrate two starkly different outcomes of wealth utilization.

4. Correct ways to use wealth: The Buddha lists in detail the methods of using wealth wisely, including satisfying oneself, family, employees, friends, and making offerings to practitioners. This not only allows wealth to be fully utilized but also brings long-term benefits.

5. Cause and effect relationship: The scripture clearly states that proper use of wealth can protect it from external threats, while misuse leads to its loss. This reveals a profound cause-effect relationship.

6. Concise summary: The final verse powerfully summarizes the entire teaching, comparing wealth to water and the wise use of wealth to the actions of a sage.

This scripture prompts us to deeply reflect on the nature of wealth. It tells us that wealth is not just numbers, but a responsibility and an opportunity. Proper use of wealth can bring happiness to ourselves and others, and even influence our future lives. Conversely, if we hoard wealth without using it wisely, like the miserly rich man, we not only fail to enjoy life but will eventually lose this wealth.

This wisdom is equally applicable to modern society. In today's world of material abundance, we should think more about how to use our resources correctly. Are we like the wealthy man in the scripture, possessing but not using wisely? Are we neglecting the responsibilities and possibilities that come with wealth while pursuing it?

The Buddha's teaching reminds us that true wealth lies not in how much we possess, but in how we use it. By using wealth correctly, we can not only improve our own lives and those around us but also contribute to society and even pave the way for our spiritual growth. This view overturns our traditional understanding of wealth, guiding us to rethink the true value and meaning of life.