AN 3.20 - AN 3:20 The Shopkeeper | Pāpaṇika Sutta
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu
Source: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN3_20.html
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Copyright: Copyright 2014 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Revised edition 2017
License notice: Copyright 2014 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Revised edition 2017 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported. To see a copy of this license visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. “Commercial” shall mean any sale, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes or entities. Questions about this book may be addressed to Metta Forest Monastery Valley Center, CA 92082-1409 U.S.A. Additional resources More Dhamma talks, books and translations by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu are available to download in digital audio and various ebook formats at dhammatalks.org. Printed copy A paperback copy of this book is available free of charge. To request one, write to: Book Request, Metta Forest Monastery, PO Box 1409, Valley Center, CA 92082 USA.
Attribution: From Handful of Leaves, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu; https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/SuttaPitaka_251113.epub. Copyright 2014 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Revised edition 2017 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported. To see a copy of this license visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. “Commercial” shall mean any sale, whether for commercial or non-profit purposes or entities. Questions about this book may be addressed to Metta Forest Monastery Valley Center, CA 92082-1409 U.S.A. Additional resources More Dhamma talks, books and translations by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu are available to download in digital audio and various ebook formats at dhammatalks.org. Printed copy A paperback copy of this book is available free of charge. To request one, write to: Book Request, Metta Forest Monastery, PO Box 1409, Valley Center, CA 92082 USA.
Publisher references (not part of the sutta): See also: DN 26; AN 2:46; AN 7:6
Changes: Presentation only: original HTML markup reflowed into plain text; wording, numbering and source repetitions retained. No repetitions expanded.
Completeness: ABBREVIATED. Every source-unit character is preserved, including introductions, notes and verse structure. Thanissaro's collection-level note explicitly states that repetitions were cut: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/about.html. This is evidence about the translation method, not an assertion that every individual unit contains an omission; no repetitions reconstructed.

The Shopkeeper
 Pāpaṇika Sutta (AN 3:20)

“Monks, a shopkeeper endowed with three factors will, in no long time, achieve greatness & abundance in terms of wealth. Which three? There is the case where a shopkeeper has a good eye, is astute, & is consummate in his backing.

“And how does a shopkeeper have a good eye? There is the case where a shopkeeper knows of an item: ‘This item can be bought at this price and sold at this price; the cost will be this much, and the profit this much.’ This is how a shopkeeper has a good eye.

“And how is a shopkeeper astute? There is the case where a shopkeeper is skilled in buying & selling an item. This is how a shopkeeper is astute.

“And how is a shopkeeper consummate in his backing? There is the case where householders or householders’ sons know of a shopkeeper, ‘This shopkeeper has a good eye & is astute. He is capable of supporting his wife & children and repaying our investment at regular intervals.’ They offer him wealth, [saying,] ‘Here, my friend, having made wealth from this, support your wife & children and repay us at regular intervals.’ This is how a shopkeeper is consummate in his backing.

“A shopkeeper endowed with these three factors will, in no long time, achieve greatness & abundance in terms of wealth.

“Monks, a monk endowed with three factors will, in no long time, achieve greatness & abundance in terms of skillful qualities. Which three? There is the case where a monk has a good eye, is astute, & is consummate in his backing.

“And how does a monk have a good eye? There is the case where a monk discerns, as it has come to be, that ‘This is stress’… ‘This is the origination of stress’… ‘This is the cessation of stress’… ‘This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.’ This is how a monk has a good eye.

“And how is a monk astute? There is the case where a monk keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful qualities and taking on skillful qualities. He is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful qualities. This is how a monk is astute.

“And how is a monk consummate in his backing? There is the case where a monk—approaching at regular intervals those monks who are learned, to whom the tradition has come down, who have memorized the suttas, memorized the Vinaya, memorized the mātikas [lists of Dhamma topics]—asks & questions them, ‘How is this, venerable sirs? What is the meaning of this?’ Those venerable ones make open what isn’t open, make plain what isn’t plain, dispel doubt on various doubtful points. This is how a monk is consummate in his backing.

“Monks, a monk endowed with these three factors will, in no long time, achieve greatness & abundance in terms of skillful qualities.”