The Seven Treasures of the Noble

Soma Thera (Buddhist Publication Society), edited for clarity by Wisdom Quarterly

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The treasures (Pali, dhana) of the noble [accomplished, enlightened] disciples of the Buddha are not precious stones and pearls, silver and gold, or fields and houses.

Nor are the noble treasures connected with the power and glory of earthly sovereignty. These are the seven treasures of the noble:

Confidence*, virtue, a sense of circumspection-and-dread

[over wrongdoing],

Learning, generosity, and right understanding.

Not poor is the person endowed with these,

Not empty is a life of worthy things.

Therefore should one who is in understanding fixed

[one who has entered into the first stage of enlightenment]

Be diligent working to gain [more] confidence,

Virtue, clarity, and vision of the truth,

Mindful of the Dharma of the Enlightened One who understood.

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On a certain occasion Ugga, the chief minister of the King of Kosala, came to the Buddha, saluted him, sat respectfully to one side, and said: Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir, is the amount of riches, wealth, and possessions of Migara Rohaneyya.

What is the extent of his vast treasures, his vast wealth, Ugga?

Of gold alone he has 100,000. What should one say of silver?

Ugga, I do not deny that there is treasure of that kind. But, Ugga, such treasure is the common victim of fire, water, kings, robbers, and greedy heirs. But there are seven kinds of treasure that are not the common victim of fire, water, kings, robbers, and greedy heirs. What are the seven?

The treasure of confidence, virtue, circumspection-and-dread

[about wrongdoing], learning, generosity,

and of right understanding,

These are the seven treasures the noble have.

Confidence, virtue, the sense of shame and fear,

Learning, bounty, and understanding right.

Not poor is the woman or man with this great wealth,

Unlosable in the world of gods and men.

Therefore should he who is in understanding fixed,

Be diligent working to gain confidence,

Virtue, clarity, and vision of the truth,

Mindful of the law of him who understood.

In order to gain these treasures of the noble a person would be devoted to the Dharma (doctrine) of the Buddha. Therefore men of old said this:

“Except the doctrine of the Perfectly Enlightened One,

There is no father and no mother here.

The doctrine is your guide and support

And in the doctrine is your shelter true,

So hear the doctrine, on the doctrine reflect

And spurning other things live up to it.”

*I. Confidence (Saddhā)

A noble disciple is confident: trusts in the enlightenment of the "Perfect One" (Tathāgata): Thus indeed is the Blessed One: He is an arhat, fully enlightened, endowed with wisdom and perfect conduct, sublime, knower of the worlds, a guide for those wishing to be taught, a teacher of devas and human beings, liberated and blessed.’

Confidence, according to a great Buddhist writer, is the entrance to the ocean of the Buddha’s Dharma, and insight-knowledge is the ship in which a person travels in that ocean.

Says the Buddha, "In these places, Ānanda, should you establish, fix, and make firm your friends, companions, and kith and kin, who think they ought to hear the Dharma. In what three places? In wise confidence concerning the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha should you establish them, fix them, and make them firm.

"There may be change, Ānanda, in the four great elements [characteristics of materiality called] earth, water, fire, and air. But the noble disciple who is endowed with wise confidence concerning the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha cannot change.

"That is to say, it is impossible for one [who has reached the first stage of enlightenment] to be reborn in hell, or as an animal, or where unhappy spirits dwell." More