Uttaradhyayana 9.48-49

JainismUttaradhyayana 9.48-49

'If there were numberless mountains of gold and silver, as big as Kailâsa, they would not satisfy a greedy man; for his avidity is boundless like space. 'Knowing that the earth with its crops of rice and barley, with its gold and cattle, that all this put together will not satisfy one single man, one should practise austerities.'

❃ Moderation & non-waste ◎ Contentment

The same idea in other traditions

ConfucianismAnalects 7.27

The Master angled,—but did not use a net. He shot,—but not at birds perching.

JudaismProverbs 15:16

Better is little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure and turmoil therewith.

ChristianityGenesis 2:15

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

BuddhismDhammapada 290

If by leaving a small pleasure one sees a great pleasure, let a wise man leave the small pleasure, and look to the great.

SikhismSGGS Ang 26

O mind, remain detached in the midst of your household. Practicing truth, self-discipline and good deeds, the Gurmukh is enlightened.

SufismBustan, ch. 6

He knows not God nor performs His worship who is not contented with his lot. Contentment maketh a man rich—tell this to the avaricious. …

IslamQuran 7:31

O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.

HinduismIsha Upanishad 1

ALL this, whatsoever moves on earth, is to be hidden in the Lord (the Self). When thou hast surrendered all this, then thou mayest enjoy. Do not covet the wealth of any man!

TaoismTao Te Ching 29

If any one should wish to get the kingdom for himself, and to effect this by what he does, I see that he will not succeed. The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing. He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it. … Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence.