Then, Ugga the royal minister approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat to one side. Sitting there, Ugga the royal minister said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, it is truly wonderful, truly marvelous—how immensely wealthy this Migāra of Rohaṇa is, how rich, how abundant in possessions!”
The Blessed One asked: “But how wealthy, Ugga, is this Migāra of Rohaṇa? How rich is he? How extensive are his possessions?”
“Venerable sir, he has a hundred thousand units of minted gold, not to mention silver!”
“There is that kind of wealth, Ugga, this I don‘t deny. But that kind of wealth can be taken away by fire, water, kings, thieves, and disagreeable heirs. However, Ugga, these seven kinds of wealth cannot be taken away by fire, water, kings, thieves, or disagreeable heirs. What seven? The wealth of |faith::confidence, conviction, trust [saddha]|, the wealth of |virtue::moral conduct, ethical behavior [sīla]|, the wealth of |conscience::internal sense of right and wrong used for guiding one’s behavior, moral shame, scruple [hirī]|, the wealth of |moral dread::fear of wrongdoing out of regard for others [ottappa]|, the wealth of |learning::studying, understanding, acquiring knowledge [suta]|, the wealth of |generosity::sharing, relinquishment [cāga]|, and the wealth of |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]|. These seven kinds of wealth, Ugga, cannot be taken away by fire, water, kings, thieves, or disagreeable heirs.
The wealth of faith, the wealth of virtue,
The wealth of conscience and of fear of wrongdoing;
The wealth of learning and generosity,
And wisdom as the seventh wealth.
Whoever possesses these wealths,
whether a woman or a man;
is said not to be poor,
their life is truly |not in vain::fruitful [amogha]|.
Therefore, the wise should apply themselves,
to the cultivation of faith and virtue,
to clearly see the |Dhamma::the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s teachings point to [dhamma]|,
recollecting the Buddhas’ dispensation.”