Buying and Selling

And a merchant said, Speak to us of Buying and Selling.

And a merchant said, Tell us about Buying and Selling.

And he answered and said:

And he answered:

To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands.

The earth gives you its fruit, and you will lack nothing if you know how to fill your hands.

It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied.

By exchanging the gifts of the earth, you will find abundance and be satisfied.

Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger.

Yet unless the exchange is guided by love and kind justice, it will only lead some to greed and others to hunger.

When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices,—

When you who work on the sea, in the fields, and in the vineyards meet the weavers, potters, and spice gatherers in the marketplace,

Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value. And suffer not the barren-handed to take part in your transactions, who would sell their words for your labour.

Then call on the master spirit of the earth to come among you. Ask it to bless the scales and calculations that weigh one value against another. And do not let those who come empty-handed take part in your trades. They would sell their words in exchange for your labor.

To such men you should say,

You should say to such men,

“Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net;

“Come with us to the field, or go to the sea with our brothers and cast your net.

For the land and the sea shall be bountiful to you even as to us.”

For the land and the sea will provide for you just as generously as they do for us.”

And if there come the singers and the dancers and the flute players,—buy of their gifts also.

And if singers, dancers, and flute players come, buy their gifts too.

For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense, and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul.

For they too gather fruit and frankincense. Though what they bring is made from dreams, it clothes and feeds your soul.

And before you leave the market place, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands.

And before you leave the market, make sure no one has left empty-handed.

For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.

For the earth's master spirit will not sleep peacefully on the wind until the needs of the least among you are met.