Prosperity and Purpose

 …prosperity should never be an end in itself, but merely a means to some wholesome purpose.

It is important to note that the freedom the Buddha offered to become as prosperous as possible hinges on two conditions. First, one must follow certain guidelines in endeavoring to become prosperous. Second, one must use wealth properly. Unless these two conditions are met, one’s immense wealth would never gain the Buddha’s praise — thus the “boundless freedom” to become wealthy relates to the quantity of wealth, not to the means used to accumulate it. On the other hand, prosperity should never be an end in itself, but merely a means to some wholesome purpose.
Indicating both the individual freedom to be prosperous and the importance of using that freedom correctly, the Buddha said:

What is atthi sukkha [the happiness of possessing wealth]?
A certain person accumulates great wealth and property through fair means and rights effort and thinks, “now I have wealth; now I have properly gathered through fair means.”
In thinking so, that person experiences happiness and satisfaction. This is what I call atthi sukkha.

Individual prosperity is clearly supported, as long as the layperson employs “fair means and right effort.”