Ambition and practice
The Buddha's advice to householders begins with diligence — being skilled and energetic at one's work — and goes on to guarding what is earned, good friends, and living within one's means. That is not the counsel of a teaching against ambition. The same canon tunes energy like the strings of a lute, neither too tight nor too slack. The eight worldly conditions, gain and loss, praise and blame among them, are what ambition is exposed to. The passages here do not say how much to want; they ask what the wanting is for, and what it costs to carry.
What the suttas say
Byagghapajja, these four things lead to the welfare and happiness of a gentleman in this life. What four? Accomplishment in initiative, protection, good friendship, and balanced finances.
Dīghajāṇu — the Buddha's household economics.
AN 8.54:2.1–2.3 · With Dīghajāṇu
Cattārome, byagghapajja, dhammā kulaputtassa diṭṭhadhammahitāya saṁvattanti diṭṭhadhammasukhāya. Katame cattāro? Uṭṭhānasampadā, ārakkhasampadā, kalyāṇamittatā, samajīvitā.
“But when your harp’s strings were tuned neither too tight nor too slack, but fixed at an even tension, was it resonant and playable?” “Yes, sir.” In the same way, Soṇa, when energy is too forceful it leads to restlessness. When energy is too slack it leads to laziness.
The classic instruction on balancing effort.
AN 6.55:6.1–7.1 · With Soṇa
“Yadā pana te, soṇa, vīṇāya tantiyo na accāyatā honti nātisithilā same guṇe patiṭṭhitā, api nu te vīṇā tasmiṁ samaye saravatī vā hoti kammaññā vā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. Evamevaṁ kho, soṇa, accāraddhavīriyaṁ uddhaccāya saṁvattati, atisithilavīriyaṁ kosajjāya saṁvattati.
Householder, these four kinds of happiness can be earned by a layperson who enjoys sensual pleasures, depending on time and occasion. What four? The happiness of ownership, using wealth, debtlessness, and blamelessness.
Money worry in the Buddha's own frame; blamelessness outweighs the rest.
AN 4.62:2.1–2.3 · Debtlessness
Cattārimāni, gahapati, sukhāni adhigamanīyāni gihinā kāmabhoginā kālena kālaṁ samayena samayaṁ upādāya. Katamāni cattāri? Atthisukhaṁ, bhogasukhaṁ, ānaṇyasukhaṁ, anavajjasukhaṁ.
So gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain don’t occupy their mind. They don’t favor gain or oppose loss. They don’t favor fame or oppose disgrace. They don’t favor praise or oppose blame. They don’t favor pleasure or oppose pain.
The difference the Buddha draws between a well-taught noble disciple and an untaught ordinary person is not that praise and blame stop coming — both meet them — but that for the disciple they no longer take over the mind.
Where this stops: It describes a disciple who reflects that each condition is impermanent; it is a training, not a mood to put on after a bad review. Not a reply to bullying or harassment at work, and not a reason to say unfair criticism does not matter.
AN 8.6:6.1–6.5 · Worldly Conditions (2nd)
Tassa lābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, alābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, yasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, ayasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, nindāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, pasaṁsāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, sukhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, dukkhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati. So uppannaṁ lābhaṁ nānurujjhati, alābhe nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ yasaṁ nānurujjhati, ayase nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ pasaṁsaṁ nānurujjhati, nindāya nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ sukhaṁ nānurujjhati, dukkhe nappaṭivirujjhati.
“Mendicants, a lay follower should not engage in these five trades. What five? Trade in weapons, living creatures, meat, intoxicants, and poisons. A lay follower should not engage in these five trades.”
The explicit list of wrong livelihood.
Where this stops: A short list; most modern ethical dilemmas at work are not on it and need the speech and action teachings instead.
AN 5.177:1.1–1.4 · Trades
“Pañcimā, bhikkhave, vaṇijjā upāsakena akaraṇīyā. Katamā pañca? Satthavaṇijjā, sattavaṇijjā, maṁsavaṇijjā, majjavaṇijjā, visavaṇijjā— imā kho, bhikkhave, pañca vaṇijjā upāsakena akaraṇīyā”ti.