user157: In the Dhammapada in the chapter 20 - The Path it says

"I will make this my winter home have another house for the monsoon
  and dwell in a third for during the summer". Lost in such fancies, one
  forgets his final destination.

(translation by Eknath Easwaran)
Although it clearly can't have been written with this intent - to me this reads like very pertinent critique of modern consumerism and capitalism. A lot of us find ourselves practicing in societies where this is the prevalent ethos so this feels relevant.
Is there something about modern capitalism that inherently conflicts with Buddhism? Or is it possible to find quotes from texts or established teachers that are more supportive of the kind of capitalism//consumerism that we find ourselves in now?

user254: 'Capitalism' is something to do with 'capital', which I think implies,

Ability to accumulate millions of dollars in order to build a new factory, a new ship, a new road, a new hospital (and/or one dollar to buy some butter, etc.)
Ability to use such 'dollars' to rent labour (i.e. to pay wages)

I don't see that as inherently anti-Buddhist: IMO it can fit into the 'Right Livelihood' category.
A commentary to the Dhammapada Verse 286 which you quoted above says,

"Ananda, do you see that merchant? He is thinking that he would stay here and sell his goods the whole year. He is not aware that he would die here in seven days' time. What should be done should be done today. Who would know that one would die tomorrow? We have no date fixed with the King of Death. For one who is mindful by day or by night, who is not disturbed by moral defilements and is energetic, to live for just one night is a well-spent life."

I think the verse you quoted is not a critique of consumerism: rather it's a critique of believing that life is permanent or predictable, perhaps more especially of 'living in the future' instead of "What should be done should be done today".
By the way, lay-people (monks having no money) are supposed to be generous, aren't they? I think it's not anti-Buddhist to become rich (even as a successful capitalist) and generous.
Maybe capitalism can explain where money comes from, and Buddhism explain how to spend it!
I think that mentioning three houses (in the OP) isn't meant as a metaphor for "too much money" because instead I think that:

In India it might be normal to live in different places at different seasons -- even the monks did?

For a travelling merchant (who is the subect of the story in that verse), being in different places at different times is also normal

The fact of being in different places at different times is, perhaps etymologically, a metaphor or description for time itself -- see this description of 'time' (and/or immediacy) in Buddhism:

Also (etymologically) the track of scat left by an animal (one week old, two days old, one day old, etc.)




user471: I agree with @ChrisW. In addition to his answer:
Here is a quote from the Sigalovada Sutta that supports investment in business.

The wise endowed with virtue Shine forth like a burning fire,
  Gathering wealth as bees do honey And heaping it up like an ant hill.
  Once wealth is accumulated, Family and household life may follow. By
  dividing wealth into four parts, True friendships are bound; One part
  should be enjoyed; Two parts invested in business; And the fourth set
  aside Against future misfortunes."

The Adiya Sutta discusses the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth.
The Dighajanu Sutta discusses how to maintain one's livelihood in tune:

"And what does it mean to maintain one's livelihood in tune? There is the case where a lay person, knowing the income and outflow of his
  wealth, maintains a livelihood in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a
  penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus will my income exceed my outflow, and
  my outflow will not exceed my income.' Just as when a weigher or his
  apprentice, when holding the scales, knows, 'It has tipped down so
  much or has tipped up so much,' in the same way, the lay person,
  knowing the income and outflow of his wealth, maintains a livelihood
  in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus
  will my income exceed my outflow, and my outflow will not exceed my
  income.'
"These are the four drains on one's store of wealth: debauchery in sex; debauchery in drink; debauchery in gambling; and evil friendship,
  evil companionship, evil camaraderie. Just as if there were a great
  reservoir with four inlets and four drains, and a man were to close
  the inlets and open the drains, and the sky were not to pour down
  proper showers, the depletion of that great reservoir could be
  expected, not its increase.


157: <p>In the Dhammapada in the chapter 20 - The Path it says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"I will make this my winter home have another house for the monsoon
  and dwell in a third for during the summer". Lost in such fancies, one
  forgets his final destination.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(translation by <a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Dhammapada.html?id=ZtYYu6Z6_V0C">Eknath Easwaran</a>)</p>

<p>Although it clearly can't have been written with this intent - to me this reads like very pertinent critique of modern consumerism and capitalism. A lot of us find ourselves practicing in societies where this is the prevalent ethos so this feels relevant.</p>

<p>Is there something about modern capitalism that inherently conflicts with Buddhism? Or is it possible to find quotes from texts or established teachers that are more supportive of the kind of capitalism//consumerism that we find ourselves in now?</p>
 254: <p>'Capitalism' is something to do with 'capital', which I think implies,</p>
<ul>
<li>Ability to accumulate millions of dollars in order to build a new factory, a new ship, a new road, a new hospital (and/or one dollar to buy some butter, etc.)</li>
<li>Ability to use such 'dollars' to rent labour (i.e. to pay wages)</li>
</ul>
<p>I don't see that as inherently anti-Buddhist: IMO it can fit into the 'Right Livelihood' category.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=286" rel="nofollow noreferrer">commentary to the Dhammapada Verse 286</a> which you quoted above says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Ananda, do you see that merchant? He is thinking that he would stay here and sell his goods the whole year. He is not aware that he would die here in seven days' time. What should be done should be done today. Who would know that one would die tomorrow? We have no date fixed with the King of Death. For one who is mindful by day or by night, who is not disturbed by moral defilements and is energetic, to live for just one night is a well-spent life.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I think the verse you quoted is not a critique of consumerism: rather it's a critique of believing that life is permanent or predictable, perhaps more especially of 'living in the future' instead of &quot;What should be done should be done today&quot;.</p>
<p>By the way, lay-people (monks having no money) are supposed to be generous, aren't they? I think it's not anti-Buddhist to become rich (even as a successful capitalist) and generous.</p>
<p>Maybe capitalism can explain where money comes from, and Buddhism explain how to spend it!</p>
<p>I think that mentioning three houses (in the OP) isn't meant as a metaphor for &quot;too much money&quot; because instead I think that:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>In India it might be normal to live in different places at different seasons -- even the monks did?</p>
</li>
<li><p>For a travelling merchant (who is the subect of the story in that verse), being in different places at different times is also normal</p>
</li>
<li><p>The fact of being in different places at different times is, perhaps etymologically, a metaphor or description for time itself -- see <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/8092/254">this description of 'time' (and/or immediacy)</a> in Buddhism:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Also (etymologically) the track of scat left by an animal (one week old, two days old, one day old, etc.)</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
 471: <p>I agree with @ChrisW. In addition to his answer:</p>

<p>Here is a quote from the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.ksw0.html" rel="noreferrer">Sigalovada Sutta</a> that supports investment in business.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The wise endowed with virtue Shine forth like a burning fire,
  Gathering wealth as bees do honey And heaping it up like an ant hill.
  Once wealth is accumulated, Family and household life may follow. By
  dividing wealth into four parts, True friendships are bound; One part
  should be enjoyed; <strong>Two parts invested in business</strong>; And the fourth set
  aside Against future misfortunes."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.041.than.html" rel="noreferrer">Adiya Sutta</a> discusses the five benefits that can be obtained from wealth.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.054.than.html" rel="noreferrer">Dighajanu Sutta</a> discusses how to maintain one's livelihood in tune:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"And what does it mean to maintain one's livelihood in tune? There is the case where a lay person, knowing the income and outflow of his
  wealth, maintains a livelihood in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a
  penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus will my income exceed my outflow, and
  my outflow will not exceed my income.' Just as when a weigher or his
  apprentice, when holding the scales, knows, 'It has tipped down so
  much or has tipped up so much,' in the same way, the lay person,
  knowing the income and outflow of his wealth, maintains a livelihood
  in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus
  will my income exceed my outflow, and my outflow will not exceed my
  income.'</p>
  
  <p>"These are the four drains on one's store of wealth: debauchery in sex; debauchery in drink; debauchery in gambling; and evil friendship,
  evil companionship, evil camaraderie. Just as if there were a great
  reservoir with four inlets and four drains, and a man were to close
  the inlets and open the drains, and the sky were not to pour down
  proper showers, the depletion of that great reservoir could be
  expected, not its increase.</p>
</blockquote>
