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Dhammapada 60–75

Bālavagga

5. Fools · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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longDīghā for the wakefuljāgarato nightratti,
longdīghaṁ for the wearysantassa leagueyojanaṁ;
longDīgho of foolsbālāna transmigrationsaṁsāro,
true teachingsaddhammaṁ not understandingavijānataṁ.

Long is the night for the wakeful; long is the league for the weary; long transmigrate the fools who don’t understand the true teaching.

if while wanderingCarañce should not findnādhigaccheyya,
betterSeyyaṁ or equal to oneselfsadisamattano;
wandering aloneEkacariyaṁ firmdaḷhaṁ should makekayirā,
there is notNatthi with foolsbāle fellowshipsahāyatā.

If while wandering you find no partner equal or better than yourself, then firmly resolve to wander alone— there’s no fellowship with fools.

sonsPuttā are minematthi wealthdhanaṁ is minematthi,
thusiti foolbālo fretsvihaññati;
selfAttā indeedhi of oneselfattano is notnatthi,
from wherekuto sonsputtā from wherekuto wealthdhanaṁ.

“Sons are mine, wealth is mine”— thus the fool frets. For even your self is not your own, let alone your sons or wealth.

whoYo a foolbālo thinksmaññati foolishnessbālyaṁ,
a wise onepaṇḍito or evenvāpi to that extenttena heso;
a foolBālo butca one who imagines himself wisepaṇḍitamānī,
hesa indeedve "a fool"“bālo”ti is calledvuccati.

The fool who thinks they’re a fool is wise at least to that extent. But the true fool is said to be one who imagines that they are wise.

even for lifeYāvajīvampi ifce a foolbālo,
the wise onepaṇḍitaṁ attends topayirupāsati;
notNa heso the teachingdhammaṁ understandsvijānāti,
a spoondabbī the taste of the soupsūparasaṁ likeyathā.

Though a fool attends to the wise even for the rest of their life, they still don’t understand the teaching, like a spoon the taste of the soup.

even for an hourMuhuttamapi ifce clever personviññū,
the wisepaṇḍitaṁ attends topayirupāsati;
swiftlyKhippaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ understandsvijānāti,
a tonguejivhā the taste of the soupsūparasaṁ likeyathā.

If a clever person attends to the wise even just for an hour or so, they swiftly understand the teaching, like a tongue the taste of the soup.

they wanderCaranti foolsbālā simpletonsdummedhā,
just like an enemyamitteneva with themselvesattanā;
doingKarontā wickedpāpakaṁ deedkammaṁ,
whichyaṁ becomeshoti of bitter fruitkaṭukapphalaṁ.

Fools and simpletons behave like their own worst enemies, doing wicked deeds that ripen as bitter fruit.

notNa thattaṁ deedkammaṁ donekataṁ good,sādhu,
whichyaṁ having donekatvā one is tormented;anutappati;
whoseYassa with tearful faceassumukho weeping,rodaṁ,
effectvipākaṁ experiences.paṭisevati.

It’s not good to do a deed that plagues you later on, for which you weep and wail, as its effect stays with you.

and thatTañca deedkammaṁ donekataṁ goodsādhu,
whichyaṁ having donekatvā does not regretnānutappati;
whoseYassa delightedpatīto glad-mindedsumano,
effectvipākaṁ experiencespaṭisevati.

It is good to do a deed that doesn’t plague you later on, that gladdens and cheers, as its effect stays with you.

as honeyMadhuṁvā imaginesmaññati the foolbālo,
as long asyāva evilpāpaṁ notna ripenspaccati;
whenYadā andca ripenspaccati evilpāpaṁ,
thenatha sufferingdukkhaṁ falls intonigacchati.

The fool imagines that evil is sweet, so long as it has not yet ripened. But as soon as that evil ripens, they fall into suffering.

month after monthMāse month after monthmāse with a blade of kusa grasskusaggena,
a foolbālo might eatbhuñjeyya foodbhojanaṁ;
notNa heso of those who have appraised the teachingsaṅkhātadhammānaṁ,
a partkalaṁ is worthagghati a sixteenthsoḷasiṁ.

Month after month a fool may eat food from a grass-blade’s tip; but they’ll never be worth a sixteenth part of one who has appraised the teaching.

notNa indeedhi wickedpāpaṁ donekataṁ deedkammaṁ,
like fresh milkSajjukhīraṁva curdlesmuccati;
smolderingḌahantaṁ it follows the foolbālamanveti,
like a fire smothered over with ashBhasmacchannova firepāvako.

For a wicked deed that has been done does not curdle quickly like milk. Smoldering, it follows the fool, like a fire smothered over with ash.

as far as indeedYāvadeva for harmanatthāya,
fameñattaṁ of a foolbālassa is bornjāyati;
it strikesHanti of a foolbālassa good featuressukkaṁsaṁ,
and its headmuddhamassa blowing apartvipātayaṁ.

Whatever fame a fool may get, it only gives rise to harm. Whatever good features they have it ruins, and blows their head into bits.

esteem that they lackAsantaṁ they would seekbhāvanamiccheyya,
and statusPurekkhārañca among the mendicantsbhikkhusu;
authority over monasteriesĀvāsesu andca authorityissariyaṁ,
honorPūjaṁ among other familiesparakulesu andca.

They’d seek the esteem that they lack, and status among the mendicants; authority over monasteries, and honor among other families.

by me aloneMameva donekata let them thinkmaññantu,
layfolkgihī renunciantspabbajitā bothubho;
under my sway aloneMamevātivasā let them beassu,
in things to be done and not donekiccākiccesu in anything at allkismici;
soIti of the foolbālassa thoughtsaṅkappo,
greedicchā pridemāno andca growsvaḍḍhati.

“Let both layfolk and renunciants think the work was done by me alone. In anything at all that’s to be done, let them fall under my sway alone.” So thinks the fool, their greed and pride only growing.

one thingAññā indeedhi means to profitlābhūpanisā,
anotheraññā going to quenchingnibbānagāminī;
thisEvametaṁ having understoodabhiññāya,
a mendicantbhikkhu of the Buddhabuddhassa disciplesāvako;
honorsSakkāraṁ would not delight innābhinandeyya,
would foster seclusionvivekamanubrūhaye.
the chapter on foolsBālavaggo fifthpañcamo.

For the means to profit and the path to quenching are two quite different things. A mendicant disciple of the Buddha, understanding what this really means, would never delight in honors, but rather would foster seclusion.

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