Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

The Foolish and the Astute · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa gahapatiratanaṁ pātubhavati.
Tassa kammavipākajaṁ dibbacakkhu pātubhavati, yena nidhiṁ passati sassāmikampi assāmikampi.
So rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘appossukko tvaṁ, deva, hohi. Ahaṁ te dhanena dhanakaraṇīyaṁ karissāmī’ti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī tameva gahapatiratanaṁ vīmaṁsamāno nāvaṁ abhiruhitvā majjhe gaṅgāya nadiyā sotaṁ ogāhitvā gahapatiratanaṁ etadavoca:
‘attho me, gahapati, hiraññasuvaṇṇenā’ti.
‘Tena hi, mahārāja, ekaṁ tīraṁ nāvā upetū’ti.
‘Idheva me, gahapati, attho hiraññasuvaṇṇenā’ti.
Atha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, gahapatiratanaṁ ubhohi hatthehi udake omasitvā pūraṁ hiraññasuvaṇṇassa kumbhiṁ uddharitvā rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ etadavoca:
‘alamettāvatā, mahārāja. Katamettāvatā, mahārāja. Pūjitamettāvatā, mahārājā’ti.
Rājā cakkavattī evamāha:
‘alamettāvatā, gahapati. Katamettāvatā, gahapati. Pūjitamettāvatā, gahapatī’ti.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ gahapatiratanaṁ pātubhavati.

Next, the householder-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. The power of clairvoyance manifests in him as a result of past deeds, by which he sees treasure troves, both owned and ownerless. He approaches the wheel-turning monarch and says, ‘Relax, Your Majesty. I will take care of the treasury.’ Once it so happened that the wheel-turning monarch, testing that same householder-treasure, boarded a boat and sailed to the middle of the Ganges River. Then he said to the householder-treasure, ‘Householder, I need gold, both coined and uncoined.’ ‘Well then, Great King, draw the boat up to one shore.’ ‘It’s right here, householder, that I need gold, both coined and uncoined.’ Then that householder-treasure, immersing both hands in the water, pulled up a pot full of gold, both coined and uncoined, and said to the king, ‘Is this sufficient, Great King? Has enough been done, Great King, enough offered?’ The wheel-turning monarch said, ‘That is sufficient, householder. Enough has been done, enough offered.’ Such is the householder-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa pariṇāyakaratanaṁ pātubhavati—
paṇḍito byatto medhāvī paṭibalo rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ upayāpetabbaṁ upayāpetuṁ apayāpetabbaṁ apayāpetuṁ ṭhapetabbaṁ ṭhapetuṁ.
So rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘appossukko tvaṁ, deva, hohi. Ahamanusāsissāmī’ti.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ pariṇāyakaratanaṁ pātubhavati.
Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imehi sattahi ratanehi samannāgato hoti.

Next, the commander-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. He is astute, competent, intelligent, and capable regarding who should be ushered in to the king’s presence, who should be ushered out, and who should be kept by his side. He approaches the wheel-turning monarch and says, ‘Relax, Your Majesty. I shall issue instructions.’ Such is the commander-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch. These are the seven treasures possessed by a wheel-turning monarch.

Katamāhi catūhi iddhīhi?
Idha, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato ativiya aññehi manussehi.
Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imāya paṭhamāya iddhiyā samannāgato hoti.

And what are the four blessings? A wheel-turning monarch is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty, more so than other humans. This is the first blessing.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī dīghāyuko hoti ciraṭṭhitiko ativiya aññehi manussehi.
Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imāya dutiyāya iddhiyā samannāgato hoti.

Furthermore, he is long-lived, more so than other humans. This is the second blessing.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī appābādho hoti appātaṅko samavepākiniyā gahaṇiyā samannāgato nātisītāya nāccuṇhāya ativiya aññehi manussehi.
Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imāya tatiyāya iddhiyā samannāgato hoti.

Furthermore, he is rarely ill or unwell, and his stomach digests well, being neither too hot nor too cold, more so than other humans. This is the third blessing.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ piyo hoti manāpo.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pitā puttānaṁ piyo hoti manāpo;
evameva kho, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ piyo hoti manāpo.
Raññopi, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa brāhmaṇagahapatikā piyā honti manāpā.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pitu puttā piyā honti manāpā;
evameva kho, bhikkhave, raññopi cakkavattissa brāhmaṇagahapatikā piyā honti manāpā.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī caturaṅginiyā senāya uyyānabhūmiṁ niyyāsi.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇagahapatikā rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāhaṁsu:
‘ataramāno, deva, yāhi yathā taṁ mayaṁ cirataraṁ passeyyāmā’ti.
Rājāpi, bhikkhave, cakkavattī sārathiṁ āmantesi:
‘ataramāno, sārathi, pesehi yathā maṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikā cirataraṁ passeyyun’ti.
Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imāya catutthāya iddhiyā samannāgato hoti.

Furthermore, a wheel-turning monarch is as dear and beloved to the brahmins and householders as a father is to his children. And the brahmins and householders are as dear to the wheel-turning monarch as children are to their father. Once it so happened that a wheel-turning monarch went with his army of four divisions to visit a park. Then the brahmins and householders went up to him and said, ‘Slow down, Your Majesty, so we may see you longer!’ And the king addressed his charioteer, ‘Drive slowly, charioteer, so I can see the brahmins and householders longer!’ This is the fourth blessing.

Rājā, bhikkhave, cakkavattī imāhi catūhi iddhīhi samannāgato hoti.

These are the four blessings possessed by a wheel-turning monarch.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
api nu kho rājā cakkavattī imehi sattahi ratanehi samannāgato imāhi catūhi ca iddhīhi tatonidānaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyethā”ti?
“Ekamekenapi, bhante, ratanena samannāgato rājā cakkavattī tatonidānaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvediyetha, ko pana vādo sattahi ratanehi catūhi ca iddhīhī”ti?

What do you think, mendicants? Would a wheel-turning monarch who possessed these seven treasures and these four blessings experience pleasure and happiness because of them?” “Sir, a wheel-turning monarch who possessed even a single one of these treasures would experience pleasure and happiness because of that, let alone all seven treasures and four blessings!”

Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ pāṇimattaṁ pāsāṇaṁ gahetvā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
katamo nu kho mahantataro—yo cāyaṁ mayā paritto pāṇimatto pāsāṇo gahito yo ca himavā pabbatarājā”ti?
“Appamattako ayaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā paritto pāṇimatto pāsāṇo gahito; himavantaṁ pabbatarājānaṁ upanidhāya saṅkhampi na upeti; kalabhāgampi na upeti; upanidhampi na upetī”ti.
“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ rājā cakkavattī sattahi ratanehi samannāgato catūhi ca iddhīhi tatonidānaṁ sukhaṁ somanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti taṁ dibbassa sukhassa upanidhāya saṅkhampi na upeti; kalabhāgampi na upeti; upanidhampi na upeti.

Then the Buddha, picking up a stone the size of his palm, addressed the mendicants, “What do you think, mendicants? Which is bigger: the stone the size of my palm that I’ve picked up, or the Himalayas, the king of mountains?” “Sir, the stone you’ve picked up is tiny. Compared to the Himalayas, it doesn’t count, it’s not worth a fraction, there’s no comparison.” “In the same way, compared to the happiness of heaven, the pleasure and happiness experienced by a wheel-turning monarch due to those seven treasures and those four blessings doesn’t even count, it’s not even a fraction, there’s no comparison.

Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito sace kadāci karahaci dīghassa addhuno accayena manussattaṁ āgacchati, yāni tāni uccākulāni—
khattiyamahāsālakulaṁ vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakulaṁ vā gahapatimahāsālakulaṁ vā tathārūpe kule paccājāyati aḍḍhe mahaddhane mahābhoge pahūtajātarūparajate pahūtavittūpakaraṇe pahūtadhanadhaññe.
So ca hoti abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato, lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa.
So kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati.
So kāyena sucaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya sucaritaṁ caritvā, manasā sucaritaṁ caritvā, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

And suppose that astute person, after a very long time, returned to the human realm. They’d be reborn in a well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders—rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain. And they’d be attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. They’d get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and a bed, house, and lighting. And they do good things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, akkhadhutto paṭhameneva kaṭaggahena mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ adhigaccheyya;
appamattako so, bhikkhave, kaṭaggaho yaṁ so akkhadhutto paṭhameneva kaṭaggahena mahantaṁ bhogakkhandhaṁ adhigaccheyya.
Atha kho ayameva tato mahantataro kaṭaggaho yaṁ so paṇḍito kāyena sucaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya sucaritaṁ caritvā, manasā sucaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, kevalā paripūrā paṇḍitabhūmī”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Bālapaṇḍitasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.

Suppose a gambler was to win a big pile of money with the first winning hand. Such a winning hand is trivial compared to the winning hand whereby an astute person, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. This is the total fulfillment of the astute person’s level.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version