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Majjhima Nikāya 129

Bālapaṇḍitasutta

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

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just asSeyyathāpi, mendicantsbhikkhave, a personpuriso with a single holeekacchiggalaṁ a yokeyugaṁ in the great oceanmahāsamudde would throwpakkhipeyya.
thatTamenaṁ eastpuratthimo windvāto westpacchimena would waftsaṁhareyya, westpacchimo windvāto eastpuratthimena would waftsaṁhareyya, northuttaro windvāto southdakkhiṇena would waftsaṁhareyya, southdakkhiṇo windvāto northuttarena would waftsaṁhareyya.
thereTatrāssa one-eyedkāṇo turtlekacchapo, heso of a hundred yearsvassasatassa of a hundred yearsvassasatassa after the lapseaccayena oncesakiṁ would pop upummujjeyya.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, mendicantsbhikkhave,
is itapi evernu heso one-eyedkāṇo turtlekacchapo in thatamusmiṁ with a single holeekacchiggale in the yokeyuge its neckgīvaṁ would pokepaveseyyā”ti?
no“No indeedhetaṁ, sirbhante”.
if“Yadi butpana, sirbhante, everkadāci at some timekarahaci of a longdīghassa of a timeaddhuno after the lapseaccayenā”ti.
sooner“Khippataraṁ indeedkho heso, mendicantsbhikkhave, one-eyedkāṇo turtlekacchapo in thatamusmiṁ with a single holeekacchiggale in the yokeyuge its neckgīvaṁ would pokepaveseyya, than thatato rarerdullabhatarāhaṁ, mendicantsbhikkhave, human existencemanussattaṁ I sayvadāmi oncesakiṁ gone to ruinvinipātagatena by a foolbālena.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reasonhetu?
notNa herehettha, mendicantsbhikkhave, there isatthi principled conductdhammacariyā moral conductsamacariyā doing what is skillfulkusalakiriyā doing what is meritoriouspuññakiriyā.
preying on one anotherAññamaññakhādikā thereettha, mendicantsbhikkhave, prevailsvattati preying on the weakdubbalakhādikā.

thatSa indeedkho heso, monksbhikkhave, foolbālo ifsace sometimeskadāci everkarahaci longdīghassa timeaddhuno after passingaccayena human statemanussattaṁ comesāgacchati, whateveryāni thosetāni low familiesnīcakulāni—
corpse-worker familycaṇḍālakulaṁ orvā hunter familynesādakulaṁ orvā bamboo-worker familyvenakulaṁ orvā chariot-maker familyrathakārakulaṁ orvā scavenger familypukkusakulaṁ orvā.
suchTathārūpe familykule is rebornpaccājāyati poordalidde little food and drinkappannapānabhojane difficult livelihoodkasiravuttike, whereyattha with difficultykasirena food and clothingghāsacchādo is obtainedlabbhati.
heSo andca ishoti uglydubbaṇṇo unsightlyduddasiko deformedokoṭimako sicklybavhābādho one-eyedkāṇo orvā crippledkuṇī orvā lamekhujjo orvā half-paralyzedpakkhahato orvā notna obtaininglābhī of foodannassa of drinkpānassa of clothingvatthassa of vehicleyānassa of garlands fragrance makeupmālāgandhavilepanassa of bed house lightingseyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa.
heSo by bodykāyena bad conductduccaritaṁ doescarati by speechvācāya bad conductduccaritaṁ doescarati by mindmanasā bad conductduccaritaṁ doescarati.
heSo by bodykāyena bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by speechvācāya bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by mindmanasā bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā of bodykāyassa breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā place of lossapāyaṁ bad destinationduggatiṁ underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ is rebornupapajjati.

just asSeyyathāpi, o monksbhikkhave, a gamblerakkhadhutto with his very firstpaṭhameneva with a losing throwkaliggahena even his sonputtampi might losejīyetha, even his wifedārampi might losejīyetha, allsabbaṁ even his propertysāpateyyampi might losejīyetha, and furtheruttaripi into bondageadhibandhaṁ would getnigaccheyya.
trivialAppamattako thatso, o monksbhikkhave, losing throwkaliggaho whichyaṁ thatso gamblerakkhadhutto with his very firstpaṭhameneva with a losing throwkaliggahena even his sonputtampi might losejīyetha, even his wifedārampi might losejīyetha, allsabbaṁ even his propertysāpateyyampi might losejīyetha, and furtheruttaripi into bondageadhibandhaṁ would getnigaccheyya.
thenAtha indeedkho this veryayameva than thattato greatermahantataro losing throwkaliggaho thatyaṁ aso foolbālo by bodykāyena bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by speechvācāya bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by mindmanasā bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad destinationduggatiṁ to ruinvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ is rebornupapajjati.
thisAyaṁ, o monksbhikkhave, completekevalā fulfillmentparipūrā of the fool's levelbālabhūmīti.

these threeTīṇimāni, monksbhikkhave, of an astute personpaṇḍitassa characteristicspaṇḍitalakkhaṇāni signspaṇḍitanimittāni manifestationspaṇḍitāpadānāni.
whatKatamāni threetīṇi?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito one who thinks wellsucintitacintī andca ishoti one who speaks wellsubhāsitabhāsī andca one who acts wellsukatakammakārī andca.
if notNo thiscetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito one who thinks wellsucintitacintī andca would not have beenabhavissa one who speaks wellsubhāsitabhāsī andca one who acts wellsukatakammakārī andca, by whatkena themnaṁ astute peoplepaṇḍitā would knowjāneyyuṁ:
astute person‘paṇḍito thisayaṁ worthy onebhavaṁ true personsappuriso’ti?

sinceYasmā andca indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito one who thinks wellsucintitacintī andca ishoti one who speaks wellsubhāsitabhāsī andca one who acts wellsukatakammakārī andca thereforetasmā himnaṁ the astutepaṇḍitā knowjānanti:
astute‘paṇḍito thisayaṁ worthy onebhavaṁ true personsappuriso’ti.
thatSa indeedkho thatso, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito threefoldtividhaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme pleasuresukhaṁ happinesssomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito in a council hallsabhāyaṁ orvā seatednisinno ishoti, in a streetrathikāya orvā seatednisinno ishoti, at a crossroadsiṅghāṭake orvā seatednisinno ishoti;
theretatra ifce peoplejano propertajjaṁ fittingtassāruppaṁ talkkathaṁ discussmanteti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito from killing living creaturespāṇātipātā refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from stealingadinnādānā refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārā refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from lyingmusāvādā refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquorsurāmerayamajjappamādaṭṭhānā refrainspaṭivirato ishoti;
theretatra, monksbhikkhave, to an astute personpaṇḍitassa thusevaṁ ishoti:
which‘yaṁ indeedkho peoplejano propertajjaṁ fittingtassāruppaṁ talkkathaṁ discussmanteti;
are foundsaṁvijjanteva thosete good thingsdhammā in memayi, and Iahañca in thosetesu good thingsdhammesu exhibitsandissāmī’ti.
thisIdaṁ, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito firstpaṭhamaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme pleasuresukhaṁ happinesssomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

furthermorePuna andcaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, an astute personpaṇḍito seespassati kingsrājāno a banditcoraṁ a criminalāgucāriṁ having arrestedgahetvā variousvividhā punishmentskammakāraṇā subjectingkārente—
by whipskasāhipi whippingtāḷente by canesvettehipi caningtāḷente by clubsaddhadaṇḍakehipi clubbingtāḷente handshatthampi cutting offchindante feetpādampi cutting offchindante hands and feethatthapādampi cutting offchindante earskaṇṇampi cutting offchindante nosenāsampi cutting offchindante ears and nosekaṇṇanāsampi cutting offchindante the ‘porridge pot’bilaṅgathālikampi doingkaronte the ‘shell-shave’saṅkhamuṇḍikampi doingkaronte the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’rāhumukhampi doingkaronte the ‘garland of fire’jotimālikampi doingkaronte the ‘burning hand’hatthapajjotikampi doingkaronte the ‘bulrush twist’erakavattikampi doingkaronte the ‘bark dress’cīrakavāsikampi doingkaronte the ‘antelope’eṇeyyakampi doingkaronte the ‘meat hook’balisamaṁsikampi doingkaronte the ‘coins’kahāpaṇikampi doingkaronte the ‘caustic pickle’khārāpatacchikampi doingkaronte the ‘twisting bar’palighaparivattikampi doingkaronte the ‘straw mat’palālapīṭhakampi doingkaronte with hottattenapi oiltelena splashingosiñcante by houndssunakhehipi being fed tokhādāpente alivejīvantampi on a stakesūle being impaleduttāsente with a swordasināpi headsīsaṁ being beheadedchindante.
thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, to an astute personpaṇḍitassa thusevaṁ it occurshoti:

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