Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

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.

Mendicants, suppose a person were to throw a yoke with a single hole into the ocean. The east wind wafts it west; the west wind wafts it east; the north wind wafts it south; and the south wind wafts it north. And there was a one-eyed turtle who popped up once every hundred years. What do you think, mendicants? Would that one-eyed turtle still poke its neck through the hole in that yoke?” “No, sir. Only after a very long time, sir, if ever.” “That one-eyed turtle would poke its neck through the hole in that yoke sooner than a fool who has fallen to the underworld would be reborn as a human being, I say. Why is that? Because in that place there’s no principled or moral conduct, and no doing what is good and skillful. There they just prey on each other, preying on the weak.

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.

And suppose that fool, after a very long time, returned to the human realm. They’d be reborn in a low class family—a family of corpse-workers, hunters, bamboo-workers, chariot-makers, or scavengers. Such families are poor, with little to eat or drink, where life is tough, and food and shelter are hard to find. And they’d be ugly, unsightly, deformed, sickly—one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; or bed, house, and lighting. And they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

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.

Suppose a gambler were to lose his wife and child, all his property, and then get thrown in jail with his first losing hand. Such a losing hand is trivial compared to the losing hand whereby a fool, having done bad things by way of body, speech, and mind, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is the total fulfillment of the fool’s level.

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?

There are these three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of an astute person. What three? An astute person thinks well, speaks well, and acts well. If an astute person didn’t think well, speak well, and act well, then how would the astute know of them, ‘This worthy one is astute, a true person’?

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.

But since an astute person does think well, speak well, and act well, then the astute do know of them, ‘This worthy one is astute, a true person’. An astute person experiences three kinds of pleasure and happiness in this very life. Suppose an astute person is sitting in a council hall, a street, or a crossroad, where people are discussing about what is proper and fitting. And suppose that astute person is someone who refrains from killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. Then that astute person thinks, ‘These people are discussing what is proper and fitting. And those good things are found in me and I exhibit them.’ This is the first kind of pleasure and happiness that an astute person experiences in this very life.

Furthermore, an astute person sees that the kings have arrested a bandit, a criminal, and subjected them to various punishments— whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the ‘porridge pot’, the ‘shell-shave’, the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’, the ‘garland of fire’, the ‘burning hand’, the ‘bulrush twist’, the ‘bark dress’, the ‘antelope’, the ‘meat hook’, the ‘coins’, the ‘caustic pickle’, the ‘twisting bar’, the ‘straw mat’; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the hounds, being impaled alive, and being beheaded. Then that astute person thinks,

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