Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

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

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‘The kinds of deeds for which the kings inflict such punishments—those things are not found in me and I do not exhibit them!’ This is the second kind of pleasure and happiness that an astute person experiences in this very life.

furthermorePuna andcaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, astute personpaṇḍitaṁ seated on a chairpīṭhasamārūḷhaṁ orvā seated on a bedmañcasamārūḷhaṁ orvā on the groundchamāyaṁ orvā restingsemānaṁ, which for himyānissa previouslypubbe goodkalyāṇāni deedskammāni donekatāni by bodykāyena good conductsucaritāni by speechvācāya good conductsucaritāni by mindmanasā good conductsucaritāni those for himtānissa at thattamhi timesamaye settle downolambanti … pe ……pe…
just asseyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, of greatmahataṁ mountain peakspabbatakūṭānaṁ shadowchāyā at evening timesāyanhasamayaṁ upon the earthpathaviyā settles downolambanti rests downajjholambanti lays downabhippalambanti;
in the same wayevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, astute personpaṇḍitaṁ seated on a chairpīṭhasamārūḷhaṁ orvā seated on a bedmañcasamārūḷhaṁ orvā on the groundchamāyaṁ orvā restingsemānaṁ which for himyānissa previouslypubbe goodkalyāṇāni deedskammāni donekatāni by bodykāyena good conductsucaritāni by speechvācāya good conductsucaritāni by mindmanasā good conductsucaritāni those for himtānissa at thattamhi timesamaye settle downolambanti rest downajjholambanti lay downabhippalambanti.
thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, to the astute personpaṇḍitassa thusevaṁ occurshoti:
undone‘akataṁ indeedvata by meme evilpāpaṁ, undoneakataṁ violenceluddaṁ, undoneakataṁ sinkibbisaṁ;
donekataṁ goodkalyāṇaṁ, donekataṁ skillfulkusalaṁ, donekataṁ protectingbhīruttāṇaṁ.
as far asYāvatā, sirbho, of those who have not done evilakatapāpānaṁ of those who have not done violenceakataluddānaṁ of those who have not done sinakatakibbisānaṁ of those who have done goodkatakalyāṇānaṁ of those who have done skillfulkatakusalānaṁ of those who have done protectingkatabhīruttāṇānaṁ destinationgati thattaṁ destinationgatiṁ after passing awaypecca I gogacchāmī’ti.

Furthermore, when an astute person is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past good deeds—good conduct of body, speech, and mind—settle down upon them, rest down upon them, and lay down upon them. It is like the shadow of a great mountain peak in the evening as it settles down, rests down, and lays down upon the earth. In the same way, when an astute person is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past good deeds—good conduct of body, speech, and mind—settle down upon them, rest down upon them, and lay down upon them. Then that astute person thinks, ‘Well, I haven’t done bad things, violence and sin. And I have done good and skillful deeds that keep me safe. When I pass away, I’ll go to the place where people who’ve done such things go.’

theySo notna sorrowsocati, notna are forlornkilamati, notna wailparidevati, notna breasturattāḷiṁ beatkandati, notna confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
this indeed tooIdampi, monksbhikkhave, astute personpaṇḍito thirdtatiyaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the Dhammadhamme pleasuresukhaṁ happinesssomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

So they don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. This is the third kind of pleasure and happiness that an astute person experiences in this very life.

thatSa indeedkho heso, monksbhikkhave, astute onepaṇḍito with bodykāyena good conductsucaritaṁ having practicedcaritvā with speechvācāya good conductsucaritaṁ having practicedcaritvā with mindmanasā good conductsucaritaṁ having practicedcaritvā of bodykāyassa at breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a good destinationsugatiṁ heavenlysaggaṁ worldlokaṁ is rebornupapajjati.

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

that whichYaṁ indeedkho thattaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, rightlysammā speakingvadamāno would sayvadeyya:
utterly‘ekantaṁ likableiṭṭhaṁ utterlyekantaṁ desirablekantaṁ utterlyekantaṁ agreeablemanāpan’ti, heaven indeedsaggameva thattaṁ rightlysammā speakingvadamāno would sayvadeyya:
utterly‘ekantaṁ likableiṭṭhaṁ utterlyekantaṁ desirablekantaṁ utterlyekantaṁ agreeablemanāpan’ti.
so much so thatYāvañcidaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, a simile evenupamāpi notna easysukarā how muchyāva pleasurablesukhā heavenssaggā”ti.
thusEvaṁ having been spokenvutte, a certainaññataro monkbhikkhu to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ this saidetadavoca:
is it possible“sakkā butpana, sirbhante, a simileupamaṁ to makekātun”ti?

And if there’s anything of which it may be rightly said that it is utterly likable, desirable, and agreeable, it is of heaven that this should be said. So much so that it’s not easy to give a simile for how pleasurable heaven is.” When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”

it is possible“Sakkā, monks, quotation markerbhikkhū”ti the Blessed Onebhagavā saidavoca.
suppose“Seyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a kingrājā wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī with sevensattahi treasuresratanehi possessedsamannāgato with fourcatūhi andca blessingsiddhīhi because of themtatonidānaṁ pleasuresukhaṁ happinesssomanassaṁ experiencedpaṭisaṁvedeti.

“It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Suppose there was a king, a wheel-turning monarch who possessed seven treasures and four blessings, and experienced pleasure and happiness because of them.

with whichKatamehi seven?sattahi?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, of the kingrañño of a khattiyakhattiyassa of an anointed onemuddhāvasittassa on that day, on the sabbath daytadahuposathe on the fifteenthpannarase with head bathedsīsaṁnhātassa observing the sabbathuposathikassa gone upstairs in the royal longhouseuparipāsādavaragatassa heavenlydibbaṁ wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ appearspātubhavati with a thousand spokessahassāraṁ with rimsanemikaṁ with hubsanābhikaṁ complete in every detailsabbākāraparipūraṁ.
thatTaṁ having seendisvāna of the kingrañño of a khattiyakhattiyassa of an anointed onemuddhāvasittassa thusevaṁ it ishoti:
it has been heard‘sutaṁ indeedkho thenpana by me thismetaṁ of whomyassa of the kingrañño of a khattiyakhattiyassa of an anointed onemuddhāvasittassa on that day, on the sabbath daytadahuposathe on the fifteenthpannarase with head bathedsīsaṁnhātassa observing the sabbathuposathikassa gone upstairs in the royal longhouseuparipāsādavaragatassa heavenlydibbaṁ wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ appearspātubhavati with a thousand spokessahassāraṁ with rimsanemikaṁ with hubsanābhikaṁ complete in every detailsabbākāraparipūraṁ, heso ishoti a kingrājā a wheel-turning monarchcakkavattīti.
might I beAssaṁ thennu indeedkho Iahaṁ a kingrājā a wheel-turning monarch?cakkavattī’ti?

What seven? It’s when, on the fifteenth day sabbath, an anointed aristocratic king has bathed his head and gone upstairs in the royal longhouse to observe the sabbath. And the heavenly wheel-treasure appears to him, with a thousand spokes, with rim and hub, complete in every detail. Seeing this, the king thinks, ‘I have heard that when the heavenly wheel-treasure appears to a king in this way, he becomes a wheel-turning monarch. Am I then a wheel-turning monarch?’

thenAtha indeedkho, O monksbhikkhave, the kingrājā aristocratickhattiyo anointedmuddhāvasitto with leftvāmena handhatthena ceremonial vasebhiṅkāraṁ having takengahetvā with rightdakkhiṇena handhatthena the wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ besprinkledabbhukkirati:
let roll forth‘pavattatu O venerablebhavaṁ wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ, triumphabhivijinātu O venerablebhavaṁ wheel-treasurecakkaratanan’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho thattaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, the wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ easternpuratthimaṁ directiondisaṁ rollspavattati. right afterAnvadeva the kingrājā wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī together withsaddhiṁ four-divisionedcaturaṅginiyā armysenāya. in whateverYasmiṁ indeedkho furtherpana, O monksbhikkhave, placepadese the wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ stands stillpatiṭṭhāti theretattha the kingrājā wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī to stayvāsaṁ comesupeti together withsaddhiṁ four-divisionedcaturaṅginiyā armysenāya.
whoeverYe indeedkho furtherpana, O monksbhikkhave, of easternpuratthimāya directiondisāya opposing rulerspaṭirājāno thosete the kingrājānaṁ wheel-turning monarchcakkavattiṁ having approachedupasaṅkamitvā spoke thusevamāhaṁsu:
come‘ehi indeedkho, Great Kingmahārāja. welcomeSvāgataṁ to youte, Great Kingmahārāja. yoursSakaṁ to youte, Great Kingmahārāja. instructAnusāsa, Great Kingmahārājā’ti.
the kingRājā wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī spoke thusevamāha:
living creatures‘pāṇo notna to be killedhantabbo, what is not givenadinnaṁ not to be takennādātabbaṁ, sexual misconductkāmesumicchā notna to be practicedcaritabbā, lyingmusā notna to be spokenbhāsitabbā, liquormajjaṁ notna to be drunkpātabbaṁ, and as consumedyathābhuttañca enjoybhuñjathā’ti.

Then the anointed aristocratic king, taking a ceremonial vase in his left hand, besprinkled the wheel-treasure with his right hand, saying, ‘Roll forth, O wheel-treasure! Triumph, O wheel-treasure!’ Then the wheel-treasure rolls toward the east. And the king follows it together with his army of four divisions. In whatever place the wheel-treasure stands still, there the king comes to stay together with his army. And any opposing rulers of the eastern quarter come to the wheel-turning monarch and say, ‘Come, Great King! Welcome, Great King! We are yours, Great King, instruct us.’ The wheel-turning monarch says, ‘Do not kill living creatures. Do not steal. Do not commit sexual misconduct. Do not lie. Do not drink liquor. Maintain the current level of taxation.’

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