Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta’s Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Buddhabhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
mendicants“bhikkhavo”ti.
venerable sir“Bhadante”ti theyte mendicantsbhikkhū to the Buddhabhagavato they repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the BuddhaBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

these three“Tīṇimāni, monksbhikkhave, of a foolbālassa characteristics of a foolbālalakkhaṇāni signs of a foolbālanimittāni manifestations of a foolbālāpadānāni.
whatKatamāni threetīṇi?
hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālo thinking poorlyduccintitacintī andca ishoti speaking poorlydubbhāsitabhāsī andca acting badlydukkaṭakammakārī andca.
notNo thiscetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālo thinking poorlyduccintitacintī andca would have beenabhavissa speaking poorlydubbhāsitabhāsī andca acting badlydukkaṭakammakārī andca by whatkena himnaṁ the astutepaṇḍitā would knowjāneyyuṁ:
fool‘bālo thisayaṁ worthy onebhavaṁ untrue personasappuriso’ti?
sinceYasmā andca indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālo thinking poorlyduccintitacintī andca ishoti speaking poorlydubbhāsitabhāsī andca acting badlydukkaṭakammakārī andca thereforetasmā himnaṁ the astutepaṇḍitā knowjānanti:
fool‘bālo thisayaṁ worthy onebhavaṁ untrue personasappuriso’ti.

“These are the three characteristics, signs, and manifestations of a fool. What three? A fool thinks poorly, speaks poorly, and acts poorly. If a fool didn’t think poorly, speak poorly, and act poorly, then how would the astute know of them, ‘This worthy one is a fool, an untrue person’? But since a fool does think poorly, speak poorly, and act poorly, then the astute do know of them, ‘This worthy one is a fool, an untrue person’.

thatSa indeedkho he, that oneso, monks,bhikkhave, a foolbālo threefoldtividhaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme sufferingdukkhaṁ sadnessdomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.
if,Sace, monks,bhikkhave, a foolbālo in a council hallsabhāyaṁ orvā sittingnisinno ishoti, in a streetrathikāya orvā sittingnisinno ishoti, at a crossroadsiṅghāṭake orvā sittingnisinno is;hoti;
theretatra ifce peoplejano propertajjaṁ fittingtassāruppaṁ talkkathaṁ discuss.manteti.
if,Sace, monks,bhikkhave, a foolbālo one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī is,hoti, one who stealsadinnādāyī is,hoti, one who commits sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārī is,hoti, one who liesmusāvādī is,hoti, one who consumes intoxicantssurāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhāyī is.hoti.
there,Tatra, monks,bhikkhave, to the foolbālassa thusevaṁ is:hoti:
what‘yaṁ indeedkho peoplejano propertajjaṁ fittingtassāruppaṁ talkkathaṁ discuss,manteti,
are foundsaṁvijjanteva thosete thingsdhammā in me,mayi, and Iahañca in thosetesu thingsdhammesu am seensandissāmī’ti.
this,Idaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, a foolbālo firstpaṭhamaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the teachingdhamme sufferingdukkhaṁ sadnessdomanassaṁ experiences.paṭisaṁvedeti.

A fool experiences three kinds of suffering and sadness in this very life. Suppose a fool is sitting in a council hall, a street, or a crossroad, where people are discussing what is proper and fitting. And suppose that fool is someone who kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, and consumes intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. Then that fool thinks, ‘These people are discussing what is proper and fitting. But those bad things are found in me and I exhibit them!’ This is the first kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in this very life.

Furthermore, a fool 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 fool thinks, ‘The kinds of deeds for which the kings inflict such punishments— those things are found in me and I exhibit them!

if me tooMañcepi kingsrājāno they would knowjāneyyuṁ, me toomampi kingsrājāno having takengahetvā variousvividhā punishmentskammakāraṇā they would inflictkāreyyuṁ—
with whips tookasāhipi they would striketāḷeyyuṁ …pe……pe… even while alivejīvantampi on a stakesūle they would impaleuttāseyyuṁ, with a sword tooasināpi headsīsaṁ they would cut offchindeyyun’ti.
this tooIdampi, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālo seconddutiyaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme sufferingdukkhaṁ sadnessdomanassaṁ he experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

If the kings find out about me, they will inflict the same kinds of punishments on me!’ This is the second kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in this very life.

furthermorePuna andcaparaṁ, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālaṁ resting on a chairpīṭhasamārūḷhaṁ orvā resting on a bedmañcasamārūḷhaṁ orvā on the groundchamāyaṁ orvā lyingsemānaṁ, whatever for himyānissa in the pastpubbe badpāpakāni deedskammāni donekatāni with bodykāyena misconductduccaritāni with speechvācāya misconductduccaritāni with mindmanasā misconductduccaritāni they for himtānissa at thattamhi timesamaye settle down uponolambanti rest down uponajjholambanti lay down uponabhippalambanti.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, of greatmahataṁ of mountain peakspabbatakūṭānaṁ shadowchāyā at evening timesāyanhasamayaṁ upon the earthpathaviyā settles down uponolambanti rests down uponajjholambanti lays down uponabhippalambanti;
just soevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālaṁ resting on a chairpīṭhasamārūḷhaṁ orvā resting on a bedmañcasamārūḷhaṁ orvā on the groundchamāyaṁ orvā lyingsemānaṁ, whatever for himyānissa in the pastpubbe badpāpakāni deedskammāni donekatāni with bodykāyena misconductduccaritāni with speechvācāya misconductduccaritāni with mindmanasā misconductduccaritāni they for himtānissa at thattamhi timesamaye settle down uponolambanti rest down uponajjholambanti lay down uponabhippalambanti.
thenTatra, monksbhikkhave, of the foolbālassa thusevaṁ there ishoti:
not done‘akataṁ alasvata by meme goodkalyāṇaṁ, not doneakataṁ skillfulkusalaṁ, not doneakataṁ safeguardbhīruttāṇaṁ;
donekataṁ evilpāpaṁ, donekataṁ cruelluddaṁ, donekataṁ sinkibbisaṁ.
as far asYāvatā, sirbho, of those who have not done goodakatakalyāṇānaṁ of those who have not done skillfulakatakusalānaṁ of those who have not done safeguardakatabhīruttāṇānaṁ of those who have done evilkatapāpānaṁ of those who have done cruelkataluddānaṁ of those who have done sinkatakibbisānaṁ destinationgati thattaṁ destinationgatiṁ after departingpecca I gogacchāmī’ti.

Furthermore, when a fool is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past bad deeds—misconduct 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 a fool is resting on a chair or a bed or on the ground, their past bad deeds—misconduct of body, speech, and mind—settle down upon them, rest down upon them, and lay down upon them. Then that fool thinks, ‘Alas, I haven’t done good and skillful things that keep me safe. And I have done bad things, violence and sin. When I depart, I’ll go to the place where people who’ve done such things go.’

heSo sorrowssocati wearieskilamati lamentsparidevati breast-beatingurattāḷiṁ wailskandati confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati.
this tooIdampi, monksbhikkhave, a foolbālo thirdtatiyaṁ in this very lifediṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme sufferingdukkhaṁ sadnessdomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti.

They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breasts and falling into confusion. This is the third kind of suffering and sadness that a fool experiences in this very life.

thatSa indeedkho heso, monksbhikkhave, foolbālo by bodykāyena bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by speechvācāya bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā by mindmanasā bad conductduccaritaṁ having donecaritvā of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ from deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad placeduggatiṁ to the underworldvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ is rebornupapajjati.

Having done 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.

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