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4. Bālanakkhattasaṅghuṭṭhavatthu2.4 The Story about the Fool’s FestivalThe story title in the original translation follows the local Pāli title. The alternate romanized title Bālanakkhattaghuṭṭhavatthu and editorial heading ‘A Festival of Fools’ were removed because they have no separate Pāli passage.
Pamādamanuyuñjantīti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto bālanakkhattaṃ ārabbha kathesi.“They cultivate heedlessness,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the Fools’ Festival.The opening quotation represents Pamādamanuyuñjantīti (‘They cultivate heedlessness’), not the later words ‘Foolish, stupid people.’ {1.256} marks page 256 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Ekasmiñhi samaye sāvatthiyaṃ bālanakkhattaṃ nāma saṅghuṭṭhaṃ.For on a certain date there was a festival proclaimed in Sāvatthī called Fools’ Festival,bālanakkhattaṃ nāma saṅghuṭṭhaṃ says the festival was proclaimed in Sāvatthī; the original translation said it was celebrated there.
Tasmiṃ nakkhatte bālā dummedhino janā chārikāya ceva gomayena ca sarīraṃ makkhetvā sattāhaṃ asabbhaṃ bhaṇantā vicaranti.and on the occasion of this festival foolish, unintelligent folk used to smear their bodies with ashes and cow-dung and for a period of seven days go about uttering all manner of coarse talk.
Kiñci ñāti suhajjaṃ vā pabbajitaṃ vā disvā lajjantā nāma natthi. Dvāre dvāre ṭhatvā asabbhaṃ bhaṇanti.At this time they felt no shame when they met kinsfolk or friends or renunciants, but stood in the doorways and uttered coarse talk.lajjantā nāma natthi and koci kassaci na lajjati concern absence of shame before others, not absence of respect. pabbajitaṃ includes renunciants, not only bhikkhus. Dvāre dvāre ṭhatvā asabbhaṃ bhaṇanti says they stood at doorways uttering coarse speech; it does not say they specifically insulted people they met.
Manussā tesaṃ asabbhaṃ sotuṃ asakkontā yathābalaṃ aḍḍhaṃ vā pādaṃ vā kahāpaṇaṃ vā pesenti. Te tesaṃ dvāre laddhaṃ laddhaṃ gahetvā pakkamanti.Those who could not endure the coarse talk would pay the holiday-makers half a kahāpaṇa, a quarter, or a whole kahāpaṇa, according to their means, and the holiday-makers would take the money and depart from their houses.aḍḍhaṃ vā pādaṃ vā kahāpaṇaṃ vā means a half, a quarter, or a whole kahāpaṇa according to means. The original translation called the last payment a penny.
Tadā pana sāvatthiyaṃ pañca koṭimattā ariyasāvakā vasanti, te satthu santikaṃ sāsanaṃ pesayiṃsu – “bhagavā, bhante, sattāhaṃ bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṃ nagaraṃ appavisitvā vihāreyeva hotū”ti.Now at this time there were in Sāvatthī fifty million of noble disciples, and they sent word to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, let the Fortunate One refrain for a period of seven days from entering the city with the Saṅgha of bhikkhus; let him instead remain at the monastery.”
Tañca pana sattāhaṃ bhikkhusaṅghassa vihāreyeva yāgubhattādīni sampādetvā pahiṇiṃsu, sayampi gehā na nikkhamiṃsu.And for a period of seven days the noble disciples caused food to be prepared for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus at the monastery and sent it to them, but did not themselves leave their houses.
Te nakkhatte pana pariyosite aṭṭhame divase buddhappamukhaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ nimantetvā nagaraṃ pavesetvā mahādānaṃ datvā ekamantaṃ nisinnā,On the eighth day, however, when the festival was at an end, they invited the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by the Buddha to be their guests, escorted them into the city, and gave abundant offerings. And having seated themselves respectfully on one side,buddhappamukhaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ specifies the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by the Buddha. [28.311] marks page 311 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
“bhante, atidukkhena no satta divasāni atikkantāni, bālānaṃ asabbhāni suṇantānaṃ kaṇṇā bhijjanākārappattā honti, koci kassaci na lajjati,they said to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, we have spent the past seven days in great distress. Our ears had like to burst from hearing the coarse talk of foolish folk.atidukkhena describes the disciples' seven days as a time of great distress, rather than merely unpleasant. {1.257} marks page 257 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
tena mayaṃ tumhākaṃ antonagaraṃ pavisituṃ nādamha, mayampi gehato na nikkhamimhā”ti āhaṃsu.No one felt any shame before anybody else, and for this reason we did not permit you to enter the city. We ourselves did not go out of the house.”
Satthā tesaṃ kathaṃ sutvā, “bālānaṃ dummedhānaṃ kiriyā nāma evarūpā hoti,The Teacher listened to what they said, and then replied: “After this manner do foolish, stupid men conduct themselves.
medhāvino pana dhanasāraṃ viya appamādaṃ rakkhitvā amatamahānibbānasampattiṃ pāpuṇantī”ti vatvā imā gāthā abhāsi –But they that are intelligent preserve heedfulness as their greatest treasure, and by so doing at last attain the Deathless, Great Nibbāna.” So saying, he pronounced the following verses:
26. “Pamādamanuyuñjanti, bālā dummedhino janā; Appamādañca medhāvī, dhanaṃ seṭṭhaṃva rakkhati.Foolish, stupid people cultivate heedlessness, the sage guards heedfulness just as his greatest wealth.The repeated Pāli transcription of verse 26 and editorial section label were removed because they have no separate local Pāli passage.
27. “Mā pamādamanuyuñjetha, mā kāmaratisanthavaṃ; Appamatto hi jhāyanto, pappoti vipulaṃ sukha”nti.Do not cultivate heedlessness, do not cultivate attachment to sensual pleasures, the heedful one, meditating, surely attains great happiness.mā kāmaratisanthavaṃ, explained as vatthukāmakilesakāmesu ratisaṅkhātaṃ taṇhāsanthavaṃ, warns against attachment to sensual pleasures; the original translation reduced this to ‘do not take delight in pleasure.’ The repeated Pāli transcription of verse 27 was removed.
Tattha bālāti bālyena samannāgatā idhalokaparalokatthaṃ ajānantā. Dummedhinoti nippaññā. Te pamāde ādīnavaṃ apassantā pamādaṃ anuyuñjanti pavattenti, pamādena kālaṃ vītināmenti.The extensive Pāli explanation of verses 26 and 27 has no translation in the original edition and remains Pāli-only under this paragraph.
Medhāvīti dhammojapaññāya samannāgato pana paṇḍito kulavaṃsāgataṃ seṭṭhaṃ uttamaṃ sattaratanadhanaṃ viya appamādaṃ rakkhati. Yathā hi uttamaṃ dhanaṃ nissāya “kāmaguṇasampattiṃ pāpuṇissāma,
puttadāraṃ posessāma, paralokagamanamaggaṃ sodhessāmā”ti dhane ānisaṃsaṃ passantā taṃ rakkhanti, evaṃ paṇḍitopi appamatto “paṭhamajjhānādīni paṭilabhissāmi, maggaphalādīni pāpuṇissāmi,
tisso vijjā, cha abhiññā sampādessāmī”ti appamāde ānisaṃsaṃ passanto dhanaṃ seṭṭhaṃva appamādaṃ rakkhatīti attho.
Mā pamādanti tasmā tumhe mā pamādamanuyuñjetha mā pamādena kālaṃ vītināmayittha.
Mā kāmaratisanthavanti vatthukāmakilesakāmesu ratisaṅkhātaṃ taṇhāsanthavampi mā anuyuñjetha mā cintayittha mā paṭilabhittha.
Appamatto hīti upaṭṭhitassatitāya hi appamatto jhāyanto puggalo vipulaṃ uḷāraṃ nibbānasukhaṃ pāpuṇātīti.
Gāthāpariyosāne bahū sotāpannādayo ahesuṃ. Mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā jātāti.At the conclusion of the verse many became Stream-enterers and so on, and the Dhamma teaching was beneficial to many people.Mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā jātā says the Dhamma teaching was beneficial to many people; the original translation had recast this as a separate benefit that arose from the teaching.
Bālanakkhattasaṅghuṭṭhavatthu catutthaṃ.The Pāli closing title Bālanakkhattasaṅghuṭṭhavatthu catutthaṃ is Pāli-only; it has no corresponding translated line.