Aṅguttara Nikāya 2
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 2.21–31
3. Bālavagga
The Chapter on Fools
21
“Dveme, bhikkhave, bālā.
“Mendicants, there are two fools.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca accayaṁ accayato na passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāti.
One who doesn’t recognize when they’ve made a mistake. And one who doesn’t properly accept the confession of someone who’s made a mistake.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve bālāti.
These are the two fools.
Dveme, bhikkhave, paṇḍitā.
There are two who are astute.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca accayaṁ accayato passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ paṭiggaṇhāti.
One who recognizes when they’ve made a mistake. And one who properly accepts the confession of someone who’s made a mistake.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve paṇḍitā”ti.
These are the two who are astute.”
22
“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti.
“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.
Katame dve?
What two?
Duṭṭho vā dosantaro, saddho vā duggahitena.
One who is hateful and hides it, and one whose faith is mistaken.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantī”ti.
These two misrepresent the Realized One.”
23
“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti.
“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatena bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti, yo ca bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatena abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti.
One who explains what was not spoken by the Realized One as spoken by him. And one who explains what was spoken by the Realized One as not spoken by him.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantīti.
These two misrepresent the Realized One.
Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhanti.
These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatena abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti, yo ca bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatena bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti.
One who explains what was not spoken by the Realized One as not spoken by him. And one who explains what was spoken by the Realized One as spoken by him.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhantī”ti.
These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.”
24
“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti.
“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca neyyatthaṁ suttantaṁ nītattho suttantoti dīpeti, yo ca nītatthaṁ suttantaṁ neyyattho suttantoti dīpeti.
One who explains a discourse in need of interpretation as a discourse whose meaning is explicit. And one who explains a discourse whose meaning is explicit as a discourse in need of interpretation.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantī”ti.
These two misrepresent the Realized One.”
25
“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhanti.
“These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.
Katame dve?
What two?
Yo ca neyyatthaṁ suttantaṁ neyyattho suttantoti dīpeti, yo ca nītatthaṁ suttantaṁ nītattho suttantoti dīpeti.
One who explains a discourse in need of interpretation as a discourse in need of interpretation. And one who explains a discourse whose meaning is explicit as a discourse whose meaning is explicit.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhantī”ti.
These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.”
26
“Paṭicchannakammantassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā—
“Mendicants, when you hide your misdeeds, you can expect one of two destinies:
nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vāti.
hell or the animal realm.
Appaṭicchannakammantassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā—
When you don’t hide your misdeeds, you can expect one of two destinies:
devā vā manussā vā”ti.
as a god or a human.”
27
“Micchādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā—
“Mendicants, when you have wrong view, you can expect one of two destinies:
nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vā”ti.
hell or the animal realm.”
28
“Sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā—
“Mendicants, when you have right view, you can expect one of two destinies:
devā vā manussā vā”ti.
as a god or a human.”
29
“Dussīlassa, bhikkhave, dve paṭiggāhā—
“There are two places waiting to receive an unethical person:
nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vā.
hell and the animal realm.
Sīlavato, bhikkhave, dve paṭiggāhā—
There are two places waiting to receive an ethical person:
devā vā manussā vā”ti.
the realms of gods and humans.”
30
“Dvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, atthavase sampassamāno araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevāmi.
“Mendicants, I see two reasons to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.
Katame dve?
What two?
Attano ca diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāraṁ sampassamāno, pacchimañca janataṁ anukampamāno.
Seeing a happy life for oneself in the present, and having compassion for future generations.
Ime kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, dve atthavase sampassamāno araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevāmī”ti.
I see two reasons to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.”
31
“Dve me, bhikkhave, dhammā vijjābhāgiyā.
“These two things play a part in realization.
Katame dve?
What two?
Samatho ca vipassanā ca.
Serenity and discernment.
Samatho, bhikkhave, bhāvito kamatthamanubhoti?
What is the benefit of developing serenity?
Cittaṁ bhāvīyati.
The mind is developed.
Cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ kamatthamanubhoti?
What is the benefit of developing the mind?
Yo rāgo so pahīyati.
Greed is given up.
Vipassanā, bhikkhave, bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti?
What is the benefit of developing discernment?
Paññā bhāvīyati.
Wisdom is developed.
Paññā bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti?
What is the benefit of developing wisdom?
Yā avijjā sā pahīyati.
Ignorance is given up.
Rāgupakkiliṭṭhaṁ vā, bhikkhave, cittaṁ na vimuccati, avijjupakkiliṭṭhā vā paññā na bhāvīyati.
The mind contaminated by greed is not free; and wisdom contaminated by ignorance does not grow.
Iti kho, bhikkhave, rāgavirāgā cetovimutti, avijjāvirāgā paññāvimuttī”ti.
In this way, freedom of heart comes from the fading away of greed, while freedom by wisdom comes from the fading away of ignorance.”
Bālavaggo tatiyo.