sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.19

Bālapaṇḍitasutta

The Astute and the Foolish The Wise Man and the Fool

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

“Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, bālassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato.
“Mendicants, for a fool shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced.
“Bhikkhus, for the fool, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has thereby originated.

Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho bālo sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena.
So there is the duality of this body and external name and form. Contact depends on this duality. When contacted through one or other of the six sense fields, the fool experiences pleasure and pain.
So there is this body and external name-and-form: thus this dyad. Dependent on the dyad there is contact. There are just six sense bases, contacted through which—or through a certain one among them—the fool experiences pleasure and pain.

Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, paṇḍitassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato.
For an astute person shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced.
Bhikkhus, for the wise man, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has thereby originated.

Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho paṇḍito sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena.
So there is the duality of this body and external name and form. Contact depends on this duality. When contacted through one or other of the six sense fields, the astute person experiences pleasure and pain.
So there is this body and external name-and-form: thus this dyad. Dependent on the dyad there is contact. There are just six sense bases, contacted through which—or through a certain one among them—the wise man experiences pleasure and pain.

Tatra, bhikkhave, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālenā”ti?
What, then, is the difference between the foolish and the astute?”
What, bhikkhus, is the distinction here, what is the disparity, what is the difference between the wise man and the fool?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā, bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”
“Then listen and attend closely, bhikkhus, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
The Blessed One said this:

“Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa bālassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā bālassa appahīnā sā ca taṇhā aparikkhīṇā.
“For a fool shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced. But the fool has not given up that ignorance or finished that craving.
“Bhikkhus, for the fool, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has originated. For the fool that ignorance has not been abandoned and that craving has not been utterly destroyed.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
For what reason?

Na, bhikkhave, bālo acari brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya.
The fool has not completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering.
Because the fool has not lived the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering.

Tasmā bālo kāyassa bhedā kāyūpago hoti,
Therefore, when their body breaks up, the fool is reborn in another body.
Therefore, with the breakup of the body, the fool fares on to [another] body.

so kāyūpago samāno na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.
When reborn in another body, they’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
Faring on to [another] body, he is not freed from birth, aging, and death; not freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair;

Na parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
They’re not freed from suffering, I say.
not freed from suffering, I say.

Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa paṇḍitassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā paṇḍitassa pahīnā, sā ca taṇhā parikkhīṇā.
For an astute person shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced. But the astute person has given up that ignorance and finished that craving.
Bhikkhus, for the wise man, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has originated. For the wise man that ignorance has been abandoned and that craving has been utterly destroyed.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
For what reason?

Acari, bhikkhave, paṇḍito brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya.
The astute person has completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering.
Because the wise man has lived the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering.

Tasmā paṇḍito kāyassa bhedā na kāyūpago hoti.
Therefore, when their body breaks up, the astute person is not reborn in another body.
Therefore, with the breakup of the body, the wise man does not fare on to [another] body.

So akāyūpago samāno parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.
Not being reborn in another body, they’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
Not faring on to [another] body, he is freed from birth, aging, and death; freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair;

Parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
They’re freed from suffering, I say.
freed from suffering, I say.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso, idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālena yadidaṁ brahmacariyavāso”ti.
This is the difference here between the foolish and the astute, that is, leading the spiritual life.”
This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the wise man and the fool, that is, the living of the holy life.”

Navamaṁ.