sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.19

Bālapaṇḍitasutta

The Wise Man and the Fool The Astute and the Foolish

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

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

Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho bālo sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena.
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.
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.

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

Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho paṇḍito sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena.
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.
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.

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

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā, bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“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.”
“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.”

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

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

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

“Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa bālassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā bālassa appahīnā sā ca taṇhā aparikkhīṇā.
“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.
“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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Navamaṁ.