The Astute and the Foolish

Bālapaṇḍitasutta

The Astute and the Foolish

Bālapaṇḍitasutta

EN
At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, for a fool shrouded by ignorance and coupled to craving, this body has been produced. So there is this duality: 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. For an astute person shrouded by ignorance and coupled to craving, this body has been produced.
PL
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, bālassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato. Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho bālo sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena. Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, paṇḍitassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato.
EN
So there is this duality: 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. What, then, is the difference between the foolish and the astute?” “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.”
PL
Iti ayañceva kāyo bahiddhā ca nāmarūpaṁ, itthetaṁ dvayaṁ, dvayaṁ paṭicca phasso saḷevāyatanāni, yehi phuṭṭho paṇḍito sukhadukkhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayati etesaṁ vā aññatarena. Tatra, bhikkhave, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālenā”ti? “Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā, bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
EN
“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “For a fool shrouded by ignorance and coupled to craving, this body has been produced. But the fool has not given up that ignorance or finished that craving.
PL
“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: “Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa bālassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā bālassa appahīnā sā ca taṇhā aparikkhīṇā.
EN
Why is that? The fool has not completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering. Therefore, when their body breaks up, the fool passes on to another body. When they have passed on to another body, they’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
PL
Taṁ kissa hetu? Na, bhikkhave, bālo acari brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Tasmā bālo kāyassa bhedā kāyūpago hoti, so kāyūpago samāno na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.
EN
They’re not freed from suffering, I say. For an astute person shrouded by ignorance and coupled to craving, this body has been produced. But the astute person has given up that ignorance and finished that craving. Why is that? The astute person has completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering.
PL
‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi. Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa paṇḍitassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā paṇḍitassa pahīnā, sā ca taṇhā parikkhīṇā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Acari, bhikkhave, paṇḍito brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya.
EN
Therefore, when their body breaks up, the astute person does not pass on to another body. Not passing on to another body, they’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They’re freed from suffering, I say. This is the difference here between the foolish and the astute, that is, leading the spiritual life.”
PL
Tasmā paṇḍito kāyassa bhedā na kāyūpago hoti. So akāyūpago samāno parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso, idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālena yadidaṁ brahmacariyavāso”ti.
PL
Navamaṁ.

Pāli root text and English translation by Bhikkhu Sujato from SuttaCentral (https://suttacentral.net), CC0.

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