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Linked Discourses 12.19 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.19

2. Fuel – 2. Āhāravagga

SN 12.19 The Astute and the Foolish – Bālapaṇḍitasutta

 

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Bhikkhū, for a fool hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced.

“Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, bālassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato.

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.

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

For an astute person hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced.

Avijjānīvaraṇassa, bhikkhave, paṇḍitassa taṇhāya sampayuttassa evamayaṁ kāyo samudāgato.

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.

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

What, then, is the difference between the foolish and the astute?”

Tatra, bhikkhave, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālenā”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 bhikkhū will listen and remember it.”

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

“Well then, bhikkhū, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

“For a fool hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced. But the fool has not given up that ignorance or finished that craving.

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

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

The fool has not completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering.

Na, bhikkhave, bālo acari brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya.

Therefore, when their body breaks up, the fool is reborn in another body.

Tasmā bālo kāyassa bhedā kāyūpago hoti,

When reborn in another body, they’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

so kāyūpago samāno na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.

They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

Na parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

For an astute person hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, this body has been produced. But the astute person has given up that ignorance and finished that craving.

Yāya ca, bhikkhave, avijjāya nivutassa paṇḍitassa yāya ca taṇhāya sampayuttassa ayaṁ kāyo samudāgato, sā ceva avijjā paṇḍitassa pahīnā, sā ca taṇhā parikkhīṇā.

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

The astute person has completed the spiritual journey for the complete ending of suffering.

Acari, bhikkhave, paṇḍito brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhakkhayāya.

Therefore, when their body breaks up, the astute person is not reborn in another body.

Tasmā paṇḍito kāyassa bhedā na kāyūpago hoti.

Not being reborn in another body, they’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

So akāyūpago samāno parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.

They’re freed from suffering, I say.

Parimuccati dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

This is the difference here between the foolish and the astute, that is, leading the spiritual life.”

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso, idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ paṇḍitassa bālena yadidaṁ brahmacariyavāso”ti.