The Chapter on Fools3. Bālavagga

2121

“Mendicants, there are two fools.“Dveme, bhikkhave, bālā. What two?Katame dve? 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.Yo ca accayaṁ accayato na passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāti. These are the two fools.Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve bālāti.

There are two who are astute.Dveme, bhikkhave, paṇḍitā. What two?Katame dve? One who recognizes when they’ve made a mistake. And one who properly accepts the confession of someone who’s made a mistake.Yo ca accayaṁ accayato passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ paṭiggaṇhāti. These are the two who are astute.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve paṇḍitā”ti.

2222

“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti. What two?Katame dve? One who is hateful and hides it, and one whose faith is mistaken.Duṭṭho vā dosantaro, saddho vā duggahitena. These two misrepresent the Realized One.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantī”ti.

2323

“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti. What two?Katame dve? 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.Yo ca abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatena bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti, yo ca bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatena abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti. These two misrepresent the Realized One.Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantīti.

These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhanti. What two?Katame dve? 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.Yo ca abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatena abhāsitaṁ alapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti, yo ca bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatena bhāsitaṁ lapitaṁ tathāgatenāti dīpeti. These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhantī”ti.

2424

“Mendicants, these two misrepresent the Realized One.“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhanti. What two?Katame dve? 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.Yo ca neyyatthaṁ suttantaṁ nītattho suttantoti dīpeti, yo ca nītatthaṁ suttantaṁ neyyattho suttantoti dīpeti. These two misrepresent the Realized One.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ abbhācikkhantī”ti.

2525

“These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.“Dveme, bhikkhave, tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhanti. What two?Katame dve? 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.Yo ca neyyatthaṁ suttantaṁ neyyattho suttantoti dīpeti, yo ca nītatthaṁ suttantaṁ nītattho suttantoti dīpeti. These two don’t misrepresent the Realized One.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, dve tathāgataṁ nābbhācikkhantī”ti.

2626

“Mendicants, one who is underhand can expect one of two destinies:“Paṭicchannakammantassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā— hell or the animal realm.nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vāti.

One who is aboveboard can expect one of two destinies:Appaṭicchannakammantassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā— as a god or a human.”devā vā manussā vā”ti.

2727

“Mendicants, one who has wrong view can expect one of two destinies:“Micchādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā— hell or the animal realm.”nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vā”ti.

2828

“Mendicants, one who has right view can expect one of two destinies:“Sammādiṭṭhikassa, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññatarā gati pāṭikaṅkhā— as a god or a human.”devā vā manussā vā”ti.

2929

“There are two places waiting to receive an unethical person:“Dussīlassa, bhikkhave, dve paṭiggāhā— hell and the animal realm.nirayo vā tiracchānayoni vā.

There are two places waiting to receive an ethical person:Sīlavato, bhikkhave, dve paṭiggāhā— the realms of gods and humans.”devā vā manussā vā”ti.

3030

“Mendicants, I see two reasons to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.“Dvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, atthavase sampassamāno araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevāmi. What two?Katame dve? Seeing happiness for oneself in this life, and having sympathy for future generations.Attano ca diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāraṁ sampassamāno, pacchimañca janataṁ anukampamāno. I see two reasons to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.”Ime kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, dve atthavase sampassamāno araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni paṭisevāmī”ti.

3131

“These two things play a part in realization.“Dve me, bhikkhave, dhammā vijjābhāgiyā. What two?Katame dve? Serenity and discernment.Samatho ca vipassanā ca.

What is the benefit of developing serenity?Samatho, bhikkhave, bhāvito kamatthamanubhoti? The mind is developed.Cittaṁ bhāvīyati. What is the benefit of developing the mind?Cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ kamatthamanubhoti? Greed is given up.Yo rāgo so pahīyati.

What is the benefit of developing discernment?Vipassanā, bhikkhave, bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti? Wisdom is developed.Paññā bhāvīyati. What is the benefit of developing wisdom?Paññā bhāvitā kamatthamanubhoti? Ignorance is given up.Yā avijjā sā pahīyati.

The mind corrupted by greed is not free; and wisdom corrupted by ignorance does not grow.Rāgupakkiliṭṭhaṁ vā, bhikkhave, cittaṁ na vimuccati, avijjupakkiliṭṭhā vā paññā na bhāvīyati. In this way, freedom of heart comes from the fading away of greed, while freedom by wisdom comes from the fading away of ignorance.”Iti kho, bhikkhave, rāgavirāgā cetovimutti, avijjāvirāgā paññāvimuttī”ti.