5. Bālavaggo

5. Fools

60.

Dīghā jāgarato ratti, dīghaṃ santassa yojanaṃ;

Long for the wakeful is the night. Long for the weary, a league.

Dīgho bālānaṃ saṃsāro, saddhammaṃ avijānataṃ.

For fools unaware of True Dhamma, samsara is long.

61.

Carañce nādhigaccheyya, seyyaṃ sadisamattano;

If, in your course, you don’t meet your equal, your better,

Ekacariyaṃ [ekacariyaṃ (ka.)] daḷhaṃ kayirā, natthi bāle sahāyatā.

then continue your course, firmly, alone. There’s no fellowship with fools.

62.

Puttā matthi dhanammatthi [puttamatthi dhanamatthi (ka.)], iti bālo vihaññati;

‘I have sons, I have wealth’— the fool torments himself.

Attā hi [attāpi (?)] attano natthi, kuto puttā kuto dhanaṃ.

When even he himself doesn’t belong to himself, how then sons? How wealth?

63.

Yo bālo maññati bālyaṃ, paṇḍito vāpi tena so;

A fool with a sense of his foolishness is—at least to that extent—wise.

Bālo ca paṇḍitamānī, sa ve ‘‘bālo’’ti vuccati.

But a fool who thinks himself wise really deserves to be called a fool.

64.

Yāvajīvampi ce bālo, paṇḍitaṃ payirupāsati;

Even if for a lifetime the fool stays with the wise,

Na so dhammaṃ vijānāti, dabbī sūparasaṃ yathā.

he knows nothing of the Dhamma— as the ladle, the taste of the soup.

65.

Muhuttamapi ce viññū, paṇḍitaṃ payirupāsati;

Even if for a moment, the perceptive person stays with the wise,

Khippaṃ dhammaṃ vijānāti, jivhā sūparasaṃ yathā.

he immediately knows the Dhamma— as the tongue, the taste of the soup.

66.

Caranti bālā dummedhā, amitteneva attanā;

Fools, their wisdom weak, are their own enemies

Karontā pāpakaṃ kammaṃ, yaṃ hoti kaṭukapphalaṃ.

as they go through life, doing evil that bears bitter fruit.

67.

Na taṃ kammaṃ kataṃ sādhu, yaṃ katvā anutappati;

It’s not good, the doing of the deed that, once it’s done, you regret,

Yassa assumukho rodaṃ, vipākaṃ paṭisevati.

whose result you reap crying, your face in tears.

68.

Tañca kammaṃ kataṃ sādhu, yaṃ katvā nānutappati;

It’s good, the doing of the deed that, once it’s done, you don’t regret,

Yassa patīto sumano, vipākaṃ paṭisevati.

whose result you reap gratified, happy at heart.

69.

Madhuvā [madhuṃ vā (dī. ni. ṭīkā 1)] maññati bālo, yāva pāpaṃ na paccati;

As long as evil has yet to ripen, the fool mistakes it for honey.

Yadā ca paccati pāpaṃ, bālo [atha bālo (sī. syā.) atha (?)] dukkhaṃ nigacchati.

But when that evil ripens, the fool falls into pain.

70.

Māse māse kusaggena, bālo bhuñjeyya bhojanaṃ;

Month after month the fool might eat only a tip-of-grass measure of food,

Na so saṅkhātadhammānaṃ [saṅkhatadhammānaṃ (sī. pī. ka.)], kalaṃ agghati soḷasiṃ.

but he wouldn’t be worth one sixteenth of those who’ve fathomed the Dhamma.

71.

Na hi pāpaṃ kataṃ kammaṃ, sajju khīraṃva muccati;

An evil deed, when done, doesn’t—like ready milk— come out right away.

Ḍahantaṃ bālamanveti, bhasmacchannova [bhasmāchannova (sī. pī. ka.)] pāvako.

It follows the fool, smoldering like a fire hidden in ashes.

72.

Yāvadeva anatthāya, ñattaṃ [ñātaṃ (?)] bālassa jāyati;

Only for his ruin does renown come to the fool.

Hanti bālassa sukkaṃsaṃ, muddhamassa vipātayaṃ.

It ravages his bright fortune & rips his head apart.

73.

Asantaṃ bhāvanamiccheyya [asantaṃ bhāvamiccheyya (syā.), asantabhāvanamiccheyya (ka.)], purekkhārañca bhikkhusu;

He would want unwarranted status, preeminence among monks,

Āvāsesu ca issariyaṃ, pūjā parakulesu ca.

authority among monasteries, homage from lay families.

74.

Mameva kata maññantu, gihīpabbajitā ubho;

‘Let householders & those gone forth both think that this was done by me alone.

Mamevātivasā assu, kiccākiccesu kismici;

May I alone determine what’s a duty, what’s not’:

Iti bālassa saṅkappo, icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati.

the resolve of a fool as they grow— his desire & pride.

75.

Aññā hi lābhūpanisā, aññā nibbānagāminī;

The path to material gain goes one way, the way to Unbinding, another.

Evametaṃ abhiññāya, bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;

Realizing this, the monk, a disciple to the Awakened One,

Sakkāraṃ nābhinandeyya, vivekamanubrūhaye.

should not relish offerings, should cultivate seclusion instead.

Bālavaggo pañcamo niṭṭhito.