Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Atha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground. Then Tālapuṭa, head of a group of performers, approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
“Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among |performers::actors, dancers [naṭā]|: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?”
“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ. Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.
“That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about that.”
Dutiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti? “Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ. Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.
For a second time, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?” “That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about that.”
Tatiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
And for a third time, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
“Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?”
“Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ, mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti. Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.
“Surely, headman, I am not getting through to you when I say, ‘That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about this.’ But still, I will explain it to you.
Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītarāgā rāgabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā rajanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītadosā dosabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā dosanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītamohā mohabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā mohanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. So attanā matto pamatto pare madetvā pamādetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāso nāma nirayo tattha upapajjati.
In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from lust::not free from desire, i.e. not an Arahant [avītarāga]|, who are |bound with the bond of lust::imprisoned by desire, held captive by passion, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession [rāgabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with |enticing::arousing, tantalizing [rajanīya]| things that evoke lustful states even more strongly. In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from hatred::not free from ill-will [avītadosa]|, who are |bound with the bond of hatred::imprisoned by aversion, held captive by ill-will [dosabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with hatred-inducing things that evoke hateful states even more strongly. In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from delusion::not free from confusion, i.e. not an Arahant [avītamoha]|, who are |bound with the bond of delusion::imprisoned by illusion, held captive by delusion [mohabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with |deceptive::illusory, delusion-inducing [mohanīya]| things that evoke deluded states even more strongly. Thus, being |intoxicated::besotted, proud, conceited [matta]| and |negligent::inattentive, careless, intoxicated [pamāda]| himself, he promotes intoxication and negligence in others. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the hell called laughter.
Sace kho panassa evaṁdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā”ti.
If, headman, he holds this view: ‘When a performer entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities,’ then that is a wrong view on his part. For a person with wrong view, I say, there is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm.”
Evaṁ vutte, tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi parodi assūni pavattesi.
When this was said, the headman Tālapuṭa cried out and burst into tears.
“Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’”ti.
“So I did not get through to you when I said, ‘That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about this.’”
“Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha; api cāhaṁ, bhante, pubbakehi ācariyapācariyehi naṭehi dīgharattaṁ nikato vañcito paluddho: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’”ti.
“I am not crying, venerable sir, because of what the Blessed One said to me, but because I have been deceived, tricked, and misled by the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers, who have said: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’”
“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
“Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as if one were to set upright what had been overturned, |reveal::uncover [vivarati]| what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms — even so, venerable sir, the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| has been |explained::illustrated [pakāsita]| by the Blessed One in many ways. I go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who, from this day forward, has gone to refuge for life.”
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground. Then Tālapuṭa, head of a group of performers, approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among |performers::actors, dancers [naṭā]|: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?”
“That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about that.”
For a second time, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?” “That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about that.”
And for a third time, the headman Tālapuṭa said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, I have heard it said, from the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’ What does the Blessed One say about this?”
“Surely, headman, I am not getting through to you when I say, ‘That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about this.’ But still, I will explain it to you.
In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from lust::not free from desire, i.e. not an Arahant [avītarāga]|, who are |bound with the bond of lust::imprisoned by desire, held captive by passion, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession [rāgabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with |enticing::arousing, tantalizing [rajanīya]| things that evoke lustful states even more strongly. In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from hatred::not free from ill-will [avītadosa]|, who are |bound with the bond of hatred::imprisoned by aversion, held captive by ill-will [dosabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with hatred-inducing things that evoke hateful states even more strongly. In the theatre or a public arena, among beings who are |not free from delusion::not free from confusion, i.e. not an Arahant [avītamoha]|, who are |bound with the bond of delusion::imprisoned by illusion, held captive by delusion [mohabandhanabaddha]|, a performer entertains them with |deceptive::illusory, delusion-inducing [mohanīya]| things that evoke deluded states even more strongly. Thus, being |intoxicated::besotted, proud, conceited [matta]| and |negligent::inattentive, careless, intoxicated [pamāda]| himself, he promotes intoxication and negligence in others. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the hell called laughter.
If, headman, he holds this view: ‘When a performer entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities,’ then that is a wrong view on his part. For a person with wrong view, I say, there is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm.”
When this was said, the headman Tālapuṭa cried out and burst into tears.
“So I did not get through to you when I said, ‘That’s enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me about this.’”
“I am not crying, venerable sir, because of what the Blessed One said to me, but because I have been deceived, tricked, and misled by the ancient teachers as well as the current and former teachers among performers, who have said: ‘If a performer, in the theatre or a public arena, entertains and amuses people by distortion of truth, then with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing deities.’”
“Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as if one were to set upright what had been overturned, |reveal::uncover [vivarati]| what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms — even so, venerable sir, the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| has been |explained::illustrated [pakāsita]| by the Blessed One in many ways. I go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who, from this day forward, has gone to refuge for life.”
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Atha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ. Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.
Dutiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti? “Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ. Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.
Tatiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ naṭānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
“Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ, mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti. Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.
Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītarāgā rāgabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā rajanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītadosā dosabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā dosanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītamohā mohabandhanabaddhā. Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā mohanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya. So attanā matto pamatto pare madetvā pamādetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāso nāma nirayo tattha upapajjati.
Sace kho panassa evaṁdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi parodi assūni pavattesi.
“Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’”ti.
“Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha; api cāhaṁ, bhante, pubbakehi ācariyapācariyehi naṭehi dīgharattaṁ nikato vañcito paluddho: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṁ hāseti rameti so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāsānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’”ti.
“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.