The Fool & The Wise

Introduction

The Buddha’s close attendant and confidante, the Venerable Ananda Thera, once remarked that half the holy life is about wise companionship.  The Buddha immediately corrected him by saying, ‘Not so Ananda!  The whole of holy life is about wise companionship!’

Indeed, our scriptures are full of counsels to avoid association with the fools, and to keep the company of the wise.  Who exactly is a fool?  And who can be considered wise?

The Buddha taught that a fool may be recognized through his actions, speech and thoughts; so too the wise.  Studying this selection of verses taken from the Bāla Vagga and the Pandita Vagga of the Dhammapada, we hope to understand better the different characteristics of the fool and the wise.

In this age and time, with worldly considerations and unlofty ideals forming the core principles of human struggles, it is certainly refreshing to dive deep into the spirituality and wisdom of Buddhist teachings.