Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.2 1.

Tālapuṭasutta

Gāmaṇivagga Tālapuṭasutta Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.

Atha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then, Tālapuṭa the actor approached the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, sat down to one side.

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.

Sitting to one side, Tālapuṭa the actor said to the Blessed One: Sir, I have heard this said by actors of old, teachers and teachers of teachers: An actor who makes people laugh and enjoy themselves in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, by means of truthfulness, after breaking up the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the laughing gods.

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

What does the Blessed One say about this?

“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ.

Enough, headman, let that be.

Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.

Do not ask me 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.

For a second time, Tālapuṭa the actor said to the Blessed One: Sir, I have heard this said by actors of old, teachers and teachers of teachers: An actor who makes people laugh and enjoy themselves in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, by means of truthfulness, after breaking up the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the laughing gods.

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

What does the Blessed One say about this?

“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ.

Enough, headman, let that be.

Mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.

Do not ask me that.

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.

For a third time, Tālapuṭa the actor said to the Blessed One: Sir, I have heard this said by actors of old, teachers and teachers of teachers: An actor who makes people laugh and enjoy themselves in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, by means of truthfulness, after breaking up the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the laughing gods.

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

What does the Blessed One say about this?

“Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ, mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti.

Surely, headman, I do not get: Enough, headman, let that be, do not ask me that.

Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.

But I will explain it to you.

Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītarāgā rāgabandhanabaddhā.

Previously, headman, beings not free from greed are bound by the bond of greed.

Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā rajanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya.

For them, an actor in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, brings up things that are lustful to an even greater extent.

Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītadosā dosabandhanabaddhā.

Previously, headman, beings not free from hatred are bound by the bond of hatred.

Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā dosanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya.

For them, an actor in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, brings up things that are hateful to an even greater extent.

Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītamohā mohabandhanabaddhā.

Previously, headman, beings not free from delusion are bound by the bond of delusion.

Tesaṁ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā mohanīyā te upasaṁharati bhiyyoso mattāya.

For them, an actor in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, brings up things that are delusive to an even greater extent.

So attanā matto pamatto pare madetvā pamādetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pahāso nāma nirayo tattha upapajjati.

Intoxicated and heedless himself, he makes others intoxicated and heedless, and after breaking up 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.

If he holds this view: An actor who makes people laugh and enjoy themselves in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, by means of truthfulness, after breaking up the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the laughing gods, that is his wrong view.

Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā”ti.

For a person with wrong view, headman, I declare one of two destinations: hell or the animal realm.

Evaṁ vutte, tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi parodi assūni pavattesi.

When this was said, Tālapuṭa the actor wept and shed tears.

“Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’”ti.

Surely, headman, I did not get: Enough, headman, let that be; do not ask me that.

“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.

Sir, I do not weep because the Blessed One has spoken to me thus; but I weep because I have been deceived, cheated, and misled for a long time by actors of old, teachers and teachers of teachers: An actor who makes people laugh and enjoy themselves in the middle of a performance, in the middle of a show, by means of truthfulness, after breaking up the body, after death, is reborn in the company of the laughing gods.

“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.

Excellent, sir, excellent, sir.

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.

Just as if one might set upright what was overturned, reveal what was hidden, show the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way, the Dhamma has been made clear by the Blessed One in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

I go to the Blessed One for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of disciples.

Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

May I receive the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, may I receive the full ordination.

Alattha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.

Tālapuṭa the actor received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he received the full ordination.

Acirūpasampanno ca panāyasmā tālapuṭo …pe… arahataṁ ahosīti. Dutiyaṁ.

And soon after his full ordination, the Venerable Tālapuṭa became one of the arahants.