Bereft of Wisdom

Iti 41 · Paññāparihīnasutta

Clear woodland water flowing around stones and fern fronds.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Those sentient beings are truly bereft, mendicants, who are bereft of noble wisdom. They live unhappily in this very life—with distress, anguish, and fever—and when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect a bad rebirth. Those sentient beings are not bereft who are not bereft of noble wisdom. In this very life they’re happy—free of distress, anguish, and fever—and when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect a good rebirth.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“See the world with its gods, bereft of wisdom, habituated to name and form, imagining this is truth.
Wisdom is best in the world, as it leads to penetration, through which one rightly understands the ending of rebirth and continued existence.
Gods and humans envy them, the Buddhas, ever mindful, of laughing wisdom, bearing their final body.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.