Two classes of people

     We have to deal with various people living different places in this world. We can get pleasant or unpleasant and good or bad things from them. So it is very important for us to decide wise man or fool man at the dealing with them. The Buddha taught about the wise man and the fool man in ‘Asevanāsa bālānaṃ Paṇḍhitānañca sivanā’ of the Maṇgala sutra. There the Buddha divided into two classifies the people.

           First one is the fool. It is important for us to avoid the fools in order to escape the dangers created by them and secure prosperity and happiness in life. He is fool who thinks evil thoughts, makes evil speeches and performs evil deeds. A fool is possessed of evil attributes, such as greed, hatred, anger, ignorance, envy, jealousy, cruelty, selfishness and so on. He cannot distinguish between good and evil, truth and untruth or right and wrong or cause and effect. It is devoid of knowledge, love, good-will and compassion. He thinks highly of himself and slightly others and acts accordingly. He acts without forethought or foresight. He is selfish, greedy, blaming others when in trouble for his misdeeds, never admitting his faults. Unwilling to help others, he never helps others. He encourages others in evil deeds and himself continues his misdeeds. So it is better to avoid them rather than to associate with them.

          Latter one is the wise man. Being not enough just to avoid fools, it is also the most important for us to associate with the wise and learned to secure safety, prosperity, peace and happiness in life. He is wise man who is possessed of good virtues, such as, liberality, love, compassion, kindness, morality, modesty, absence of envy and jealousy and the like. He has knowledge that can distinguish between right and wrong, truth and untruth, good and evil. He knows what is moral and immoral, what is beneficial and unbeneficial. He is wise who thinks wise thoughts, makes wise speeches and performs wise deeds. He will make himself as well as his neighbors prosperous and happy. He will protect himself and others from all sorts of dangers. For him, there is no difference between high and low, strong and weak, rich and poor; all is the same in his mind.

         So all people should select wise companions with the greatest caution and associate with the wise men of vast learning, moral character, concentrated mind and wise counsel. Those who associate with the wise can gain worldly and spiritual progress. I wish heartily that everyone can possess the peace of mind. “Try to be wise yourself and to make others wise, as well.”