Ārāmadūsakajātaka
“’Tis knowledge.”—This story was told by the Master in a certain hamlet of Kosala about one who spoiled a pleasaunce.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1PTS 1.251“Na ve anatthakusalena,Surely not with one who misunderstands the meaning11.2atthacariyā sukhāvahā;does good conduct lead to happiness.21.3Hāpeti atthaṁ dummedho,The simpleton destroys the good,1.4kapi ārāmiko yathā”ti.like the monkey groundskeeper.
2.1Ārāmadūsakajātakaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.
A lazy groundskeeper asks the monkeys in the park to water the trees in his absence. They set to work with all good cheer. However, misconstruing the instructions, they pull up each tree to examine the size of the roots before watering, thus ruining the park despite their good intentions.
The verse plays on two meanings of attha. In the opening line, attha is “meaning, basis” (as per Snp 1.8:1.1 or AN 5.169:3.1), and it is glossed āyatane kāraṇe (“reason, cause”). Here it means “good, benefit” and is glossed vuḍḍhi (“growth”).
