Two Foolish, Two Wise: Buddha’s Guide to Handling Responsibilities
The Buddha often taught in simple, human-centered ways. The Anguttara Nikaya contains many such teachings that describe people not by social class or symbols, but by how they deal with life. In one sutta, the Buddha explains that there are two types of people who are a little less wise and two types who are truly wise. These four types revolve around their relationship with responsibilities. The teaching is both ancient and modern because it reflects a truth about how minds react to pressure, fear, planning, and avoidance.
This long form article explores the full meaning of these four people. It explains how responsibilities work in real life and how misunderstanding them can destroy peace of mind. Every person either lives stuck in the future, trapped in the present, balanced with both, or released from unripe burdens. Understanding where you stand can change everything.
What Are Responsibilities According to Buddhist Perspective
Every human has three categories of responsibilities.
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Responsibilities already present
These are duties you must handle now. They may be physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, or spiritual. They include daily tasks, promises, commitments, caring for family, health maintenance, bills, work deadlines, meditation practice, or moral duties. -
Responsibilities not yet arisenThese are future duties. They may arise later, based on conditions. They have not taken form yet. Some of them may never arise. They exist only as potential.
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Responsibilities that are imaginedThese are mental projections. They are not real responsibilities. They are usually created out of fear, insecurity, or worry.
The Buddha teaches that wisdom is not measured by how many responsibilities someone carries, but by how they handle them.
Two Types of People Who Are Not Wise
1. The One Who Abandons Present Responsibilities to Think About Future Responsibilities
This person is caught in the trap of tomorrow. They abandon duties that are already in front of them. Instead of acting, they spend energy imagining what might happen in the future. They feel wise because they believe they are planning ahead. Yet they weaken their present foundation. They focus on what has not arisen. They see storms that may never break, and because of that they forget to build a roof.
A Real Life Example
Imagine a student who has an exam next month. Instead of studying now, they spend time worrying about university entrance. They read different degree options. They stress about whether their parents will support them. They discuss future careers. All the while, they are failing the test directly in front of them.
The future becomes a prison. They carry a weight that does not exist. Future responsibilities that have not yet formed fill the mind with imaginary pain. Because of this mental pressure, they abandon present work. The root of the problem is confusion. They misunderstand time. They misunderstand cause and effect.
This Person’s Mindset
2. The One Who Thinks About Future Responsibilities and Abandons Responsibilities That Have Already Arisen
This person acts like they are planning and preparing, but they escape from current life. Their mind jumps ahead. They think about future debts, future projects, future relationships, future fears. They ignore obligations that already exist. This destroys opportunities that have already arrived.
A Real Life Example
Consider someone who has started a new job. Instead of learning the role, they constantly worry about whether they will get promoted. They try to prove they are future leader material. They ignore basic tasks, like responding to emails or following training. Their performance becomes weak. The promotion they crave becomes impossible because the foundations were abandoned.
Instead of handling reality, they climb imaginary ladders. Then they fall from real ones.
The Pattern of the Foolish
This type of person sometimes appears ambitious. They are not lazy. They work hard mentally. They are not procrastinating in the traditional sense. But their energy is invested in a future that has no shape. They do not water the seeds they already planted. They keep dreaming about a tree that never grows.
Understanding these Two Less Wise Types on a Psychological Level
Why Humans Fear the Future
Humans fear loss. They fear failure. They fear unpredictability. Instead of cultivating stability through present action, their mind escapes into prediction. This is an attempt to control life. They think if they imagine every possible possibility, they can stop pain. But this creates stress without solutions.
Present Abandonment Equals Present Suffering
The present is the only ground where one can take action. Abandoning the present is the same as abandoning power. A person who lives only in projection becomes powerless. Their strength weakens. They stop growing. They suffer twice. First through fear and second through consequences.
A Buddhist Insight
In Pali, responsibility links with kusala. Kusala means wholesome. Wise people act with a clear mind. They face today. They prepare for tomorrow without abandoning now.
Two Types of Wise People
1. The One Who Is Burdened With the Burden of Present Responsibilities
This person does not avoid duty. They accept what is real. They may feel pressure, but it is a noble pressure. They stay grounded. They do not fantasize. They do not escape. They carry the weight that actually exists.
Why This Type Is Wise
Life is unstable. Everything changes. Responsibility is part of human existence. When you carry your current duties without panic or avoidance, you grow. You develop character. You build inner strength. This wisdom is like a tree developing roots. The tree does not try to grow fruit before developing a trunk. It invests in what is already real.
Practical Example
A parent raising children does not spend the whole day thinking about their children’s university or future careers. Instead, they feed them, teach them basic values, and nurture them today. They may plan savings for future education, but they do not allow that planning to destroy daily bonding. Their wisdom is grounded in reality.
2. The One Who Is Relieved of Future Responsibilities That Have Not Yet Arisen
This is not laziness. This is wisdom. The Buddha is teaching clarity. A wise person does not carry imaginary burdens. They know that future responsibilities will arrive in due time. Until that moment, they do not live as if they are real. They prepare with skill, but they do not suffer in advance.
This Mindset Is Powerful
Modern Example
Someone saving money for retirement does not worry day and night. They simply put aside 10 percent of their earnings every month. They do not calculate every possible disaster. They do not obsess. They continue to live in the present and maintain a balanced, happy life.
Wisdom Is Balance Between Acceptance and Preparation
The Buddha is not rejecting future planning. He is rejecting attachment to imaginary burdens. The wise prepare without abandoning the present. The foolish abandon the present because they are trapped in the future. Wisdom is a healthy relationship with time.
Imagine two farmers. One waters today’s crops. The other keeps worrying about next year’s drought. Only one will have food.
Mind Management Through Responsibilities
How to Handle Current Responsibilities
How to Handle Future Responsibilities
The Middle Path Applied to Everyday Life
Buddhism always points to a middle path. Too little concern creates chaos. Too much concern creates stress. The wise stand between denial and fear. They do not carry more weight than necessary. They do not run from their duties.
A wise mind is like a strong boat. It can carry its cargo but does not load itself with stones it does not need. It moves.
Conclusion
The Anguttara Nikaya clearly teaches that real wisdom is not measured by intelligence or knowledge. Wisdom is expressed in how we relate to responsibilities. One foolish type abandons the present to think about the future. The other abandons present obligations because their mind is consumed by future tasks. Their mistake is not laziness. It is confusion. They believe they are acting wisely while they are actually escaping.
The wise accept the present. They carry its weight. They do not fantasize about or suffer because of responsibilities that have not yet arisen. They live grounded. They prepare without drowning in fear. They walk steadily and calmly.
Understanding these teachings is like adjusting your vision. You stop living in shadows of tomorrow and start living in today’s light.
FAQs
1. Is it wrong to plan for the future?
Namo Buddhaya!
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