Assalāyanasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 93

With Assalāyana · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
hereidha a brahmin boybrāhmaṇakumāro aristocrat·girlkhattiyakaññāya together withsaddhiṁ together·dwellsaṁvāsaṁ should practicekappeyya, of themtesaṁ together·dwell·followingsaṁvāsamanvāya a sonputto might be bornjāyetha;
whoyo thatso by a brahmin boybrāhmaṇakumārena aristocrat·girlkhattiyakaññāya sonputto bornuppanno, would besiyā heso mother·toomātupi similarsadiso father·toopitupi similarsadiso, an aristocrat too‘khattiyo’tipi to be calledvattabbo a brahmin too‘brāhmaṇo’tipi to be calledvattabbo”ti?
who“Yo thatso, sirbho Gotamagotama, by a brahmin boybrāhmaṇakumārena aristocrat·girlkhattiyakaññāya sonputto bornuppanno, would besiyā heso mother·toomātupi similarsadiso father·toopitupi similarsadiso, an aristocrat too‘khattiyo’tipi to be calledvattabbo a brahmin too‘brāhmaṇo’tipi to be calledvattabbo”ti.

“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a brahmin boy was to sleep with an aristocrat girl, and they had a child. Would that child be called an aristocrat after the mother or a brahmin after the father?” “They could be called either.”

that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
hereidha a marevaḷavaṁ with a donkeygadrabhena together·yokesampayojeyyuṁ, of themtesaṁ coupling + followingsampayogamanvāya a foalkisoro would be bornjāyetha;
whichyo thatso from a marevaḷavāya with a donkeygadrabhena foalkisoro bornuppanno, would it besiyā itso even like the mothermātupi similarsadiso even like the fatherpitupi similarsadiso, as 'a horse' too‘asso’tipi to be calledvattabbo as 'a donkey' too‘gadrabho’tipi to be calledvattabbo”ti?
a crossbreed“Kuṇḍañhi itso, sirbho Gotamagotama, a muleassataro ishoti.
thisIdaṁ indeed + herehissa, sirbho Gotamagotama, differencenānākaraṇaṁ I seepassāmi;
in the previous casesamutra butca but of thesepanesānaṁ notna anykiñci differencenānākaraṇaṁ I seepassāmī”ti.

“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a mare were to couple with a donkey, and she gave birth to a mule. Would that mule be called a horse after the mother or a donkey after the father?” “It’s a mule, as it is a crossbreed. I see the difference in this case, but not in the previous cases.”

that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
here there wereidhāssu twodve young studentsmāṇavakā brothersbhātaro who had shared a wombsodariyā, oneeko an educated reciterajjhāyako been educatedupanīto oneeko not·reciteranajjhāyako not been educatedanupanīto.
who hereKamettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā firstpaṭhamaṁ would feedbhojeyyuṁ at an offering of food for ancestorssaddhe orvā at an offering of a dish of milk-ricethālipāke orvā at a sacrificeyaññe orvā at a feast for guestspāhune or?vā”ti?
the one“Yo whoso, sirbho Gotamagotama, young studentmāṇavako an educated reciterajjhāyako been educatedupanīto him heretamettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā firstpaṭhamaṁ would feedbhojeyyuṁ at an offering of food for ancestorssaddhe orvā at an offering of a dish of milk-ricethālipāke orvā at a sacrificeyaññe orvā at a feast for guestspāhune or.vā.
for howKiñhi, sirbho Gotamagotama, not·reciteranajjhāyake to one not been educatedanupanīte givendinnaṁ very fruitfulmahapphalaṁ will be?bhavissatī”ti?

“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose there were two young students who were brothers who had shared a womb. One was an educated reciter, while the other was not an educated reciter. Who would the brahmins feed first at an offering of food for ancestors, an offering of a dish of milk-rice, a sacrifice, or a feast for guests?” “They’d first feed the young student who was an educated reciter. For how could an offering to someone who is not an educated reciter be very fruitful?”

that“Taṁ whatkiṁ you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
here indeedidhāssu twodve young studentsmāṇavakā brothersbhātaro who had shared a wombsodariyā, oneeko educated reciterajjhāyako up·leadupanīto bad·conductdussīlo of bad characterpāpadhammo, oneeko not·reciteranajjhāyako not·initiateanupanīto ethicalsīlavā of good characterkalyāṇadhammo.
whom hereKamettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā firstpaṭhamaṁ would feedbhojeyyuṁ at a memorial offeringsaddhe orvā at a rice offeringthālipāke orvā at a sacrificeyaññe orvā at a guest offeringpāhune or”?”vā”ti?
who“Yo thatso, sirbho Gotamagotama, young studentmāṇavako not·reciteranajjhāyako not·initiateanupanīto ethicalsīlavā good·characterkalyāṇadhammo him + heretamettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā firstpaṭhamaṁ would feedbhojeyyuṁ at a memorial offeringsaddhe orvā at a rice offeringthālipāke orvā at a sacrificeyaññe orvā at a guest offeringpāhune or.vā.
for howKiñhi, sirbho Gotamagotama, bad·conductdussīle bad·characterpāpadhamme givendinnaṁ of great fruitmahapphalaṁ will be”?”bhavissatī”ti?

“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose there were two young students who were brothers who had shared a womb. One was an educated reciter, but was unethical, of bad character, while the other was not an educated reciter, but was ethical and of good character. Who would the brahmins feed first?” “They’d first feed the young student who was not an educated reciter, but was ethical and of good character. For how could an offering to someone who is unethical and of bad character be very fruitful?”

formerly“Pubbe indeedkho youtvaṁ, Assalāyanaassalāyana, birthjātiṁ you relied onagamāsi;
birthjātiṁ having gone togantvā educationmante you went toagamāsi;
educationmante having gone togantvā abstemious behaviortape you went toagamāsi;
abstemious behaviortape having gone togantvā the four classescātuvaṇṇiṁ purificationsuddhiṁ you have come aroundpaccāgato, which + Iyamahaṁ I advocatepaññapemī”ti.
thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Assalāyanaassalāyano the brahmin studentmāṇavo silenttuṇhībhūto dismayedmaṅkubhūto shoulders droopingpattakkhandho downcastadhomukho depressedpajjhāyanto with nothing to sayappaṭibhāno he satnisīdi.

“Firstly you relied on birth, Assalāyana, then you switched to education, then you switched to abstemious behavior. Now you’ve come around to believing in purification for the four classes, just as I advocate.” When he said this, Assalāyana sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say.

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā Assalāyanaassalāyanaṁ brahmin studentmāṇavaṁ silence·becometuṇhībhūtaṁ dejected·becomemaṅkubhūtaṁ fallen·shoulderpattakkhandhaṁ downward·faceadhomukhaṁ broodingpajjhāyantaṁ not·back·speakingappaṭibhānaṁ having knownviditvā Assalāyanaassalāyanaṁ brahmin studentmāṇavaṁ this·saidetadavoca:
once upon a time“bhūtapubbaṁ, Assalāyanaassalāyana, of sevensattannaṁ brahmin·seerbrāhmaṇisīnaṁ in a wilderness regionaraññāyatane leaf·hutpaṇṇakuṭīsu settledsammantānaṁ just·formevarūpaṁ harmfulpāpakaṁ view·gone todiṭṭhigataṁ up·arisenuppannaṁ ishoti:
'Only brahmins‘brāhmaṇova are the bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo ……
…pe…pe…
heirs of the Divinity’brahmadāyādā’ti.
heardAssosi indeedkho, Assalāyanaassalāyana, Asitaasito Devaladevalo seerisi:
'seven‘sattannaṁ reportedlykira brahmin·seerbrāhmaṇisīnaṁ in a wilderness regionaraññāyatane leaf·hutpaṇṇakuṭīsu settledsammantānaṁ just·formevarūpaṁ harmfulpāpakaṁ view·gone todiṭṭhigataṁ up·arisenuppannaṁ—
brahmin·onlybrāhmaṇova are the bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo …pe……pe…
heirs of the Divinity’brahmadāyādā’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho, Assalāyanaassalāyana, Asitaasito Devaladevalo seerisi hair·beardkesamassuṁ having arrangedkappetvā magenta-coloredmañjiṭṭhavaṇṇāni robesdussāni having dressed innivāsetvā linedpaṭaliyo sandalsupāhanā having put onāruhitvā gold·madejātarūpamayaṁ staffdaṇḍaṁ having graspedgahetvā of sevensattannaṁ brahmin·seerbrāhmaṇisīnaṁ in the courtyardpatthaṇḍile appearedpāturahosi.
thenAtha indeedkho, Assalāyanaassalāyana, Asitaasito Devaladevalo seerisi of sevensattannaṁ brahmin·seerbrāhmaṇisīnaṁ in the courtyardpatthaṇḍile wandering aboutcaṅkamamāno thus·saidevamāha:
'Where‘handa whoko nownu indeedkho theseime honorablebhavanto brahmin seersbrāhmaṇisayo gonegatā;

Knowing this, the Buddha said to him: “Once upon a time, Assalāyana, seven brahmin seers settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region. They had the following harmful misconception: ‘Only brahmins are the best class; other classes are inferior. Only brahmins are the light class; other classes are dark. Only brahmins are purified, not others. Only brahmins are the Divinity’s bosom sons, born from his mouth, born of the Divinity, created by the Divinity, heirs of the Divinity.’ The seer Devala the Dark heard about this. So he did up his hair and beard, dressed in magenta robes, put on his lined sandals, grasped a golden staff, and appeared in the courtyard of the seven brahmin seers. Then he wandered about the yard saying, ‘Where, oh where have those brahmin seers gone?

Where, oh where have those brahmin seers gone?’ Then those brahmin seers said, ‘Who’s this wandering about our courtyard like a village lout? Let’s curse him!’ So they cursed Devala the Dark, ‘Be ashes, lowlife! Be ashes, lowlife!’ But the more the seers cursed him, the more attractive, good-looking, and lovely Devala the Dark became. Then those brahmin seers said, ‘Our fervor is in vain! Our spiritual path is fruitless! For when we used to curse someone to become ashes,

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version