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Majjhima Nikāya 93

Assalāyanasutta

With Assalāyana · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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even though“Kiñcāpi worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo speaks thusevamāha, thenatha indeed herekhvettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā thus thisevametaṁ thinkmaññanti:
brahmin indeed‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo …pe……pe…
heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’”ti.
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
brahmin indeedbrāhmaṇova nownu indeedkho is capablepahoti bathing cleansersottisināniṁ having takenādāya rivernadiṁ having gonegantvā dust and dirtrajojallaṁ to rinse offpavāhetuṁ, notno aristocratkhattiyo, notno peasantvesso, notno menialsuddo”ti?
no“No indeed thishidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
aristocrat tooKhattiyopi indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama, is capablepahoti bathing cleansersottisināniṁ having takenādāya rivernadiṁ having gonegantvā dust and dirtrajojallaṁ to rinse offpavāhetuṁ, brahmin toobrāhmaṇopi indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama ……
peasant toovessopi indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama ……
menial toosuddopi indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama ……
all toosabbepi indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama, fourcattāro classesvaṇṇā are capablepahonti bathing cleansersottisināniṁ having takenādāya rivernadiṁ having gonegantvā dust and dirtrajojallaṁ to rinse offpavāhetun”ti.
here“Ettha, Assalāyanaassalāyana, of brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ whatkiṁ sourcebalaṁ, whatko certaintyassāso since hereyadettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā spoke thusevamāhaṁsu:
brahmin indeed‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo …pe……pe…
heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’”ti?

“Even though you say this, still the brahmins maintain their belief.” “What do you think, Assalāyana? Is only a brahmin capable of taking some bathing cleanser, going to the river, and rinsing off dust and dirt, and not an aristocrat, peasant, or menial?” “No, worthy Gotama. All four classes are capable of doing this.” “Then what is the source of the brahmins’ certainty and forcefulness in this matter that they make this claim?”

even though“Kiñcāpi masterbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo thus saysevamāha, stillatha but herekhvettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā in this wayevametaṁ they thinkmaññanti:
only the brahmin‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, lowhīno the otherañño classvaṇṇo pe…pe…
heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’”ti.
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
hereidha a kingrājā an aristocratkhattiyo crownedmuddhāvasitto of various birthsnānājaccānaṁ of peoplepurisānaṁ a hundred peoplepurisasataṁ he would gathersannipāteyya:
let them come‘āyantu worthy sirsbhonto whoye theretattha from an aristocrat familykhattiyakulā from a brahmin familybrāhmaṇakulā from a chieftain familyrājaññakulā bornuppannā, of teaksākassa orvā of salsālassa orvā of salaḷasalaḷassa orvā of sandalwoodcandanassa orvā of cherry woodpadumakassa orvā a drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ takingādāya, fireaggiṁ let them produceabhinibbattentu, heattejo let them manifestpātukarontu.
let them comeĀyantu andpana worthy sirsbhonto whoye theretattha from a corpse-worker familycaṇḍālakulā from a hunter familynesādakulā from a bamboo-worker familyvenakulā from a chariot-maker familyrathakārakulā from a scavenger familypukkusakulā bornuppannā, from a mutt's drinking troughsāpānadoṇiyā orvā from a pig's troughsūkaradoṇiyā orvā from a dustbinrajakadoṇiyā orvā of castor-oil wooderaṇḍakaṭṭhassa orvā a drill-stickuttarāraṇiṁ takingādāya, fireaggiṁ let them produceabhinibbattentu, heattejo let them manifestpātukarontū’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,

“Even though you say this, still the brahmins maintain their belief.” “What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose an anointed aristocratic king were to gather a hundred people of various births and say to them: ‘Please worthy sirs, let anyone here who was born in a family of aristocrats, brahmins, or chieftains take a drill-stick made of teak, sal, salaḷa, sandalwood, or cherry wood, light a fire and produce heat. And let anyone here who was born in a family of corpse-workers, hunters, bamboo-workers, chariot-makers, or scavengers take a drill-stick made from a mutt’s drinking trough, a pig’s trough, a dustbin, or castor-oil wood, light a fire and produce heat.’ What do you think, Assalāyana?

whichyo thusevaṁ nownu indeedkho thatso from a khattiya familykhattiyakulā from a brahmin familybrāhmaṇakulā from a noble familyrājaññakulā produceduppannehi of teaksākassa orvā of salsālassa orvā of salalasalaḷassa orvā of sandalwoodcandanassa orvā of lotuspadumakassa orvā upper fire-stickuttarāraṇiṁ having takenādāya fireaggi producedabhinibbatto, heattejo manifestedpātukato, thatso justeva nownu would that firekhvāssa fireaggi with flamesaccimā andceva with colorvaṇṇavā andca radiantpabhassaro andca, with thattena andca possiblesakkā with fireagginā what is to be done with fireaggikaraṇīyaṁ to dokātuṁ;
whichyo butpana thatso from a caṇḍāla familycaṇḍālakulā from a hunter familynesādakulā from a bamboo-worker familyvenakulā from a cartwright familyrathakārakulā from a scavenger familypukkusakulā produceduppannehi from a dog-troughsāpānadoṇiyā orvā from a pig-troughsūkaradoṇiyā orvā from a dyeing-troughrajakadoṇiyā orvā of castor-oil wooderaṇḍakaṭṭhassa orvā upper fire-stickuttarāraṇiṁ having takenādāya fireaggi producedabhinibbatto, heattejo manifestedpātukato that firesvāssa fireaggi notna andceva with flamesaccimā notna andca with colorvaṇṇavā notna andca radiantpabhassaro, notna andca with thattena possiblesakkā with fireagginā what is to be done with fireaggikaraṇīyaṁ to dokātun”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.

Would only the fire produced by the high class people with good quality wood have flames, color, and radiance, and be usable as fire, and not the fire produced by the low class people with poor quality wood?” “No, worthy Gotama.

and this veryYopi indeedhi heso, sirbho Gotamagotama, from a khattiya familykhattiyakulā from a brahmin familybrāhmaṇakulā from a royal familyrājaññakulā produced byuppannehi of teaksākassa orvā of salsālassa orvā of salaḷasalaḷassa orvā of sandalwoodcandanassa orvā of lotuspadumakassa orvā upper fire stickuttarāraṇiṁ having takenādāya fireaggi producedabhinibbatto, heattejo manifestedpātukato this fire of itsvāssa fireaggi having flamesaccimā and indeedceva having colorvaṇṇavā andca radiantpabhassaro andca, with thattena andca possiblesakkā with fireagginā what is to be done by fireaggikaraṇīyaṁ to dokātuṁ;
and this veryyopi heso from a caṇḍāla familycaṇḍālakulā from a hunter familynesādakulā from a bamboo worker familyvenakulā from a chariot maker familyrathakārakulā from a pukkusa familypukkusakulā produced byuppannehi from a dog troughsāpānadoṇiyā orvā from a pig troughsūkaradoṇiyā orvā from a dye troughrajakadoṇiyā orvā of castor wooderaṇḍakaṭṭhassa orvā upper fire stickuttarāraṇiṁ having takenādāya fireaggi producedabhinibbatto, heattejo manifestedpātukato, this fire of itsvāssa fireaggi having flamesaccimā and indeedceva having colorvaṇṇavā andca radiantpabhassaro andca, with thattena andca possiblesakkā with fireagginā what is to be done by fireaggikaraṇīyaṁ to dokātuṁ.
all this verySabbopi indeedhi, sirbho Gotamagotama, fireaggi having flamesaccimā and indeedceva having colorvaṇṇavā andca radiantpabhassaro andca, by all this verysabbenapi possiblesakkā with fireagginā what is to be done by fireaggikaraṇīyaṁ to dokātun”ti.

The fire produced by the high class people with good quality wood would have flames, color, and radiance, and be usable as fire, and so would the fire produced by the low class people with poor quality wood. For all fire has flames, color, and radiance, and is usable as fire.”

here“Ettha, Assalāyanaassalāyana, of the brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ whatkiṁ strengthbalaṁ, whatko assuranceassāso that hereyadettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā thus they saidevamāhaṁsu:
the brahmin indeed is the best‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, lowhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo;
the brahmin indeed is the purebrāhmaṇova puresukko classvaṇṇo, darkkaṇho otherañño classvaṇṇo;
indeed brahmins are purifiedbrāhmaṇāva are purifiedsujjhanti, notno non-brahminsabrāhmaṇā;
indeed brahmins arebrāhmaṇāva of Brahmābrahmuno sonsputtā legitimateorasā from the mouthmukhato bornjātā born of Brahmābrahmajā created by Brahmābrahmanimmitā heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’”ti?

“Then what is the source of the brahmins’ certainty and forcefulness in this matter that they make this claim?”

even though“Kiñcāpi masterbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo speaks thusevamāha, stillatha but herekhvettha brahminsbrāhmaṇā this is soevametaṁ they thinkmaññanti:
the very brahmin‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, lowhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo pe…pe…
brahma's heirsbrahmadāyādā’”ti.
this“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Assalāyanaassalāyana,
hereidha aristocrat boykhattiyakumāro with a brahmin girlbrāhmaṇakaññāya togethersaddhiṁ cohabitationsaṁvāsaṁ should engagekappeyya, for themtesaṁ following the cohabitationsaṁvāsamanvāya a sonputto would be bornjāyetha;
whoyo thatso by an aristocrat boykhattiyakumārena with a brahmin girlbrāhmaṇakaññāya a sonputto bornuppanno, would besiyā heso like the mothermātupi similarsadiso like the fatherpitupi similarsadiso, also as aristocrat‘khattiyo’tipi to be calledvattabbo also as brahmin‘brāhmaṇo’tipi to be calledvattabbo”ti?
who“Yo thatso, sirbho Gotamagotama, by an aristocrat boykhattiyakumārena with a brahmin girlbrāhmaṇakaññāya a sonputto bornuppanno, would besiyā heso like the mothermātupi similarsadiso like the fatherpitupi similarsadiso, also as aristocrat‘khattiyo’tipi to be calledvattabbo also as brahmin‘brāhmaṇo’tipi to be calledvattabbo”ti.

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

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