Esukārīsutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 96

With Esukārī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thereforeTasmā not‘na great·wealthuḷārabhogatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.

That’s why I don’t say that any of these things makes you a better or worse person.

I do notNāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, all‘sabbaṁ should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, all‘sabbaṁ notna should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.
whomYaṁ for·himhissa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato serving·causepāricariyāhetu faithsaddhā growsvaḍḍhati, ethicssīlaṁ growsvaḍḍhati, learningsutaṁ growsvaḍḍhati, generositycāgo growsvaḍḍhati, wisdompaññā growsvaḍḍhati, that + Itamahaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.
whomYaṁ for·himhissa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato serving·causepāricariyāhetu notna faithsaddhā growsvaḍḍhati, notna ethicssīlaṁ growsvaḍḍhati, notna learningsutaṁ growsvaḍḍhati, notna generositycāgo growsvaḍḍhati, notna wisdompaññā growsvaḍḍhati, not + Ināhaṁ that onetaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmī”ti.

Brahmin, I don’t say that you should serve everyone, nor do I say that you shouldn’t serve anyone. And I say that you should serve someone if serving them makes you grow in faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. I say that you shouldn’t serve someone if serving them doesn’t make you grow in faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.”

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Esukārīesukārī brahminbrāhmaṇo the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
brahmins“brāhmaṇā, worthybho Gotamagotama, fourcattāri kinds of wealthdhanāni forth·make knownpaññapenti—
for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti, for an aristocratkhattiyassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti, for a peasantvessassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti, for a menialsuddassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti.
herein + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti living on almsbhikkhācariyaṁ;
and living on almsbhikkhācariyañca butpana a brahminbrāhmaṇo wealthsandhanaṁ beyond·thinkatimaññamāno not·dutyakiccakārī ishoti like a guardgopova not·givenadinnaṁ to·takeādiyamānoti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti.
herein + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for an aristocratkhattiyassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti bow and quiverdhanukalāpaṁ;
and bow and quiverdhanukalāpañca butpana an aristocratkhattiyo wealthsandhanaṁ beyond·thinkatimaññamāno not·dutyakiccakārī ishoti like a guardgopova not·givenadinnaṁ to·takeādiyamānoti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for an aristocratkhattiyassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti.
herein + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a peasantvessassa wealthsandhanaṁ forth·make knownpaññapenti farming and animal husbandrykasigorakkhaṁ;
and farming and animal husbandrykasigorakkhañca butpana a peasantvesso wealthsandhanaṁ beyond·thinkatimaññamāno not·dutyakiccakārī ishoti like a guardgopova not·givenadinnaṁ to·takeādiyamānoti.

When he had spoken, Esukārī said to him: “Worthy Gotama, the brahmins prescribe four kinds of wealth: for a brahmin, an aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial. The wealth they prescribe for a brahmin is living on alms. A brahmin who scorns his own wealth, living on alms, fails in his duty like a guard who steals. The wealth they prescribe for an aristocrat is the bow and quiver. An aristocrat who scorns his own wealth, the bow and quiver, fails in his duty like a guard who steals. The wealth they prescribe for a peasant is farming and animal husbandry. A peasant who scorns his own wealth, farming and animal husbandry, fails in his duty like a guard who steals.

thisIdaṁ indeedkho, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a merchantvessassa wealthsandhanaṁ they prescribepaññapenti.
herein + thisTatridaṁ, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa wealthsandhanaṁ they prescribepaññapenti scythe·flailasitabyābhaṅgiṁ;
scythe·flail + andasitabyābhaṅgiñca butpana a menialsuddo wealthsandhanaṁ over·thinkatimaññamāno not·duty·doingakiccakārī ishoti guard + likegopova not·givenadinnaṁ take·quotation markerādiyamānoti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa wealthsandhanaṁ they prescribepaññapenti.
brahminsBrāhmaṇā, sirbho Gotamagotama, theseimāni fourcattāri kinds of wealthdhanāni they prescribepaññapenti.
hereIdha the venerablebhavaṁ Gotamagotamo what + say·quotation markerkimāhā”ti?

The wealth they prescribe for a menial is the scythe and flail. A menial who scorns his own wealth, the scythe and flail, fails in his duty like a guard who steals. These are the four kinds of wealth that the brahmins prescribe. What do you say about this?”

what?“Kiṁ thenpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, allsabbo worldloko of brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ authorized thisetadabbhanujānāti: these‘imāni fourcattāri kinds of wealthdhanāni prescribepaññapentū’”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama”.
just as“Seyyathāpi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, personpuriso poordaliddo pennilessassako destituteanāḷhiyo. to himTassa unwillingakāmassa a chopbilaṁ they would forceolaggeyyuṁ: this‘idaṁ youte, heyambho personpurisa, meatmaṁsaṁ to be eatenkhāditabbaṁ, and the pricemūlañca to be paidanuppadātabban’ti.
in the same wayEvameva indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, brahminsbrāhmaṇā without consentappaṭiññāya of thesetesaṁ ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ, butatha andca but + thesepanimāni fourcattāri kinds of wealthdhanāni prescribepaññapenti.

“But brahmin, did the whole world authorize the brahmins to prescribe these four kinds of wealth?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “It’s as if they were to force a chop on a poor, penniless person, telling them, ‘Eat this meat and pay for it!’ In the same way, the brahmins have prescribed these four kinds of wealth without the consent of these ascetics and brahmins.

I assert that a person’s own wealth is the noble, transcendent teaching. But they are reckoned by recollecting the traditional family customs of their mother and father wherever they are incarnated. If they incarnate in a family of aristocrats they are reckoned as an aristocrat. If they incarnate in a family of brahmins they are reckoned as a brahmin. If they incarnate in a family of peasants they are reckoned as a peasant. If they incarnate in a family of menials they are reckoned as a menial. It’s like fire, which is reckoned according to the very same condition dependent upon which it burns. A fire that burns dependent on logs is reckoned as a log fire. A fire that burns dependent on twigs is reckoned as a twig fire. A fire that burns dependent on grass is reckoned as a grass fire. A fire that burns dependent on cow-dung is reckoned as a cow-dung fire.

thus + justEvameva indeedkho Iahaṁ, O brahminbrāhmaṇa, nobleariyaṁ world·beyondlokuttaraṁ teachingdhammaṁ of a personpurisassa own·wealthsandhanaṁ make known + assertpaññapemi.
traditionalPorāṇaṁ indeedkho but for thempanassa mother·fathermātāpettikaṁ family·lineagekulavaṁsaṁ along·rememberanussarato whereveryattha whereveryattheva self·becomingattabhāvassa forth·down·becomingabhinibbatti there ishoti by thattena by that veryteneva reckoningsaṅkhyaṁ they are reckonedgacchati.
khattiya·familyKhattiyakule ifce self·becomingattabhāvassa forth·down·becomingabhinibbatti there ishoti khattiya + quotation marker + just‘khattiyo’tveva reckoningsaṅkhyaṁ they are reckonedgacchati;
brahmin·familybrāhmaṇakule ifce self·becomingattabhāvassa forth·down·becomingabhinibbatti there ishoti brahmin + quotation marker + just‘brāhmaṇo’tveva reckoningsaṅkhyaṁ they are reckonedgacchati;
vessa·familyvessakule ifce self·becomingattabhāvassa forth·down·becomingabhinibbatti there ishoti vessa + quotation marker + just‘vesso’tveva reckoningsaṅkhyaṁ they are reckonedgacchati;
sudda·familysuddakule ifce self·becomingattabhāvassa forth·down·becomingabhinibbatti there ishoti sudda + quotation marker + just‘suddo’tveva reckoningsaṅkhyaṁ they are reckonedgacchati.

In the same way, I assert that a person’s own wealth is the noble, transcendent teaching. But they are reckoned by recollecting the traditional family customs of their mother and father wherever they are incarnated.

Suppose someone from a family of aristocrats goes forth from the lay life to homelessness. Relying on the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One they refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, and sex. They refrain from using speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re content, kind-hearted, with right view. They succeed in the system of the skillful teaching. Suppose someone from a family of brahmins … peasants …

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