With Esukārī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Tasmā ‘na uḷārabhogatā pāpiyaṁso’ti vadāmi.
That’s why I don’t say that any of these things makes you a better or worse person.
Nāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, ‘sabbaṁ paricaritabban’ti vadāmi, na panāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, ‘sabbaṁ na paricaritabban’ti vadāmi. Yaṁ hissa, brāhmaṇa, paricarato pāricariyāhetu saddhā vaḍḍhati, sīlaṁ vaḍḍhati, sutaṁ vaḍḍhati, cāgo vaḍḍhati, paññā vaḍḍhati, tamahaṁ ‘paricaritabban’ti vadāmi. Yaṁ hissa, brāhmaṇa, paricarato pāricariyāhetu na saddhā vaḍḍhati, na sīlaṁ vaḍḍhati, na sutaṁ vaḍḍhati, na cāgo vaḍḍhati, na paññā vaḍḍhati, nāhaṁ taṁ ‘paricaritabban’ti vadāmī”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.”
Evaṁ vutte, esukārī brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “brāhmaṇā, bho gotama, cattāri dhanāni paññapenti— brāhmaṇassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti, khattiyassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti, vessassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti, suddassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti. Tatridaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti bhikkhācariyaṁ; bhikkhācariyañca pana brāhmaṇo sandhanaṁ atimaññamāno akiccakārī hoti gopova adinnaṁ ādiyamānoti. Idaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā brāhmaṇassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti. Tatridaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā khattiyassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti dhanukalāpaṁ; dhanukalāpañca pana khattiyo sandhanaṁ atimaññamāno akiccakārī hoti gopova adinnaṁ ādiyamānoti. Idaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā khattiyassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti. Tatridaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā vessassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti kasigorakkhaṁ; kasigorakkhañca pana vesso sandhanaṁ atimaññamāno akiccakārī hoti gopova adinnaṁ ādiyamānoti.
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.
Idaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā vessassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti. Tatridaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā suddassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti asitabyābhaṅgiṁ; asitabyābhaṅgiñca pana suddo sandhanaṁ atimaññamāno akiccakārī hoti gopova adinnaṁ ādiyamānoti. Idaṁ kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā suddassa sandhanaṁ paññapenti. Brāhmaṇā, bho gotama, imāni cattāri dhanāni paññapenti. Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”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?”
“Kiṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, sabbo loko brāhmaṇānaṁ etadabbhanujānāti: ‘imāni cattāri dhanāni paññapentū’”ti? “No hidaṁ, bho gotama”. “Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, puriso daliddo assako anāḷhiyo. Tassa akāmassa bilaṁ olaggeyyuṁ: ‘idaṁ te, ambho purisa, maṁsaṁ khāditabbaṁ, mūlañca anuppadātabban’ti. Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇā appaṭiññāya tesaṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ, atha ca panimāni cattāri dhanāni paññapenti.
“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.
Ariyaṁ kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, lokuttaraṁ dhammaṁ purisassa sandhanaṁ paññapemi. Porāṇaṁ kho panassa mātāpettikaṁ kulavaṁsaṁ anussarato yattha yattheva attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti tena teneva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Khattiyakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘khattiyo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; brāhmaṇakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘brāhmaṇo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; vessakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘vesso’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; suddakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘suddo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, yaṁyadeva paccayaṁ paṭicca aggi jalati tena teneva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Kaṭṭhañce paṭicca aggi jalati ‘kaṭṭhaggi’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; sakalikañce paṭicca aggi jalati ‘sakalikaggi’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; tiṇañce paṭicca aggi jalati ‘tiṇaggi’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; gomayañce paṭicca aggi jalati ‘gomayaggi’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
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.
Evameva kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, ariyaṁ lokuttaraṁ dhammaṁ purisassa sandhanaṁ paññapemi. Porāṇaṁ kho panassa mātāpettikaṁ kulavaṁsaṁ anussarato yattha yattheva attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti tena teneva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati. Khattiyakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘khattiyo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; brāhmaṇakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘brāhmaṇo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; vessakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘vesso’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; suddakule ce attabhāvassa abhinibbatti hoti ‘suddo’tveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.
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.
Khattiyakulā cepi, brāhmaṇa, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ āgamma pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, abrahmacariyā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, anabhijjhālu hoti, abyāpannacitto hoti, sammādiṭṭhi hoti, ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ. Brāhmaṇakulā cepi, brāhmaṇa, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ āgamma pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… sammādiṭṭhi hoti, ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ. Vessakulā cepi, brāhmaṇa, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca tathāgatappaveditaṁ dhammavinayaṁ āgamma pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… sammādiṭṭhi hoti, ārādhako hoti ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalaṁ.
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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