Esukārīsutta

Majjhima Nikāya 96

With Esukārī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā near Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

thenAtha indeedkho Esukārīesukārī brahminbrāhmaṇo whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā went up to himtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā togethersaddhiṁ exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Esukārīesukārī brahminbrāhmaṇo to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:

Then Esukārī the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Worthy Gotama, the brahmins prescribe four kinds of service: for a brahmin, an aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial. This is the service they prescribe for a brahmin: ‘A brahmin, an aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial may all serve a brahmin.’ This is the service they prescribe for an aristocrat: ‘An aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial may all serve an aristocrat.’ This is the service they prescribe for a peasant: ‘A peasant or a menial may serve a peasant.’

this indeedTatridaṁ, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa servicepāricariyaṁ they prescribepaññapenti:
only a menial‘suddova a menialsuddaṁ may serveparicareyya.
whoKo but anotherpanañño a menialsuddaṁ will serveparicarissatī’ti?
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa servicepāricariyaṁ they prescribepaññapenti.
brahminsBrāhmaṇā, sirbho Gotamagotama, theseimā fourcatasso kinds of servicepāricariyā they prescribepaññapenti.
hereIdha masterbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo what does he saykimāhā”ti?

This is the service they prescribe for a menial: ‘Only a menial may serve a menial. For who else will serve a menial?’ These are the four kinds of service that the brahmins prescribe. What do you say about this?”

what?“Kiṁ thenpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, allsabbo the worldloko of the brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ agreed to thisetadabbhanujānāti: these‘imā fourcatasso servicespāricariyā should prescribepaññapentū’”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama”.
just as“Seyyathāpi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, a personpuriso poordaliddo pennilessassako destituteanāḷhiyo. to himTassa unwillingakāmassa a chopbilaṁ they would forceolaggeyyuṁ: this‘idaṁ yourte, heyambho personpurisa, meatmaṁsaṁ is to be eatenkhāditabbaṁ, and the pricemūlañca is to be paidanuppadātabban’ti.
in the same wayEvameva indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, brahminsbrāhmaṇā without consentappaṭiññāya of thosetesaṁ ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ, butatha andca but thesepanimā fourcatasso servicespāricariyā prescribepaññapenti.

“But brahmin, did the whole world authorize the brahmins to prescribe these four kinds of service?” “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 service without the consent of those ascetics and brahmins.

I do notNāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, everyone‘sabbaṁ should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi; I do notnāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, everyone‘sabbaṁ notna should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.
whomYaṁ for himhissa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo he would becomeassa notna betterseyyo, I do notnāhaṁ that onetaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi;
and whomyañca for himkhvāssa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu betterseyyo he would becomeassa notna worsepāpiyo that one Itamahaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.

Brahmin, I don’t say that you should serve everyone, nor do I say that you shouldn’t serve anyone. I say that you shouldn’t serve someone if serving them makes you worse, not better. And I say that you should serve someone if serving them makes you better, not worse.

if an aristocrat, too,Khattiyañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thusevaṁ they might askpuccheyyuṁ:
whom‘yaṁ orvā youte while servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo would beassa notna betterseyyo, whomyaṁ orvā youte while servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu betterseyyo would beassa notna worsepāpiyo;
which one herekamettha you would serveparicareyyāsī’ti, an aristocrat tookhattiyopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, rightlysammā answeringbyākaramāno thusevaṁ would answerbyākareyya:
whom indeed‘yañhi for meme while servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo would beassa notna betterseyyo, I would notnāhaṁ that onetaṁ I would serveparicareyyaṁ; but whomyañca indeedkho for meme while servingparicarato because of servingpāricariyāhetu betterseyyo would beassa notna worsepāpiyo that one Itamahaṁ I would serveparicareyyan’ti.

If they were to ask an aristocrat this, ‘Who should you serve? Someone in whose service you get worse, or someone in whose service you get better?’ Answering rightly, an aristocrat would say, ‘Someone in whose service I get better.’

and a brahmin tooBrāhmaṇañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa pe…pe…
and a peasant toovessañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa pe…pe…
and a menial toosuddañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thusevaṁ they might askpuccheyyuṁ:
who‘yaṁ orvā youte servingparicarato for the sake of servicepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo you would beassa notna betterseyyo, whoyaṁ orvā youte servingparicarato for the sake of servicepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo you would beassa notna worsepāpiyo;
who herekamettha should you serveparicareyyāsī’ti, a menial toosuddopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, rightlysammā answeringbyākaramāno thusevaṁ would answerbyākareyya:
for whom‘yañhi meme servingparicarato for the sake of servicepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo I would beassa notna betterseyyo, I do notnāhaṁ himtaṁ I would serveparicareyyaṁ; but whomyañca indeedkho meme servingparicarato for the sake of servicepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo I would beassa notna worsepāpiyo him Itamahaṁ I would serveparicareyyan’ti.
I do notNāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, eminent family‘uccākulīnatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, eminent family‘uccākulīnatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi;
I do notnāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional beauty‘uḷāravaṇṇatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional beauty‘uḷāravaṇṇatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi;
I do notnāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional wealth‘uḷārabhogatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional wealth‘uḷārabhogatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.

If they were to ask a brahmin … a peasant … or a menial this, ‘Who should you serve? Someone in whose service you get worse, or someone in whose service you get better?’ Answering rightly, a menial would say, ‘Someone in whose service I get better.’ Brahmin, I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a better or worse person. I don’t say that exceptional beauty makes you a better or worse person. I don’t say that exceptional wealth makes you a better or worse person.

even one of eminent familyUccākulīnopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, some person hereidhekacco one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī ishoti, one who takes what is not givenadinnādāyī ishoti, one who commits sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārī ishoti, one who speaks falselymusāvādī ishoti, of backbiting speechpisuṇāvāco ishoti, of harsh speechpharusāvāco ishoti, one who speaks nonsensesamphappalāpī ishoti, covetousabhijjhālu ishoti, with malicious mindbyāpannacitto ishoti, of wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhi ishoti.
thereforeTasmā quotation marker: not‘na eminent familyuccākulīnatā a better person, quotation markerseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.
even one of eminent familyUccākulīnopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, some person hereidhekacco from killing living creaturespāṇātipātā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from taking what is not givenadinnādānā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from sexual misconductkāmesumicchācārā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from false speechmusāvādā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from backbitingpisuṇāya speechvācāya one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from harshpharusāya speechvācāya one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, from nonsensesamphappalāpā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti, contentanabhijjhālu ishoti, with kind-hearted mindabyāpannacitto ishoti, of right viewsammādiṭṭhi ishoti.
thereforeTasmā quotation marker: not‘na eminent familyuccākulīnatā a worse person, quotation markerpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.
even one of excellent appearanceUḷāravaṇṇopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa ……
pe …pe…
even one of excellent wealthuḷārabhogopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, some person hereidhekacco one who kills living creaturespāṇātipātī ishoti ……
pe …pe…
of wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhi ishoti.
thereforeTasmā quotation marker: not‘na excellent wealthuḷārabhogatā a better person, quotation markerseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.
even one of excellent wealthUḷārabhogopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, some person hereidhekacco from killing living creaturespāṇātipātā one who refrainspaṭivirato ishoti …pe……pe… of right viewsammādiṭṭhi ishoti.

For some people from eminent families kill living creatures, steal, and commit sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, with wrong view. That’s why I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a better person. But some people from eminent families also refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct. They refrain from using speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re content, kind-hearted, with right view. That’s why I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a worse person. And some people who are exceptionally beautiful … And some people who are exceptionally wealthy kill living creatures … and have wrong view. That’s why I don’t say that exceptional wealth makes you a better person. But some people who are exceptionally wealthy also refrain from killing living creatures … and have right view.

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