Vāseṭṭhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 98

With Vāseṭṭha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Anyone among humans who lives off keeping cattle: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a farmer, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off various professions: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a professional, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off trade: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a trader, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off serving others: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a servant, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off stealing: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a bandit, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off archery: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a warrior, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who lives off priesthood: know them, Vāseṭṭha, as a sacrificer, not a brahmin. Anyone among humans who taxes village and nation, know them, Vāseṭṭha,

rājā eso na brāhmaṇo.

as a ruler, not a brahmin.

I don’t call someone a brahmin after the mother’s womb they’re born from. If they still have attachments, they’re just someone who says ‘worthy’. Having nothing, taking nothing: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Having cut off all fetters they have no anxiety; they’ve slipped their chains and are detached: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve cut the strap and harness, the halter and bridle too; with cross-bar lifted, they’re awakened: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Abuse, killing, caging: they endure these without anger. Patience is their powerful army: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Not irritable or pretentious, dutiful in precepts and observances, tamed, bearing their final body: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Like water from a lotus leaf, like a mustard seed off the point of a pin, sensual pleasures slip off them: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They understand for themselves the end of suffering in this life; with burden put down, detached: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Deep in wisdom, intelligent, expert in the path and what is not the path; arrived at the highest goal: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Mixing with neither householders nor the homeless; a migrant with no bastion, few in wishes: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve laid aside violence against creatures firm and frail;

not killing or making others kill: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Not fighting among those who fight, quenched among those who have taken up arms, not grasping among those who grasp: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve discarded greed and hate, along with conceit and contempt, like a mustard seed off the point of a pin: that’s who I declare a brahmin. The words they utter are polished, informative, and true, and don’t offend anyone: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They don’t steal anything in the world, long or short, tiny or huge, beautiful or ugly: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They have no hope for this world or the next; with no need for hope, detached: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They have no clinging, knowledge has freed them of indecision, they’ve arrived at the objective of freedom from death: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve escaped the chain of both good and bad deeds; sorrowless, stainless, pure: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Pure as the spotless moon, clear and unclouded, they’ve ended relish for rebirth:

that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve got past this grueling swamp of delusion, transmigration. Meditating in stillness, free of indecision, they have crossed over to the far shore. They’re quenched by not grasping: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve given up sensual pleasures, and have gone forth from lay life; they’ve ended rebirth in the sensual realm: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve given up craving, and have gone forth from lay life; they’ve ended craving to be reborn: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They’ve thrown off the human yoke, and slipped out of the heavenly yoke; unyoked from all yokes: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Giving up desire and discontent, they’re cooled and free of attachments; a hero, master of the whole world: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They know the passing away and rebirth of all beings; unattached, holy, awakened: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Gods, centaurs, and humans don’t know their destiny; the perfected ones with defilements ended: that’s who I declare a brahmin. They have nothing before or after, or even in between. Having nothing, taking nothing: that’s who I declare a brahmin. Captain of the herd, excellent hero, great seer and victor; unstirred, washed, awakened:

tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.
Pubbenivāsaṁ yo vedi,
saggāpāyañca passati;
Atho jātikkhayaṁ patto,
tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

that’s who I declare a brahmin. They who know their past lives, see heaven and places of loss, and have attained the end of rebirth: that’s who I declare a brahmin.

Samaññā hesā lokasmiṁ,
nāmagottaṁ pakappitaṁ;
Sammuccā samudāgataṁ,
tattha tattha pakappitaṁ.
Dīgharattānusayitaṁ,
diṭṭhigatamajānataṁ;
Ajānantā no pabrunti,
jātiyā hoti brāhmaṇo.
Na jaccā brāhmaṇo hoti,
na jaccā hoti abrāhmaṇo;
Kammunā brāhmaṇo hoti,
kammunā hoti abrāhmaṇo.
Kassako kammunā hoti,
sippiko hoti kammunā;
Vāṇijo kammunā hoti,
pessako hoti kammunā.
Coropi kammunā hoti,
yodhājīvopi kammunā;
Yājako kammunā hoti,
rājāpi hoti kammunā.

For name and clan are formulated as mere convention in the world. Produced by mutual agreement, they’re formulated in each case. For a long time this misconception has prejudiced those who don’t understand. Ignorant, they declare that one is a brahmin by birth. You’re not a brahmin by birth, nor by birth a non-brahmin. You’re a brahmin by your deeds, and by deeds a non-brahmin. You’re a farmer by your deeds, by deeds you’re a professional; you’re a trader by your deeds, by deeds are you a servant; you’re a bandit by your deeds, by deeds you’re a warrior; you’re a sacrificer by your deeds, by deeds you’re a ruler.

Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ,
kammaṁ passanti paṇḍitā;
Paṭiccasamuppādadassā,
kammavipākakovidā.
Kammunā vattati loko,
kammunā vattati pajā;
Kammanibandhanā sattā,
rathassāṇīva yāyato.
Tapena brahmacariyena,
saṁyamena damena ca;
Etena brāhmaṇo hoti,
etaṁ brāhmaṇamuttamaṁ.
Tīhi vijjāhi sampanno,
santo khīṇapunabbhavo;
Evaṁ vāseṭṭha jānāhi,
brahmā sakko vijānatan”ti.

In this way the astute regard deeds in accord with truth. Seeing dependent origination, they’re expert in deeds and their results. Deeds make the world go on, deeds make people go on; sentient beings are bound by deeds, like a moving chariot’s linchpin. By fervor and spiritual practice, by restraint and by self-control: that’s how to become a brahmin, this is the supreme brahmin. Accomplished in the three knowledges, peaceful, with rebirth ended, know them, Vāseṭṭha, as the Divinity and Sakka to the wise.”

Evaṁ vutte, vāseṭṭhabhāradvājā māṇavā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.
Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
Ete mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāma dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
Upāsake no bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gate”ti.
Vāseṭṭhasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ.

When he had spoken, Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja said to him, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. We go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”

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