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Sutta Nipāta 1.7

Vasalasutta

The Lowlife · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ having robed upnivāsetvā taking bowl and robepattacīvaramādāya Sāvatthīsāvatthiṁ for almspiṇḍāya enteredpāvisi.
at thatTena indeedkho nowpana timesamayena of Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiperaggikabhāradvājassa brahminbrāhmaṇassa homenivesane fireaggi kindledpajjalito washoti oblationāhuti preparedpaggahitā.
thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ indiscriminatelysapadānaṁ for almsfoodpiṇḍāya wanderingcaramāno whereyena of Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiperaggikabhāradvājassa brahminbrāhmaṇassa housenivesanaṁ approachedtenupasaṅkami.

sawAddasā indeedkho Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiperaggikabhāradvājo brahminbrāhmaṇo the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ from afardūratova comingāgacchantaṁ.
having seenDisvāna the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
right there“tatreva, shavelingmuṇḍaka;
right theretatreva, fake asceticsamaṇaka;
right theretatreva, lowlifevasalaka, standtiṭṭhāhī”ti.

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, the Blessed Onebhagavā Aggika Bhāradvājaaggikabhāradvājaṁ brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ said thisetadavoca:
do you know“jānāsi butpana youtvaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, a lowlifevasalaṁ orvā qualities that make a lowlifevasalakaraṇe orvā qualitiesdhamme”ti?
not“Na I do notkhvāhaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, I knowjānāmi a lowlifevasalaṁ orvā qualities that make a lowlifevasalakaraṇe orvā qualitiesdhamme;
pleasesādhu to meme worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo in such a waytathā the teachingdhammaṁ may he teachdesetu, so that Iyathāhaṁ I may knowjāneyyaṁ a lowlifevasalaṁ orvā qualities that make a lowlifevasalakaraṇe orvā qualitiesdhamme”ti.
well then“Tena certainlyhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, listensuṇāhi, wellsādhukaṁ in the mindmanasi applykarohi; I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, worthybho”ti indeedkho Aggika Bhāradvājaaggikabhāradvājo brahminbrāhmaṇo to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosi.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

irritable“Kodhano acrimoniousupanāhī andca,
wicked and offensivepāpamakkhī andca whoyo a mannaro;
deficient in viewVipannadiṭṭhi deceitfulmāyāvī,
himtaṁ knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

born of wombEkajaṁ orvā born of eggdvijaṁ orvāpi,
who hereyodha creaturepāṇaṁ harmsvihiṁsati;
for whomYassa for creaturespāṇe kindnessdayā there is notnatthi,
himtaṁ one should knowjaññā lowlifevasalo quotation markeriti.

whoYo destroyshanti devastatesparirundhati,
villagesgāmāni and townsnigamāni andca;
a notorious oppressorNiggāhako notorioussamaññāto,
himtaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

in a villageGāme orvā ifyadi orvā in wildernessraññe,
that whichyaṁ of othersparesaṁ belongingmamāyitaṁ;
by theftTheyyā takes what has not been givenadinnamādeti,
himtaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo indeedhave having fallen into debtiṇamādāya,
being pressedcujjamāno he fleespalāyati;
notNa indeedhi to youte debt there isiṇamatthīti,
himtaṁ one should knowjaññā lowlifevasalo quotation markeriti.

whoYo indeedve wanting some item or otherkiñcikkhakamyatā,
on the roadpanthasmiṁ goingvajantaṁ personjanaṁ;
having attackedHantvā takes some item or otherkiñcikkhamādeti,
himtaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

for one's own sakeAttahetu for another's sakeparahetu,
for the sake of wealthdhanahetu orca whoyo a mannaro;
asked to bear witnessSakkhipuṭṭho a liemusā tellsbrūti,
himtaṁ knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo of relativesñātīnaṁ of friendssakhīnaṁ orvā,
among the partnersdāresu is spiedpaṭidissati;
by forceSāhasā by seductionsampiyena orvā,
himtaṁ knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoeverYo mothermātaraṁ fatherpitaraṁ orvā,
elderlyjiṇṇakaṁ past their primegatayobbanaṁ;
ablePahu beingsanto notna he looks afterbharati,
himtaṁ should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo mothermātaraṁ fatherpitaraṁ orvā,
brotherBhātaraṁ sisterbhaginiṁ mother-in-lawsasuṁ;
hitsHanti verbally abusesroseti with wordsvācāya,
himTaṁ knowjaññā lowlifevasalo quotation markeriti.

whoYo the goodatthaṁ askedpucchito beingsanto,
teaches what is badAnatthamanusāsati;
with secretivePaṭicchannena advisesmanteti,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo having donekatvā a badpāpakaṁ deedkammaṁ,
notMā memaṁ may knowjaññāti wishesicchati;
whoYo underhand in deedspaṭicchannakammanto,
himTaṁ knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo indeedve another familyparakulaṁ having visitedgantvā,
having eatenBhutvāna delicious foodsucibhojanaṁ;
the one who cameĀgataṁ does not return the honornappaṭipūjeti,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ asceticsamaṇaṁ orvā,
otherAññaṁ or evenvāpi supplicantvanibbakaṁ;
with liesMusāvādena deceivesvañceti,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoYo brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ asceticsamaṇaṁ orvā,
at mealtimeBhattakāle having arrivedupaṭṭhite;
abusesRoseti with speechvācā notna andca givesdeti,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā lowlifevasalo thusiti.

untrueAsataṁ hereyodha speaks aboutpabrūti,
with delusionMohena wrapped uppaliguṇṭhito;
some item or otherKiñcikkhaṁ chasing afternijigīsāno,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo quotation markeriti.

whoYo himselfcattānaṁ extolssamukkaṁse,
othersPare andca disparagesmavajānāti;
brought downNihīno by hissena pridemānena,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā a lowlifevasalo asiti.

a bullyRosako and a miserkadariyo andca,
of corrupt wishesPāpiccho stingymaccharī devioussaṭho;
shamelessAhiriko imprudentanottappī,
himTaṁ knowjaññā as a lowlifevasalo thusiti.

whoeverYo the Buddhabuddhaṁ insultsparibhāsati,
thenAtha orvā histassa disciplesāvakaṁ;
renunciateParibbājaṁ laygahaṭṭhaṁ orvā,
himTaṁ one should knowjaññā lowlifevasalo asiti.

whoYo indeedve not a worthy oneanarahaṁ beingsanto,
a perfected oneArahaṁ claimspaṭijānāti;
crookCoro with its divinitiessabrahmake in the worldloke,
thatEso trulykho the lowest lowlifevasalādhamo;
theseEte indeedkho lowlifesvasalā calledvuttā,
by meMayā theseyete revealedpakāsitā.

notNa by birthjaccā a lowlifevasalo ishoti,
notNa by birthjaccā ishoti a brahminbrāhmaṇo;
by deedsKammunā a lowlifevasalo ishoti,
by deedsKammunā ishoti a brahminbrāhmaṇo.

and this by thisTadamināpi you should knowjānātha,
according to thisYathāmedaṁ examplenidassanaṁ;
a corpse-worker's sonCaṇḍālaputto of the dog-eating castesopāko,
MātaṅgaMātaṅgo asiti became renownedvissuto.

heSo fameyasaṁ highestparamaṁ achievedpatto,
MātaṅgaMātaṅgo whichyaṁ so very hard to findsudullabhaṁ;
cameĀgacchuṁ to serve himtassupaṭṭhānaṁ,
aristocratsKhattiyā brahminsbrāhmaṇā manybahū.

the divine roadDevayānaṁ having ascendedabhiruyha,
the stainlessVirajaṁ heso the great roadmahāpathaṁ;
sensual desireKāmarāgaṁ having discardedvirājetvā,
reborn in a realm of divinityBrahmalokūpago wasahu;
notNa himnaṁ birthjāti did preventnivāresi,
from rebirth in a realm of divinityBrahmalokūpapattiyā.

in a recitation familyAjjhāyakakule bornjātā,
brahminsBrāhmaṇā kinsmen of the hymnsmantabandhavā;
theyTe andca in wickedpāpesu deedskammesu,
are often discoveredAbhiṇhamupadissare.

in this very lifeDiṭṭheva in the dhammadhamme blameworthygārayhā,
in lives to comeSamparāye andca a bad destinationduggati;
notNa themne birthjāti preventsnivāreti,
from a bad destinyDuggatyā from blamegarahāya orvā.

notNa by birthjaccā a lowlifevasalo ishoti,
notNa by birthjaccā ishoti a brahminbrāhmaṇo;
by deedsKammunā a lowlifevasalo ishoti,
by deedsKammunā ishoti a brahminbrāhmaṇo”ti.

thusEvaṁ when spokenvutte, Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiperaggikabhāradvājo brahminbrāhmaṇo to the Buddhabhagavantaṁ said thisetadavoca:
excellent“abhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama ...…pe…
as a lay followerupāsakaṁ memaṁ worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo may he rememberdhāretu from this day forthajjatagge for lifepāṇupetaṁ refugesaraṇaṁ who has gonegatan”ti.
the Lowlife DiscourseVasalasuttaṁ seventhsattamaṁ.

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