The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
Page 89
Can tell the path from the not-path
And has attained the goal supreme:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
35. Aloof alike from householders
And those gone into homelessness,
Who wanders without home or wish:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
36. Who has laid aside the rod
Against all beings frail or bold,
Who does not kill or have them killed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
37. Who is unopposed among opponents,
Peaceful among those given to violence,
Who does not cling among those who cling:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
38. Who has dropped all lust and hate,
Dropped conceit and contempt,
Like mustard seed on the point of an awl:
He is the one I call a brahmin. [121]
39. Who utters speech free from harshness,
Full of meaning, ever truthful,
Which does not offend anyone:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
40. Who in the world will never take
What is not given, long or short,
Small or big or fair or foul:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
41. Who has no more inner yearnings
Regarding this world and the next,
Who lives unyearning and detached:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
42. Who has no more indulgences
No more perplexity since he knows;
Who has gained firm footing in the Deathless:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
43. Who has transcended all ties here
Of both merit and evil deeds,
Is sorrowless, stainless, and pure:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
44. Who, pure as the spotless moon,
Is clear and limpid, and in whom
Delight and being have been destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
45. Who has passed beyond the swamp,
The mire, saṁsāra, all delusion,
Who has crossed to the further shore
And meditates within the jhānas,
Is unperturbed and unperplexed,
Attained Nibbāna through no clinging:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
46. Who has abandoned sensual pleasures
And wanders here in homelessness
With sense desires and being destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
47. Who has abandoned craving too,
And wanders here in homelessness,
With craving and being both destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
48. Who leaves behind all human bonds
And has cast off the bonds of heaven,
Detached from all bonds everywhere:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
49. Who leaves behind delight and discontent,
Who is cool and acquisitionless,
The hero who has transcended the whole world:
He is the one I call a brahmin. [122]
50. Who knows how beings pass away
To reappear in many a mode,
Unclutching he, sublime, awake:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
51. Whose destination is unknown
To gods, to spirits, and to men,
An arahant with taints destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
52. Who has no impediments at all,
Before, behind, or in the middle,
Who is unimpeded and clings no more:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
53. The herd’s leader, perfected hero,
The great seer whose victory is won,
Unperturbed, cleansed, awakened:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
54. Who knows his manifold past lives
And sees the heavens and states of woe,
Who has reached the destruction of birth:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
12.55. “For name and clan are assigned
As mere designations in the world;
Originating in conventions,
They are assigned here and there.
56. For those who do not know this fact,
Wrong views have long underlain their hearts;
Not knowing, they declare to us:
‘One is a brahmin by birth.’
57. One is not a brahmin by birth,
Nor by birth a non-brahmin.
By action is one a brahmin,
By action is one a non-brahmin.
58. For men are farmers by their acts,905
And by their acts are craftsmen too;
And men are merchants by their acts,
And by their acts are servants too.
59. And men are robbers by their acts,
And by their acts are soldiers too;
And men are chaplains by their acts,
And by their acts are rulers too. [123]
13.60. “So that is how the truly wise
See action as it really is,
Seers of dependent origination,
Skilled in action and its results.906
61. Action makes the world go round,
Action makes this generation turn.
Living beings are bound by action
Like the chariot wheel by the linchpin.
62. Asceticism, the holy life,
Self-control and inner training—
By this one becomes a brahmin,
In this supreme brahminhood lies.907
63. One possessing the triple knowledge,
Peaceful, with being all destroyed:
Know him thus, O Vāseṭṭha,
As Brahmā and Sakka for those who understand.”
14. When this was said, the brahmin students Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama!…From today let Master Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone to him for refuge for life.”
Subha Sutta
To Subha
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
2. Now on that occasion the brahmin student Subha, Todeyya’s son, was staying at the residence of a certain householder in Sāvatthī for some business or other.908 Then the brahmin student Subha, Todeyya’s son, asked the householder in whose residence he was staying: “Householder, I have heard that Sāvatthī is not devoid of arahants. What recluse or brahmin may we go to today to pay our respects?”
“Venerable sir, this Blessed One is living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. You may go to pay your respects to that Blessed One, venerable sir.” [197]
3. Then, having assented to the householder, the brahmin student Subha, Todeyya’s son, went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side and asked the Blessed One:
4. “Master Gotama, the brahmins say this: ‘The householder is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome. The one gone forth [into homelessness] is not accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.’ What does Master Gotama say about this?”
“Student, I speak about this after making an analysis;909 I do not speak about this one-sidedly. I do not praise the wrong way of practice on the part either of a householder or one gone forth; for whether it be a householder or one gone forth, one who has entered on the wrong way of practice, by reason of his wrong way of practice, is not accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome. I praise the right way of practice on the part either of a householder or one gone forth; for whether it be a householder or one gone forth, one who has entered on the right way of practice, by reason of his right way of practice
, is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.”
5. “Master Gotama, the brahmins say this: ‘Since the work of the household life involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, it is of great fruit. Since the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, it is of small fruit.’ What does Master Gotama say about this?”
“Again, student, I speak about this after making an analysis; I do not speak about this one-sidedly. There is work involving a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, which, when it fails, is of small fruit. There is work involving a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit. There is work involving a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, which, when it fails, is of small fruit. There is work involving a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit.
6. “What, [198] student, is that work involving a great deal of activity…which, when it fails, is of small fruit? Agriculture is that work involving a great deal of activity…which, when it fails, is of small fruit. And what, student, is that work involving a great deal of activity…which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit? Agriculture again is that work involving a great deal of activity…which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit. And what, student, is that work involving a small amount of activity… which, when it fails, is of small fruit? Trade is that work involving a small amount of activity…which, when it fails, is of small fruit.910 And what, student, is that work involving a small amount of activity…which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit? Trade again is that work involving a small amount of activity…which, when it succeeds, is of great fruit.
7. “Just as agriculture, student, is work that involves a great deal of activity…but is of small fruit when it fails, so the work of the household life involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, but is of small fruit when it fails. Just as agriculture is work that involves a great deal of activity…and is of great fruit when it succeeds, so the work of the household life involves a great deal of activity, great functions, great engagements, and great undertakings, and is of great fruit when it succeeds. Just as trade is work that involves a small amount of activity…and is of small fruit when it fails, so the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, and is of small fruit when it fails. Just as trade is work that involves a small amount of activity…but is of great fruit when it succeeds, so [199] the work of those gone forth involves a small amount of activity, small functions, small engagements, and small undertakings, but is of great fruit when it succeeds.”
8. “Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe five things for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome.”
“If it is not troublesome for you, student, please state in this assembly the five things that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome.”
“It is not troublesome for me, Master Gotama, when such venerable ones as yourself and others are sitting [in the assembly].”
“Then state them, student.”
9. “Master Gotama, truth is the first thing that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome. Asceticism is the second thing…Celibacy is the third thing…Study is the fourth thing…Generosity is the fifth thing that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome. These are the five things that the brahmins prescribe for the performance of merit, for accomplishing the wholesome. What does Master Gotama say about this?”
“How then, student,911 among the brahmins is there even a single brahmin who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct knowledge’?”—“No, Master Gotama.”
“How then, student, among the brahmins is there even a single teacher or teacher’s teacher back to the seventh generation of teachers who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct know ledge’?”—“No, Master Gotama.” [200]
“How then, student, the ancient brahmin seers, the creators of the hymns, the composers of the hymns, whose ancient hymns that were formerly chanted, uttered, and compiled the brahmins nowadays still chant and repeat, repeating what was spoken, reciting what was recited—that is, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vess̄mitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bh̄radv̄ja, V̄sẹ̣ha, Kassapa, and Bhagu—did even these ancient brahmin seers say thus: ‘We declare the result of these five things having realised it ourselves with direct knowledge’?”—“No, Master Gotama.”
“So, student, it seems that among the brahmins there is not even a single brahmin who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct knowledge. ’ And among the brahmins there is not even a single teacher or a single teacher’s teacher back to the seventh generation of teachers, who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct knowledge.’ And the ancient brahmin seers, the creators of the hymns, the composers of the hymns…even these ancient brahmin seers did not say thus: ‘We declare the result of these five things having realised it ourselves with direct knowledge.’ Suppose there were a file of blind men each in touch with the next: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. So too, student, in regard to their statement the brahmins seem to be like a file of blind men: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see.”
10. When this was said, the brahmin student Subha, Todeyya’s son, was angry and displeased with the simile of the file of blind men, and he reviled, disparaged, and censured the Blessed One, saying: “The recluse Gotama will be worsted.” Then he said to the Blessed One: “Master Gotama, the brahmin Pokkharasāti of the Upamaññā clan, lord of the Subhaga Grove, says thus:912 ‘Some recluses and brahmins here claim superhuman states, distinctions in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. But what they say [201] turns out to be ridiculous; it turns out to be mere words, empty and hollow. For how could a human being know or see or realise a superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones? That is impossible.’”
11. “How then, student, does the brahmin Pokkharas̄ti understand the minds of all recluses and brahmins, having encompassed them with his own mind?”
“Master Gotama, the brahmin Pokkharasāti does not even understand the mind of his slavewoman Pụ̣ik̄, having encompassed it with his own mind, so how could he understand thus the minds of all recluses and brahmins?”
12. “Student, suppose there were a man born blind who could not see dark and light forms, who could not see blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms, who could not see what was even and uneven, who could not see the stars or the sun and moon. He might say thus: ‘There are no dark and light forms, and no one who sees dark and light forms; there are no blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms, and no one who sees blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms; there is nothing even and uneven, and no one who sees anything even and uneven; there are no stars and no sun and moon, and no one who sees stars and the sun and moon. I do not know these, I do not see these, therefore these do not exist.’ Speaking thus, student, would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, Master Gotama. There are dark and light forms, and those who see dark and light forms…there are the stars and the sun and moon, and those who see the stars and the sun and moon. [202] Saying, ‘I do not know these, I do not see these, therefore these do not exist,’ he would not be speaking rightly.”
13. “So too, student, the brahmin Pokkharasāti is blind and visionless. That he could know or see or realise a superhuman state, a distinction in knowl
edge and vision worthy of the noble ones—this is impossible. What do you think, student? What is better for those well-to-do brahmins of Kosala such as the brahmin Cankī, the brahmin Tārukkha, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi, or your father, the brahmin Todeyya—that the statements they make accord with worldly convention or flaunt worldly convention?”—“That they accord with worldly convention, Master Gotama.”
“What is better for them, that the statements they make be thoughtful or thoughtless?”—“Thoughtful, Master Gotama.”—“What is better for them, that they make their statements after reflecting or without reflecting?”—“After reflecting, Master Gotama.”—“What is better for them, that the statements they make be beneficial or unbeneficial?”—“Beneficial, Master Gotama.”
14. “What do you think, student? If that is so, did the statement made by the brahmin Pokkharasāti accord with worldly convention or flaunt worldly convention?”—“It flaunted worldly convention, Master Gotama.”—“Was the statement made thoughtful or thoughtless?”—“Thoughtless, Master Gotama.”—“Was the statement made after reflecting or without reflecting?”—“Without reflecting, Master Gotama.”—“Was the statement made beneficial or unbeneficial?”—“Unbeneficial, Master Gotama.” [203]