9. VASETTHASUTTA.
A dispute arose between two young men, Bharadvaga and Vasettha, the former
contending man to be a Bramana by birth, the latter by deeds. They agreed to
go and ask Samana Gotama, and he answered that man is a Bramana by his work
only. The two young men are converted.--Text (from Magghimanikaya) and
translation in Alwis's Buddhist Nirvana, p. 103.
So it was heard by me:
At one time Bhagavat dwelt at Ikkhanamkala, in the Ikkhanamkala forest. At
that time many distinguished,
[1. Etadiso vinabhavo.]
p. 109
wealthy Bramanas lived at Ikkhanamkala, as the Bramana Kamkin, the Bramana
Tarukkha, the Bramana Pokkharasati, the Brahmana Ganussoni, the Bramana Todeyya,
and other distinguished, wealthy Bramanas.
Then this dialogue arose between the young men Vasettha and Bharadvaga while
walking about:
'How does one become a Bramana?'
The young man Bharadvaga said: 'When one is noble by birth on both sides, on
the mother's and on the father's side, of pure conception up to the seventh
generation of ancestors, not discarded and not reproached in point of birth, in
this way one is a Bramana.'
The young man Vasettha said: 'When one is virtuous and endowed with (holy)
works, in this way he is a Bramana.'
Neither could the young man Bharadvaga convince the young man Vasettha, nor
could the young man Vasettha convince the young man Bharadvaga. Then the young
man Vasettha addressed the young man Bharadvaga: 'O Bharadvaga, this Samana
Gotama, the Sakya son, gone out from the Sakya family, dwells at Ikkhanamkala,
in the forest of Ikkhanamkala, and the following good praising words met the
venerable Gotama: "And so he is Bhagavat, the venerable, the enlightened, the
glorious, let us go, O venerable Bharadvaga, let us go (to the place) where the
Samana Gotama is, and having gone there let us ask the Samana Gotama about this
matter, and as the Samana Gotama replies so will we understand it."'
'Very well, O venerable one;' so the young man Bharadvaga answered the young
man Vasettha.
p. 110
Then the young men Vasettha and Bharadvaga went (to the place) where Bhagavat
was, and having gone, they talked pleasantly with Bhagavat, and after having had
some pleasant and remarkable conversation (with him) they sat down apart.
Sitting down apart the young man Vasettha addressed Bhagavat in stanzas:
1. 'We are accepted and acknowledged masters of the three Vedas[1], I am (a
pupil) of Pokkharasati, and this young man is (the pupil) of Tarukkha. (594)
2. 'We are accomplished in all the knowledge propounded by those who are
acquainted with the three Vedas, we are padakas (versed in the metre),
veyyakaranas (grammarians?), and equal to our teachers in recitation (gappa)[2].
(595)
3. 'We have a controversy regarding (the distinctions of) birth, O Gotama!
Bharadvaga says, one is a Bramana by birth, and I say, by deeds; know this, O
thou clearly-seeing! (596)
4. 'We are both unable to convince each other, (therefore) we have come to
ask thee (who art) celebrated as perfectly enlightened. (597)
5. 'As people adoring the full moon worship (her) with uplifted clasped
hands, so (they worship) Gotama in the world. (598)
6. 'We ask Gotama who has come as an eye to the world: Is a man a Brahmana by
birth, or is he so
[1. Anuññatapatiññata
Tevigga mayam asm' ubho.
2. Tevigganam[*] yad akkhatam
Tatra kevalino 'smase,
Padak' asma veyyakarana,
Gappe[+] akariyasadisa.
*. Tevigganam = tivedanam. Commentator; but compare v. 63.
+. Gappe = vede. Commentator.]
p. 111
by deeds? Tell us who do not know, that we may know a Bramana.' (599)
7. 'I will explain to you, O Vasettha,'--so said Bhagavat,--'in due order the
exact distinction of living beings according to species, for their species are
manifold. (600)
8. 'Know ye the grass and the trees, although they do not exhibit (it), the
marks that constitute species are for them, and (their) species are manifold.
(601)
9. 'Then (know ye) the worms, and the moths, and the different sorts of ants,
the marks that constitute species are for them, and (their) species are
manifold. (602)
10. 'Know ye also the four-footed (animals), small and great, the marks that
constitute species are for them, and (their) species are manifold. (603)
11. 'Know ye also the serpents, the long-backed snakes, the marks that
constitute species are for them, and (their) species are manifold. (604)
12. 'Then know ye also the fish which range in the water, the marks that
constitute species are for them, and (their) species are manifold. (605)
13. 'Then know ye also the birds that are borne along on wings and move
through the air, the marks that constitute species are for them, and (their)
species are manifold. (606)
14. 'As in these species the marks that constitute species are abundant, so
in men the marks that constitute species are not abundant. (607)
15. 'Not as regards their hair, head, ears, eyes, mouth, nose, lips, or
brows, (608)
16. 'Nor as regards their neck, shoulders, belly, back, hip, breast, female
organ, sexual intercourse, (609)
p. 112
17. 'Nor as regards their hands, feet, palms, nails, calves, thighs, colour,
or voice are there marks that constitute species as in other species. (610)
18. 'Difference there is in beings endowed with bodies, but amongst men this
is not the case, the difference amongst men is nominal (only)[1]. (611)
19. 'For whoever amongst men lives by cowkeeping,--know this, O Vasettha,--he
is a husbandman, not a Bramana.' (612)
20. 'And whoever amongst men lives by different mechanical arts,--know this,
O Vasettha,--he is an artisan, not a Bramana. (613)
21. 'And whoever amongst men lives by trade,--know this, O Vasettha,--he is a
merchant, not a Bramana. (614)
22. And whoever amongst men lives by serving others,--know this, O
Vasettha,--he is a servant, not a Brahmana. (615)
23. 'And whoever amongst men lives by theft,--know this, O Vasettha,--he is a
thief, not a Brahmana. (616)
24. 'And whoever amongst men lives by archery,--know this, O Vasettha,--he is
a soldier, not a Bramana. (617)
25. 'And whoever amongst men lives by performing household ceremonials,--know
this, O Vasettha,--he is a sacrificer, not a Bramana. (618)
26. 'And whoever amongst men possesses villages and countries,--know this, O
Vasettha,--he is a king, not a Bramana. (619)
[1. Pakkattam sasarîresu,
Manussesv-etam na viggati,
Vokarañ ka manussesu
Samaññaya pavukkati.]
p. 113
27. 'And I do not call one a Bramana on account of his birth or of his origin
from (a particular) mother; he may be called bhovadi, and he may be wealthy,
(but) the one who is possessed of nothing and seizes upon nothing, him I call a
Brahmana[1]. (620)
28. 'Whosoever, after cutting all bonds, does not tremble, has shaken off
(all) ties and is liberated, him I call a Bramana. (621)
29. 'The man who, after cutting the strap (i.e. enmity), the thong (i.e.
attachment), and the rope (i.e. scepticism) with all that pertains to it, has
destroyed (all) obstacles (i.e. ignorance), the enlightened (buddha), him I call
a Bramana. (622)
30. 'Whosoever, being innocent, endures reproach, blows, and bonds, the man
who is strong in (his) endurance and has for his army this strength, him I call
a Bramana. (623)
31. 'The man who is free from anger, endowed with (holy) works, virtuous,
without desire, subdued, and wearing the last body, him I call a Brahmana. (624)
32. 'The man who, like water on a lotus leaf, or a mustard seed on the point
of a needle, does not cling to sensual pleasures, him I call a Brahmana. (625)
33. 'The man who knows in this world the destruction of his pain, who has
laid aside (his) burden, and is liberated, him I call a Bramana. (626)
34. 'The man who has a profound understanding, who is wise, who knows the
true way and the wrong way, who has attained the highest good, him I call a
Bramana. (627)
[1. Comp. Dhp. v. 396, &c.]
p. 114
35. 'The man who does not mix with householders nor with the houseless, who
wanders about without a house, and who has few wants, him I call a Brahmana.
(628)
36. 'Whosoever, after refraining from hurting (living) creatures, (both)
those that tremble and those that are strong, does not kill or cause to be
killed, him I call a Bramana. (629)
37. 'The man who is not hostile amongst the hostile, who is peaceful amongst
the violent, not seizing (upon anything) amongst those that seize (upon
everything), him I call a Bramana. (630)
38. 'The man whose passion and hatred, arrogance and hypocrisy have dropt
like a mustard seed from the point of a needle, him I call a Bramana. (631)
39. 'The man that utters true speech, instructive and free from harshness, by
which he does not offend any one, him I call a Bramana. (632)
40. 'Whosoever in the world does not take what has not been given (to him),
be it long or short, small or large, good or bad, him I call a Brahmana. (633)
41. 'The man who has no desire for this world or the next, who is desireless
and liberated, him I call a Bramana. (634)
42. 'The man who has no desire, who knowingly is free from doubt; and has
attained the depth of immortality, him I call a Bramana. (635)
43. 'Whosoever in this world has overcome good and evil, both ties, who is
free from grief and defilement, and is pure, him I call a Bramana. (636)
44. 'The man that is stainless like the moon, pure, serene, and undisturbed,
who has destroyed joy, him I call a Bramana. (637)
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45. 'Whosoever has passed over this quagmire difficult to pass, (who has
passed over) revolution (samsara) and folly, who has crossed over, who has
reached the other shore, who is meditative, free from desire and doubt, calm
without seizing (upon anything), him I call a Bramana. (638)
46. 'Whosoever in this world, after abandoning sensual pleasures, wanders
about houseless, and has destroyed the existence of sensual pleasures
(kamabhava), him I call a Bramana. (639)
47. 'Whosoever in this world, after abandoning desire, wanders about
houseless, and has destroyed the existence of desire (tanhabhava), him I call a
Bramana. (640)
48. 'Whosoever, after leaving human attachment (yoga), has overcome divine
attachment, and is liberated from all attachment, him I call a Brahmana. (641)
49. 'The man that, after leaving pleasure and disgust, is calm and free from
the elements of existence (nirupadhi), who is a hero, and has conquered all the
world, him I call a Bramana. (642)
50. 'Whosoever knows wholly the vanishing and reappearance of beings, does
not cling to (anything); is happy (sugata), and enlightened, him I call a
Bramana. (643)
51. 'The man whose way neither gods nor Gandhabbas nbr men know, and whose
passions are destroyed, who is a saint, him I call a Bramana. (644)
52. 'The man for whom there is nothing, neither before nor after nor in the
middle, who possesses nothing, and does not seize (upon anything), him I call a
Bramana. (645)
53. 'The (man that is undaunted like a) bull, who
p. 116
is eminent, a hero, a great sage (mahesi), victorious, free from desire,
purified, enlightened, him I call a Bramana. (646)
54. 'The man who knows his former dwellings, who sees both heaven and hell,
and has reached the destruction of births, him I call a Bramana. (647)
55. 'For what has been designated as "name" and "family" in the world is only
a term, what has been designated here and there is understood by common
consent[1]. (648)
56. 'Adhered to for a long time are the views of the ignorant, the ignorant
tell us, one is a Bramana by birth. (649)
57. 'Not by birth is one a Bramana, nor is one by birth no Bramana; by work
(kammana) one is a Bramana, by work one is no Bramana. (650)
58. 'By work one is a husbandman, by work one is an artisan, by work one is a
merchant, by work one is a servant. (651)
59. 'By work one is a thief, by work one is a soldier, by work one is a
sacrificer, by work one is a king. (652)
60. 'So the wise, who see the cause of things and understand the result of
work, know this work as it really is[2]. (653)
61. 'By work the world exists, by work mankind
[1. Samañña h' esa lokasmim
Namagottam pakappitam,
Sammukka samudagatam
Tattha tattha pakappitam.
2. Evam etam yathabhûtam
Kammam passanti pandita
Patikkasamuppadadasa
Kammavipakakovida.]
p. 117
exists, beings are bound by work as the linch-pin of the rolling cart (keeps the
wheel on)[1]. (654)
62. 'By penance, by a religious life, by self-restraint, and by temperance,
by this one is a Bramana, such a one (they call) the best Bramana. (655)
63. 'He who is endowed with the threefold knowledge[2], is calm, and has
destroyed regeneration,--know this, O Vasettha,--he is to the wise Brahman and
Sakka.' (656)
This having been said, the young men Vasettha and Bharadvaga spoke to
Bhagavat as follows:
'It is excellent, O venerable Gotama! It is excellent, O venerable Gotama! As
one raises what has been overthrown, or reveals what has been hidden, or tells
the way to him who has gone astray, or holds out an oil lamp in the dark that
those who have eyes may see the objects, even so by the venerable Gotama in
manifold ways the Dhamma has been illustrated; we take refuge in the venerable
Gotama, in the Dhamma, and in the Assembly of Bhikkhus; may the venerable Gotama
receive us as followers (upasaka), who from this day for life have taken refuge
(in him).'
Vasetthasutta is ended.
[1. Kammana vattatî loko,
Kammana vattatî paga,
Kammanibandhana satta
Rathasanîva yayato.
2. Tîhi viggahi sampanno.]
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