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3. The Ambaṭṭha Sutta 254. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering in Kosala with a large community of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus, and arrived at a Kosalan brahmin village named Icchānaṅgala. There the Blessed One dwelt in Icchānaṅgala, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. The Story of Pokkharasāti 255. Now at that time the brahmin Pokkharasāti was dwelling in Ukkaṭṭha, a populous, grassy, woody, watery, and fertile royal domain, given by King Pasenadi of Kosala, a royal gift, a brahmin gift. The brahmin Pokkharasāti heard: “Indeed, good sirs, the recluse Gotama, a Sakyan, gone forth from the Sakyan clan, while wandering in Kosala with a large community of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus, has arrived at Icchānaṅgala and is dwelling in Icchānaṅgala, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. Now a good report concerning that Master Gotama has spread thus: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ He declares this world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its devas and humans, having realized it himself through direct knowledge. He teaches the Dhamma good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; he proclaims the perfectly complete and purified holy life. It is good indeed to see such Arahants.” The Young Man Ambaṭṭha 256. Now at that time the brahmin Pokkharasāti had a young man named Ambaṭṭha as his pupil, a reciter, a mantra-holder, master of the three Vedas, with their vocabularies and rituals, their phonology and etymologies, and as the fifth, the histories. a debater, an expounder, skilled in the signs of a great man according to the lore of the world, not deficient, acknowledged and recognized in his own traditional teaching of the three Vedas— “What I know, you know; what you know, I know.” 257. Then the brahmin Pokkharasāti addressed the young man Ambaṭṭha: “This ascetic Gotama, my dear Ambaṭṭha, a Sakyan, gone forth from the Sakyan clan, wandering in Kosala with a great community of monks, with five hundred monks, has arrived at Icchānaṅgala, and is staying in Icchānaṅgala, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. And concerning that venerable Gotama, such a good report has spread: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ He, having realized it for himself through direct knowledge, proclaims this world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans. He teaches the Dhamma beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end, with meaning and with letter, he proclaims the perfectly complete and purified holy life. It is good to see such Arahants. Come, my dear Ambaṭṭha, go to where the ascetic Gotama is; having gone, find out about the ascetic Gotama, whether that venerable Gotama is truly as the report has spread, or not so. Whether that venerable Gotama is such, or not such, we shall thus know that venerable Gotama.” 258. “But how, sir, shall I know that venerable Gotama— ‘whether that venerable Gotama is truly as the report has spread, or not so. Whether that venerable Gotama is such, or not such’?” “There have come down to us, my dear Ambaṭṭha, in our mantras, the thirty-two signs of a great man, endowed with which a great man has only two destinies: these destinies are not otherwise. If he dwells in a house, he becomes a Wheel-turning King, righteous, a king of righteousness, conquering the four quarters, having attained stability in the countryside, endowed with the seven jewels. These seven jewels are his: namely, the wheel-jewel, the elephant-jewel, the horse-jewel, the gem-jewel, the woman-jewel, the householder-jewel, and the adviser-jewel, the seventh. And he has more than a thousand sons, heroic, of valiant form, crushing enemy armies. He conquers this earth, bounded by the ocean, without rod, without weapon, by righteousness, and dwells therein. But if he goes forth from the home to the homeless life, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, one who has removed the veil in the world. Indeed, I, my dear Ambaṭṭha, am the giver of mantras; you are the receiver of mantras.” 259. “Yes, sir,” said the young man Ambaṭṭha, agreeing with the Brahmin Pokkharasāti. He rose from his seat, saluted the Brahmin Pokkharasāti, circumambulated him respectfully, mounted a chariot drawn by mares, and together with many young men, he set off towards the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. As far as the road went, he went by vehicle, then dismounted from the vehicle, and entered the park on foot. At that time, many bhikkhus were walking in the open air. Then the young man Ambaṭṭha approached those bhikkhus; having approached, he said to them: “Where, sirs, does the Venerable Gotama now reside? We have come here to see the Venerable Gotama.” 260. Then it occurred to those bhikkhus: “This young man Ambaṭṭha is of a well-known family, and he is a pupil of the well-known Brahmin Pokkharasāti. The Blessed One does not find it difficult to converse with such young men of good family.” They said to the young man Ambaṭṭha: “Ambaṭṭha, that monastery has a closed door. Go there quietly, without hurrying, enter the porch, clear your throat and knock on the bolt, the Blessed One will open the door for you." 261. Then Ambaṭṭha the student, approached the monastery with its closed door, silently, entered the porch unhurriedly, cleared his throat, and knocked on the bolt. The Blessed One opened the door. Ambaṭṭha the student entered. The students also entered, and exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and after exchanging courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. But Ambaṭṭha the student, even while walking, exchanged some memorable talk with the Blessed One who was seated; even while standing, he exchanged some memorable talk with the Blessed One who was seated. 262. Then the Blessed One said to Ambaṭṭha the student: "Is it so, Ambaṭṭha, that your conversation with Brahmins, who are old, venerable, and your teachers and preceptors, is like this, that you exchange some memorable talk with me, who am seated, while you are walking or standing?" The First Low-Born Discourse 263. "No indeed, good Gotama. For, good Gotama, a Brahmin may converse with a Brahmin while walking with a walking one; or, good Gotama, a Brahmin may converse with a Brahmin while standing with a standing one; or, good Gotama, a Brahmin may converse with a Brahmin while seated with a seated one; or, good Gotama, a Brahmin may converse with a Brahmin while lying down with a lying one. But as for those, good Gotama, bald-headed ascetics, low-born, dark-skinned, offspring of the Buddha's feet, my conversation with them is like this, just as it is with the good Gotama." "You had a purpose, Ambaṭṭha, in coming here; whatever purpose you came for, you should carefully attend to that purpose. This Ambaṭṭha the student, good sir, is unaccomplished, yet he considers himself accomplished. What else but unaccomplished..." dwelling.” 264. Then the young man Ambaṭṭha, being called a non-dweller by the Blessed One, became angry and displeased. He reviled the Blessed One, he disparaged the Blessed One, he reproached the Blessed One, saying: “The ascetic Gotama will be a wicked one to me!” He said this to the Blessed One: “Fierce, good Gotama, is the Sakyan clan; harsh, good Gotama, is the Sakyan clan; light, good Gotama, is the Sakyan clan; talkative, good Gotama, is the Sakyan clan. Though they are low-born, though they are low-born, they do not honor brahmins, they do not respect brahmins, they do not revere brahmins, they do not worship brahmins, they do not pay homage to brahmins. This, good Gotama, is not fitting, this is not proper, that these Sakyans, though they are low-born, though they are low-born, do not honor brahmins, do not respect brahmins, do not revere brahmins, do not worship brahmins, do not pay homage to brahmins.” Thus, the young man Ambaṭṭha uttered this first accusation of low birth against the Sakyans. Second Accusation of Low Birth 265. “But what, Ambaṭṭha, have the Sakyans done wrong to you?” “Once, good Gotama, I went to Kapilavatthu for some business of my teacher, the brahmin Pokkharasāti. I approached the Sakyans’ assembly hall. At that time, many Sakyans and Sakyan youths were seated on high seats in the assembly hall, laughing and playing with each other, poking each other with their fingers, and I think they were laughing at me in particular. No one even invited me to a seat. This, good Gotama, is not fitting, this is not proper, that these Sakyans, though they are low-born, though they are low-born, do not honor brahmins, do not respect brahmins, do not revere brahmins, do not worship brahmins, do not pay homage to brahmins.” Thus, the young man Ambaṭṭha uttered this second accusation of low birth against the Sakyans. he cast down the accusation. The Third Accusation of Rudeness 266. "Even a little quail, Ambaṭṭha, in her own nest, sings as she pleases. This Kapilavatthu, Ambaṭṭha, belongs to the Sakyas; it is not fitting, venerable Ambaṭṭha, that you should insult them with such a trifle." "There are these four castes, good Gotama – Khattiyas, Brahmins, Vessas, Suddas. Of these four castes, good Gotama, three castes – Khattiyas, Vessas, and Suddas – are merely servants of the Brahmins. Therefore, good Gotama, it is not proper, it is not fitting, that these Sakyas, being rude, being boorish, do not honor Brahmins, do not respect Brahmins, do not revere Brahmins, do not worship Brahmins, do not show deference to Brahmins.