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and so the second, and so the third, and so the fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, the entire world, with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, pervading, he dwelled. Nimi, Ananda, the king, for eighty-four thousand years played as a prince, for eighty-four thousand years he ruled as viceroy, for eighty-four thousand years he reigned as king, for eighty-four thousand years, in this very Maghadeva mango grove, having gone forth from home to homelessness, he lived the holy life. He, having developed the four divine abodes, at the breaking up of the body, after death, became one bound for the Brahma world. To King Nimi, Ananda, there was a son named Kaḷārajanaka. He did not go forth from home to homelessness. He cut off that good practice. He was the last of them. 316. "It might be, Ananda, that you would think: 'Surely, at that time, King Maghadeva was someone else, by whom that good practice was established.' But, Ananda, it should not be seen thus. I, at that time, was King Maghadeva. That good practice was established by me; later generations continued it. But that good practice, Ananda, did not lead to disenchantment, nor to dispassion, nor to cessation, nor to peace, nor to direct knowledge, nor to full enlightenment, nor to Nibbana, but only to rebirth in the Brahma world. But this good practice, Ananda, established by me now, leads exclusively to disenchantment, to... It leads to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. And what, Ānanda, is this good practice laid down by me, which leads to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, namely – Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. This, Ānanda, is the good practice laid down by me, which leads to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. Therefore, Ānanda, I say to you thus: 'You should continue to practice this good practice laid down by me, do not be my last men.' For in whatever generation of men, Ānanda, such a good practice is cut off, those are the last men. Therefore, Ānanda, I say to you thus: 'You should continue to practice this good practice laid down by me, do not be my last men.' Thus spoke the Blessed One. Delighted, Venerable Ānanda rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Maghadeva Sutta, the third, is finished. 4. The Madhura Sutta 317. Thus have I heard – on one occasion, the Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying in Madhurā, in the Gundā Grove. Now King Madhura, son of Avanti, heard: 'Indeed, good sirs, the ascetic Kaccāna is staying in Madhurā, in the Gundā Grove. And indeed, such a good reputation has arisen concerning the Venerable Kaccāna: 'He is wise, skilled, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, with excellent discernment, an elder, and an Arahant.' 'It is good indeed to see such Arahants.' Then King Madhura, son of Avanti, had splendid carriages harnessed, mounted a splendid carriage, and set out from Madhurā with splendid carriages, with great royal pomp, towards the Venerable to see the venerable Mahākaccāna. As far as the ground for the vehicle, he went by vehicle, descended from the vehicle, and on foot approached the venerable Mahākaccāna; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Mahākaccāna. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, King Madhura, son of Avanti, said this to the venerable Mahākaccāna – “Brahmins, good Kaccāna, say this – ‘Brahmins are the highest caste, other castes are low; Brahmins are the fair caste, other castes are dark; Brahmins alone are purified, not non-Brahmins; Brahmins alone are the legitimate sons of Brahmā, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.’ What does your good self, Kaccāna, say about this?” “This, great king, is merely a declaration in the world – ‘Brahmins are the highest caste, other castes are low; Brahmins are the fair caste, other castes are dark; Brahmins alone are purified, not non-Brahmins; Brahmins alone are the legitimate sons of Brahmā, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.’ And by this method, great king, it should be understood that this is merely a declaration in the world – ‘Brahmins are the highest caste, other castes are low… and so on… heirs of Brahmā.’” 318. “What do you think, great king, if a khattiya were to prosper with wealth, or grain, or silver, or gold, would a khattiya serve him, rising before him, lying down after him, doing his bidding, acting agreeably, speaking pleasantly… …would a brahmin serve him… …would a vessa serve him… …would a sudda serve him, rising before him, lying down after him, doing his bidding, acting agreeably, speaking pleasantly?” “If a khattiya were to prosper, good Kaccāna, with wealth, or grain, or silver, or gold, a khattiya would serve him, rising before him, lying down after him, doing his bidding, acting agreeably, speaking pleasantly… …a brahmin would serve him… …a vessa would serve him… …a sudda would serve him, rising before him, lying down after him, doing his bidding, acting agreeably, speaking pleasantly.” “What do you think, What do you think, great king? If a brahmin should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, would a brahmin rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly? Would a merchant? Would a worker? Would a warrior rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly? “If a brahmin, Master Kaccāna, should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, a brahmin would rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly. A merchant would. A worker would. A warrior would rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly.” “What do you think, great king? If a merchant should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, would a merchant rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly? Would a worker? Would a warrior? Would a brahmin rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly?” “If a merchant, Master Kaccāna, should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, a merchant would rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly. A worker would. A warrior would. A brahmin would rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly.” “What do you think, great king? If a worker should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, would a worker rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly? Would a warrior? Would a brahmin? Would a merchant rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, speak kindly?” “If a worker, Master Kaccāna, should desire wealth or grain, silver or gold, a worker would rise before him, lie down after him, do what he asks, act pleasingly, a pleasant speaker… a khattiya would be, a brahmin would be, a vessa would be an early riser, a late sleeper, one who does what is asked, one who acts agreeably, a pleasant speaker.” “What do you think, great king, if this is so, are these four classes equal or not? How does it seem to you here?” “Indeed, Master Kaccāna, if this is so, these four classes are equal. I see no difference among them here.” “By this method too, great king, it should be understood that this is merely a sound in the world – ‘the brahmin class is the best class, other classes are inferior… heirs of Brahmā.’” “What do you think, great king, if there were a khattiya here who is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given, a wrongdoer in sensual pleasures, a speaker of falsehoods, a slanderer, a harsh speaker, a frivolous talker, covetous, with an ill will, with wrong view, would he, upon the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell, or not? How does it seem to you here?” “Indeed, Master Kaccāna, a khattiya who is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given, a wrongdoer in sensual pleasures, a speaker of falsehoods, a slanderer, a harsh speaker, a frivolous talker, covetous, with an ill will, with wrong view, would, upon the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. This is how it seems to me here, and this is what I have heard from the Arahants.” “Excellent, excellent, great king! Excellent it is for you, great king, that it seems this way, and excellent it is that you have heard this from the Arahants. What do you think, great king, if there were a brahmin here… if there were a vessa here… if there were a sudda here who is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given… with wrong view, would he, upon the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell, or not? How does it seem to you here?” “Indeed, Master Kaccāna, a sudda who is a killer of living beings, a taker of what is not given… with wrong view, would, upon the breakup of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell.” would be reborn. Thus it is for me in this matter, and thus have I heard it from the Arahants.” “Excellent, excellent, great king! Excellent it is for you, great king, that thus it is for you, and excellent it is that thus you have heard it from the Arahants. What do you think, great king, if this is so, are these four classes equal or not? Or how is it for you in this matter?” “Indeed, good Kaccāna, if this is so, these four classes are equal.