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they declare wealth for a khattiya, they declare wealth for a vessa, they declare wealth for a sudda. Herein, good Gotama, brahmins declare alms-begging as wealth for a brahmin. And if a brahmin despises alms-begging as wealth, he is one who does not do his duty, like a herdsman taking what is not given. This, good Gotama, brahmins declare as wealth for a brahmin. Herein, good Gotama, brahmins declare the bow and quiver as wealth for a khattiya. And if a khattiya despises the bow and quiver as wealth, he is one who does not do his duty, like a herdsman taking what is not given. This, good Gotama, brahmins declare as wealth for a khattiya. Herein, good Gotama, brahmins declare farming and cattle-herding as wealth for a vessa. And if a vessa despises farming and cattle-herding as wealth, he is one who does not do his duty, like a herdsman taking what is not given. This, good Gotama, brahmins declare as wealth for a vessa. Herein, good Gotama, brahmins declare service and labor as wealth for a sudda. And if a sudda despises service and labor as wealth, he is one who does not do his duty, like a herdsman taking what is not given. This, good Gotama, brahmins declare as wealth for a sudda. Brahmins, good Gotama, declare these four kinds of wealth. What does Master Gotama say about this?" "But, brahmin, does the whole world approve of brahmins declaring these four kinds of wealth?" "No, good Gotama." "Just as, brahmin, a man might be poor, without possessions, without means. And against his will, they might hang a snare for him, saying: 'This, good man, is your meat, eat...'" must be given, and the principal must be given.’ Just so, brahmin, brahmins, without acknowledging those ascetics and brahmins, yet declare these four kinds of wealth. I, brahmin, declare the noble, transcendent Dhamma to be a person’s true wealth. When one recalls their ancient ancestral lineage from mother and father, wherever a being is reborn, by that alone is it counted. If rebirth occurs in a Khattiya family, it is counted as ‘Khattiya’; if rebirth occurs in a brahmin family, it is counted as ‘brahmin’; if rebirth occurs in a Vessa family, it is counted as ‘Vessa’; if rebirth occurs in a Sudda family, it is counted as ‘Sudda’. Just as, brahmin, whatever fuel fire burns by, by that alone it is counted. If fire burns by wood, it is counted as ‘wood-fire’; if fire burns by chips, it is counted as ‘chip-fire’; if fire burns by grass, it is counted as ‘grass-fire’; if fire burns by cow-dung, it is counted as ‘cow-dung-fire’. Just so, I, brahmin, declare the noble, transcendent Dhamma to be a person’s true wealth. When one recalls their ancient ancestral lineage from mother and father, wherever a being is reborn, by that alone is it counted. If rebirth occurs in a Khattiya family, it is counted as ‘Khattiya’; if rebirth occurs in a brahmin family, it is counted as ‘brahmin’; if rebirth occurs in a Vessa family, it is counted as ‘Vessa’; if rebirth occurs in a Sudda family, it is counted as ‘Sudda’. Even if from a Khattiya family, brahmin, One, having gone forth from home to homelessness, and he, having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from unchastity, abstains from false speech, abstains from divisive speech, abstains from harsh speech, abstains from idle chatter, is not covetous, has a mind free from ill-will, has right view, he is a fulfiller of the skillful Dhamma of the method. Even if, brahmin, from a brahmin family one has gone forth from home to homelessness, and he, having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life... ...has right view, he is a fulfiller of the skillful Dhamma of the method. Even if, brahmin, from a merchant family one has gone forth from home to homelessness, and he, having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life... ...has right view, he is a fulfiller of the skillful Dhamma of the method. Even if, brahmin, from a worker family one has gone forth from home to homelessness, and he, having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life... ...has right view, he is a fulfiller of the skillful Dhamma of the method. 442. "What do you think, brahmin, is it only a brahmin who is able to develop a mind of loving-kindness, free from enmity and ill-will, in this regard, and not a khattiya, not a vessa, not a sudda?" "No indeed, Venerable Gotama. Even a khattiya, Venerable Gotama, is able to develop a mind of loving-kindness, free from enmity and ill-will, in this regard; even a brahmin, Venerable Gotama... even a vessa, Venerable Gotama... even a sudda, Venerable Gotama... indeed, all four classes, Venerable Gotama, are able to develop a mind of loving-kindness, free from enmity and ill-will, in this regard." "Even so, brahmin, even if from a khattiya family one has gone forth from home to homelessness, and he, having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life... ...has right view, he is a fulfiller of the skillful Dhamma of the method." he is one who achieves the right, skillful Dhamma. "Even if, brahmin, one from a brahmin family, or a khattiya family, brahmin, or a vessa family, brahmin, or a sudda family, brahmin, has gone forth from home to homelessness, and having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, he abstains from the destruction of life... ...he has right view, he is one who achieves the right, skillful Dhamma. "What do you think, brahmin? Is it only a brahmin who can take a scrubbing brush and go to a river to wash away dirt and grime, and not a khattiya, not a vessa, not a sudda?" "No, indeed, good Gotama. A khattiya, good Gotama, can take a scrubbing brush and go to a river to wash away dirt and grime; a brahmin, good Gotama... a vessa, good Gotama... a sudda, good Gotama... all four castes, good Gotama, can take a scrubbing brush and go to a river to wash away dirt and grime." "Just so, brahmin, even if one from a khattiya family has gone forth from home to homelessness, and having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, he abstains from the destruction of life... ...he has right view, he is one who achieves the right, skillful Dhamma. "Even if, brahmin, one from a brahmin family, or a vessa family, brahmin, or a sudda family, brahmin, has gone forth from home to homelessness, and having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, he abstains from the destruction of life... ...he has right view, he is one who achieves the right, skillful Dhamma. What do you think, brahmin? Suppose here a king, a khattiya, anointed, were to gather a hundred men of various birth— 'Let those gentlemen come, who are born into khattiya families, brahmin families, royal families, and taking an upper fire-stick from a sāk tree, or a sāl tree, or a salaḷa tree, or a candana tree, or a padumaka tree, let them produce fire, let them make light appear; and let those gentlemen come, who are born into caṇḍāla families, nesāda families, vena families, rathakāra families, pukkusa families, from a dog-trough, or a pig-trough, or a washerman's trough, or from castor-wood, taking the upper friction-stick, let them produce fire, let them make light appear? "What do you think, brahmin? Is it that the fire produced and made manifest by taking the upper friction-stick from a sāla tree, or a sālala tree, or a candana tree, or a padumaka tree, by those born into a warrior family, or a brahmin family, or a royal family, is that fire flaming, and radiant, and brilliant, and with that fire one can perform what needs fire? But the fire produced and made manifest by taking the upper friction-stick from a dog-trough, or a pig-trough, or a washerman's trough, or from castor-wood, by those born into a caṇḍāla family, or a nesāda family, or a vena family, or a rathakāra family, or a pukkusa family, is that fire not flaming, not radiant, not brilliant, and with that fire one cannot perform what needs fire?" "No, indeed, good Gotama. For that fire, good Gotama, produced and made manifest by taking the upper friction-stick from a sāla tree, or a sālala tree, or a candana tree, or a padumaka tree, by those born into a warrior family, or a brahmin family, or a royal family, that fire is flaming, and radiant, and brilliant, and with that fire one can perform what needs fire. And that fire, produced and made manifest by taking the upper friction-stick from a dog-trough, or a pig-trough, or a washerman's trough, or from castor-wood, by those born into a caṇḍāla family, or a nesāda family, or a vena family, or a rathakāra family, or a pukkusa family, that fire is flaming, and radiant, and brilliant, and with that fire one can perform what needs fire. For all fire, good Gotama, is flaming, and radiant, and brilliant, and with any fire one can perform what needs fire." "Just so, brahmin, even if one goes forth from home to homelessness from a warrior family, and relying on the Dhamma and Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, abstains from taking life, …he has… right view, he is an achiever of the skillful Dhamma. Even if he is from a brahmin family, O brahmin, even if he is from a merchant family, O brahmin, even if he is from a worker family, O brahmin, having gone forth from home to homelessness, and having come to the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, he abstains from the destruction of life, he abstains from taking what is not given, he abstains from unchastity, he abstains from false speech, he abstains from malicious speech, he abstains from harsh speech, he abstains from frivolous talk, he is not covetous, he is not malevolent in mind, he has right view, he is an achiever of the skillful Dhamma.” When this was said, the brahmin Esukārī said to the Blessed One: