English
Not by mouth, not by nose, not by lips or eyebrows. "Not by neck, not by shoulders, not by belly, not by back; Not by hips, not by chest. , not in confinement, not in sexual intercourse. Not by hands, not by feet, Nor by fingers, nor by nails; Not by shanks, nor by thighs, Nor by color, nor by voice; No birthmark is there, As in other species. 457. And in their own bodies, Among humans, this is not found; And the distinction among humans, Is spoken of by convention. Whoever among humans, Lives by cattle-keeping; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a farmer, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by various crafts; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a craftsman, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by trade; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a merchant, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by serving others; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a servant, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by taking what is not given; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a thief, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by archery; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a warrior, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Lives by priesthood; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a sacrificer, not a brahmin. Whoever among humans, Enjoys a village and a kingdom; Know this, Vāseṭṭha, He is a king, not a brahmin. I do not call one a brahmin, Born from a womb, from a mother; He is called a "Bhovādi", If he has possessions; One who is possessionless, without grasping, Him I call a brahmin. 458. Having cut all fetters, Who truly does not tremble; One who has gone beyond attachments, unbound, Him I call a brahmin. Having cut the strap, the thong, The rope with its attachments; One who has lifted the bar, awakened, Him I call a brahmin. Abuse, assault, and bondage, Who endures without ill-will; Whose strength is patience, whose army is strength, Him I call a brahmin. Brahmin. One who is not angry, who is dutiful, who is virtuous, without arrogance; who is tamed, bearing the final body, him I call a brahmin. Like water on a lotus leaf, or a mustard seed on an awl's point; he who is not stained by sensual pleasures, him I call a brahmin. He who understands suffering, and here, its own destruction; who has laid down the burden, is disjoined, him I call a brahmin. Deep in wisdom, intelligent, skilled in the path and the not-path; who has attained the highest goal, him I call a brahmin. Unmingled with householders, and with the homeless ones too; who wanders without a home, with few desires, him I call a brahmin. Having laid down the rod for all beings, for the trembling and the firm; he who neither kills nor causes to kill, him I call a brahmin. Unopposed among the opposed, peaceful among those with weapons; ungrasping among those who grasp, him I call a brahmin. He whose passion and hatred, pride and hypocrisy are laid aside; like a mustard seed from an awl's point, him I call a brahmin. 459. Who utters speech that is not harsh, that is informative, truthful; by which no one is offended, him I call a brahmin. He who, whether long or short, subtle or gross, fair or foul; takes nothing in the world that is not given, him I call a brahmin. He who has no longings, in this world or the next; free from longings, disjoined, him I call a brahmin. He who has no attachments, who, knowing, is free from doubt; who has attained the Deathless's depth, him I call a brahmin. He who here, both merit and demerit, has transcended both attachments; sorrowless, dustless, pure, him I call a brahmin. Like the moon, spotless, pure, perfectly clear, unclouded; whose delight in existence is exhausted, him I call a brahmin. He who has passed beyond this muddy, difficult path, this wandering, this delusion; crossed over, gone to the other shore, meditative, without agitation, free from doubt; extinguished without clinging, him I call a brahmin. He who here has abandoned sensual pleasures, without... who wanders homeless; Whose sensual existence is exhausted, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Who, having abandoned craving, wanders homeless; Whose craving-existence is exhausted, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Having abandoned human bonds, he transcended divine bonds; Released from all bonds, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Having abandoned delight and non-delight, cooled, without clinging; A hero who has overcome all worlds, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Who knows the passing away and arising of beings in every way; Unattached, well-gone, awakened, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Whose path neither gods, nor gandhabbas, nor humans know; With defilements exhausted, a worthy one, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘For whom there is nothing before, nor after, nor in the middle; Having nothing, without grasping, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘A bull, excellent, a hero, a great sage, victorious; Without agitation, bathed, awakened, him I call a brahmin. ‘‘Who knows his former abodes, and sees heaven and hell; And has attained the destruction of birth, him I call a brahmin. 460. ‘‘This is just a designation in the world, a name and clan conceived; Arisen by convention, conceived here and there. ‘‘Long accustomed to, not understanding the view; Not understanding, they say, by birth one is a brahmin. ‘‘Not by birth is one a brahmin, not by birth is one not a brahmin; By action one is a brahmin, by action one is not a brahmin. ‘‘By action one is a farmer, by action one is an artisan; By action one is a merchant, by action one is a servant. ‘‘By action one is a thief, by action one is a soldier; By action one is a sacrificer, by action one is a king. ‘‘Thus, the wise see this as it truly is, action; Those who see dependent origination, skilled in the results of action. ‘‘ The world revolves by action, People revolve by action; Beings are bound by action, Like the linchpin of a moving chariot. “By austerity and holy life, By self-restraint and taming; By this one becomes a brahmin, This is the supreme brahmin. “Endowed with the three knowledges, Peaceful, with rebirth exhausted; Thus, Vāseṭṭha, know, Brahmā is Sakka, for one who knows.” 461. When this was said, the young brahmins Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, Venerable Gotama! Excellent, Venerable Gotama! Just as, Venerable Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms—even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the Venerable Gotama in many ways. We go for refuge to the Venerable Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May the Venerable Gotama remember us as lay followers who have taken refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts.” The Vāseṭṭha Sutta is finished, the eighth. 9. The Subha Sutta 462. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Now at that time the young brahmin Subha, Todeyya’s son, was residing in Sāvatthī in the dwelling of a certain householder for some purpose. Then the young brahmin Subha, Todeyya’s son, said to that householder in whose dwelling he was residing: “I have heard, householder, that ‘Sāvatthī is not devoid of Arahants.’ Which ascetic or brahmin should we attend upon today?” “This Blessed One, sir, is staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. You should attend upon that Blessed One, sir.” Then the young brahmin Subha, Todeyya’s son, having assented to that householder, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. To one side Subha the young man, Todeyya's son, seated there, said this to the Blessed One: "Brahmins, good Gotama, say this: 'A householder succeeds in the skillful, righteous Dhamma, not one gone forth, not one gone forth succeeds in the skillful, righteous Dhamma.' What does Master Gotama say about this?" "Here, young man, I am one who analyzes; I am not one who makes a categorical statement. I do not praise, young man, the wrong practice of a householder or one gone forth. For a householder, young man, or one gone forth, who is wrongly practicing, because of wrong practice, does not succeed in the skillful, righteous Dhamma. I praise, young man, the right practice of a householder or one gone forth. For a householder, young man, or one gone forth, who is rightly practicing, because of right practice, succeeds in the skillful, righteous Dhamma." "Brahmins, good Gotama, say this: 'This household life, a great task, with great duties, great undertakings, great endeavors, bears great fruit; this going forth, a small task, with small duties, small undertakings, small endeavors, bears small fruit.' What does Master Gotama say about this?" "Here too, young man, I am one who analyzes; I am not one who makes a categorical statement. There is, young man, a task that is great, with great duties, great undertakings, great endeavors, which, when it fails, bears small fruit; there is, young man, a task that is great, with great duties, great undertakings, great endeavors, which, when it succeeds, bears great fruit; there is, young man, a task that is small, with small duties, small undertakings, small endeavors, which, when it fails, bears small fruit; there is, young man, a task that is small, with small duties, small undertakings, small endeavors, which, when it succeeds, bears great fruit. And what, young man, is a task that is great, with great duties, great undertakings, great endeavors, which, when it fails, bears small fruit? Farming, young man, is a task that is great, with great duties... a great task, a great undertaking, a great exertion, when it fails, yields little fruit. And what, young man, is an occupation of great effort, great task, great undertaking, great exertion, when it succeeds, yields great fruit? Indeed, agriculture, young man, is an occupation of great effort, great task,