https://legacy.suttacentral.net/en/dn27 wrote:Then the Exalted One said to Vāseṭṭha:
You, Vāseṭṭha, being brahmins by birth and family, have gone forth from a brahmin family, your home,
into the homeless life. Do not the brahmins blame and revile you?
Yea, verily, lord, the brahmins do blame and revile us with characteristic abuse, copious, not at all stinted.
But in what words, Vāseṭṭha, do they so blame you?
The brahmins, lord, say thus: “The brahmin class is the best.”
But in what terms, Vāseṭṭha, do the brahmins blame and censure you to this extent?
The brahmins, lord, say thus: Only a brahmin is of the best social grade; other grades are low. Only a brahmin is of a clear complexion; other complexions are swarthy. Only brahmins are of pure breed; not they that are not of the brahmins. Only brahmins are genuine children of Brahmā, born of his mouth, offspring of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā. As for you, you have renounced the best rank, and have gone over to that low class—to shaven recluses, to the vulgar rich, to them of swarthy skins, to the footborn descendants. Such a course is not good, such a course is not proper, even this, that you, having forsaken that upper class, should associate with an inferior class, to wit, with shaveling friar-folk, menials, swarthy of skin, the offscouring of Our kinsman’s heels. In these terms, lord, do the brahmins blame and revile us with characteristic abuse, copious, not at all stinted.
Surely, Vāseṭṭha, the brahmins have quite forgotten the past (the ancient lore) when they say so? On the contrary, brahminees, the wives of brahmins, are known to be fertile, are seen to be with child
, bringing forth and nursing children. And yet it is these very womb-born brahmins who say that … brahmins are genuine children of Brahmā, born from his mouth; his offspring, his creation, and his heirs! By this they make a travesty of the nature of Brahmā.
It is false what they say, and great is the demerit that they thereby earn.
There are these four classes, Vāseṭṭha: nobles, brahmins, tradesfolk, workpeople. Now here and there a noble deprives a living being of life, is a thief, is unchaste, speaks lies, slanders, uses rough words, is a gossip, or greedy, or malevolent, or holds wrong views. Thus we see that qualities which are immoral and considered to be so, which are blameworthy and considered to be so, which ought not to be sought after and are so considered, which are unworthy of an Ariyan and are so considered, qualities sinister and of sinister effect, discountenanced by the wise, are to be found here and there in such a noble. And we may say as much concerning brahmins, tradesfolk and workpeople.
Again, here and there a noble abstains from murder, theft, inchastity, lying, slandering, gossiping, greed, malevolence and false opinions. Thus we see that qualities which are, and are considered, moral, inoffensive, unexceptional, truly Ariyan, benign and of benign effect, commended by the wise, are to be found here and there in a noble. And we may say as much concerning each of the others—brahmins, tradesfolk
and workpeople.
Now seeing, Vāseṭṭha, that both bad and good qualities, blamed and praised respectively by the wise, are thus distributed among each of the four classes, the wise do not admit those claims which the brahmins put forward. And why? Because, Vāseṭṭha, whoever among all these four classes becomes a bhikkhu, an Arahant, one who has destroyed the deadly taints, who has lived the life, has done that which was to be done, has laid down the burden, has attained his own salvation, has destroyed the fetter of rebirth, and has
become free because he has perfected knowledge—he is declared chief among them, and that in virtue of a norm (a standard), and not irrespective of a norm. For a norm, Vāseṭṭha, is the best among this folk both in this life and in the next.
how can i download all of the suttas (and other things?) on legacy.suttacentral.net ?
i honestly prefer the set up of that website and tend to like the translations there. i'd like to preserve the files in case the owners of sutta central decide to #cancel it
