1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, where they have a town named Khomadussa.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Khomadussa for alms. Now at that time the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa were gathered in the council hall for some business, while a gentle rain drizzled down.

Then the Buddha approached that council. The brahmins and householders saw the Buddha coming off in the distance, and said: “Who are these shavelings, these fake ascetics? Don’t they understand the council rules?”

Then the Buddha addressed the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa in verse:

2“If good people are not present it is no true council;
and those whose speak against principle are not good people.
Having given up greed, hate, and delusion,
speakers of principle are good people.”

3When he had spoken, the brahmins and householders of Khomadussa said to the Buddha: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with good eyes can see what’s there, Master Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. We go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu vihārati khomadussaṁ nāmaṁ sakyānaṁ nigamo.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya khomadussaṁ nigamaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Tena kho pana samayena khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā sabhāyaṁ sannipatitā honti kenacideva karaṇīyena, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati.

Atha kho bhagavā yena sā sabhā tenupasaṅkami. Addasaṁsu khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna etadavocuṁ: "ke ca muṇḍakā samaṇakā, ke ca sabhādhammaṁ jānissantī"ti?

Atha kho bhagavā khomadussake brāhmaṇagahapatike gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

2"Nesā sabhā yattha na santi santo,
Santo na te ye na vadanti dhammaṁ;
Rāgañca dosañca pahāya mohaṁ,
Dhammaṁ vadantā ca bhavanti santo"ti.

3Evaṁ vutte, khomadussakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Ete mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāma dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsake no bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṁ gate"ti.

Upāsakavaggo dutiyo.

4Kasi udayo devahito,
Aññataramahāsālaṁ;
Mānatthaddhaṁ paccanīkaṁ,
Navakammi kaṭṭhahāraṁ;
Mātuposakaṁ bhikkhako,
Saṅgāravo ca khomadussena dvādasāti.

Brāhmaṇasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.