Sutta Nipata 2: The Lesser Chapter
2:7 Brahmanical Traditions
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato.(More copyright information)
2:7 Brahmanical Traditions
So I have heard:
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then several old and well-to-do brahmins of Kosala—elderly and senior, who were advanced in years and had reached the final stage of life—went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to the Buddha: “Master Gotama, are the ancient traditions of the brahmins seen these days among brahmins?”
“No, brahmins, they are not.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, Master Gotama, please teach us the ancient traditions of the brahmins.”
“Well then, brahmins, listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
284
“The ancient hermits used to be
restrained and austere.
Having given up the five sensual titillations,
they lived for their own true good.
285
Brahmins used to own no cattle,
nor gold or grain.
Chanting was their wealth and grain,
which they guarded as a gift from god.
286
Food was prepared for them
and left beside their doors.
People believed that food prepared in faith
should be given to them.
287
With colorful clothes,
clothes and bedding,
prosperous nations and countries
honored those brahmins.
288
Brahmins used to be inviolable and
invincible, protected by principle.
No-one ever turned them away
from the doors of families.
Komāra
289
For forty-eight years
they led the spiritual life.
The brahmins of old pursued
their quest for knowledge and conduct.
290
Brahmins never transgressed with another,
nor did they purchase a wife.
They lived together in love,
joining together by mutual consent.
291
Brahmins never approached their wives for sex
during the time outside
the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle
after menstruation.
292
They praised celibacy and morality,
integrity, gentleness, and austerity,
gentleness and harmlessness,
and also patience.
293
He who was supreme among them,
godlike, staunchly vigorous,
did not engage in sex
even in a dream.
294
Training in line with their duties,
many smart people here
praised celibacy and morality,
and also patience.
295
They begged for rice,
bedding, clothes, ghee, and oil.
Having collected them legitimately,
they arranged a sacrifice.
296
But they slew no cows
while serving at the sacrifice.
Like a mother, father, or brother,
or some other relative,
cows are our best friends,
the fonts of medicine.
297
They give food and health,
and beauty and happiness.
Knowing these benefits,
they slew no cows.
298
The brahmins were delicate and tall,
beautiful and glorious.
They were keen on all the duties
required by their own traditions.
So long as they continued in the world,
people flourished happily.
299
But perversion crept into them
little by little when they saw
the splendor of the king
and the ladies in all their finery.
300
Their chariots were harnessed with thoroughbreds,
well-made with bright canopies,
and their homes and houses were
neatly laid out in measured rows.
301
They were lavished with herds of cattle,
and furnished with bevies of lovely ladies.
This extravagant human wealth
was coveted by the brahmins.
302
They compiled hymns to that end,
approached King Okkāka and said,
‘You have plenty of wealth and grain.
Sacrifice! For you have much treasure.
Sacrifice! For you have much wealth.’
303
Persuaded by the brahmins,
the king, chief of charioteers, performed
horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unbarred’.
When he had carried out these sacrifices,
he gave riches to the brahmins.
304
There were cattle, bedding, and clothes,
and ladies in all their finery;
chariots harnessed with thoroughbreds,
well-made with bright canopies;
305
and lovely homes, all
neatly laid out in measured rows.
Having furnished them with different grains,
he gave riches to the brahmins.
306
When they got hold of that wealth,
they arranged to store it up.
Falling under the sway of desire,
their craving grew and grew.
They compiled hymns to that end,
approached King Okkāka once more and said,
307
‘Like water and earth,
gold, riches, and grain,
are cows for humankind,
as they are essential for creatures.
Sacrifice! For you have much treasure.
Sacrifice! For you have much wealth.’
308
Persuaded by the brahmins,
the king, chief of charioteers,
had many hundred thousand cows
slain at the sacrifice.
309
Neither with feet nor with horns
do cows harm anyone at all.
Cows meek as lambs,
supply buckets of milk.
But taking them by the horns,
the king slew them with a sword.
310
At that the gods and the ancestors,
with Indra, the titans and monsters,
roared out: ‘This is a crime against nature!’
as the sword fell on the cows.
311
There used to be three kinds of illness:
greed, starvation, and old age.
But due to the slaughter of cows,
this grew to be ninety-eight.
312
This unnatural violence
has been passed down as an ancient custom.
Killing innocent creatures,
the sacrificers forsake righteousness.
313
And that is how this mean old practice
was criticized by sensible people.
Wherever they see such a thing,
folk criticize the sacrificer.
314
With righteousness gone,
merchants and workers were split,
as were many aristocrats,
and wives looked down on their husbands.
315
Aristocrats and Brahmā’s kinsmen
and others protected by their clan,
neglecting the lessons of ancestry,
fell under the sway of sensual pleasures.”
When he had spoken, those well-to-do brahmins said to the Buddha: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”
Brāhmaṇadhammikasutta
Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho sambahulā kosalakā brāhmaṇamahāsālā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallakā addhagatā vayoanuppattā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "sandissanti nu kho, bho gotama, etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhamme"ti?
"Na kho, brāhmaṇā, sandissanti etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhamme"ti.
"Sādhu no bhavaṁ gotamo porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhammaṁ bhāsatu, sace bhoto gotamassa agarū"ti.
"Tena hi, brāhmaṇā, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bho"ti kho te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
284"Isayo pubbakā āsuṁ,
saññatattā tapassino;
Pañca kāmaguṇe hitvā,
attadatthamacārisuṁ.
285
Na pasū brāhmaṇānāsuṁ,
na hiraññaṁ na dhāniyaṁ;
Sajjhāyadhanadhaññāsuṁ,
brahmaṁ nidhimapālayuṁ.
286
Yaṁ nesaṁ pakataṁ āsi,
dvārabhattaṁ upaṭṭhitaṁ;
Saddhāpakatamesānaṁ,
dātave tadamaññisuṁ.
287
Nānārattehi vatthehi,
sayanehāvasathehi ca;
Phītā janapadā raṭṭhā,
te namassiṁsu brāhmaṇe.
288
Avajjhā brāhmaṇā āsuṁ,
ajeyyā dhammarakkhitā;
Na ne koci nivāresi,
kuladvāresu sabbaso.
(komāra)
289Aṭṭhacattālīsaṁ vassāni,
Brahmacariyaṁ cariṁsu te;
Vijjācaraṇapariyeṭṭhiṁ,
Acaruṁ brāhmaṇā pure.
290
Na brāhmaṇā aññamagamuṁ,
napi bhariyaṁ kiṇiṁsu te;
Sampiyeneva saṁvāsaṁ,
saṅgantvā samarocayuṁ.
291
Aññatra tamhā samayā,
utuveramaṇiṁ pati;
Antarā methunaṁ dhammaṁ,
nāssu gacchanti brāhmaṇā.
292
Brahmacariyañca sīlañca,
ajjavaṁ maddavaṁ tapaṁ;
Soraccaṁ avihiṁsañca,
khantiñcāpi avaṇṇayuṁ.
293
Yo nesaṁ paramo āsi,
Brahmā daḷhaparakkamo;
Sa vāpi methunaṁ dhammaṁ,
Supinantepi nāgamā.
294
Tassa vattamanusikkhantā,
Idheke viññujātikā;
Brahmacariyañca sīlañca,
Khantiñcāpi avaṇṇayuṁ.
295
Taṇḍulaṁ sayanaṁ vatthaṁ,
Sappitelañca yāciya;
Dhammena samodhānetvā,
Tato yaññamakappayuṁ.
296
Upaṭṭhitasmiṁ yaññasmiṁ,
Nāssu gāvo haniṁsu te;
Yathā mātā pitā bhātā,
Aññe vāpi ca ñātakā;
Gāvo no paramā mittā,
Yāsu jāyanti osadhā.
297
Annadā baladā cetā,
Vaṇṇadā sukhadā tathā;
Etamatthavasaṁ ñatvā,
Nāssu gāvo haniṁsu te.
298
Sukhumālā mahākāyā,
Vaṇṇavanto yasassino;
Brāhmaṇā sehi dhammehi,
Kiccākiccesu ussukā;
Yāva loke avattiṁsu,
Sukhamedhitthayaṁ pajā.
299
Tesaṁ āsi vipallāso,
Disvāna aṇuto aṇuṁ;
Rājino ca viyākāraṁ,
Nāriyo samalaṅkatā.
300
Rathe cājaññasaṁyutte,
Sukate cittasibbane;
Nivesane nivese ca,
Vibhatte bhāgaso mite.
301
Gomaṇḍalaparibyūḷhaṁ,
Nārīvaragaṇāyutaṁ;
Uḷāraṁ mānusaṁ bhogaṁ,
Abhijjhāyiṁsu brāhmaṇā.
302
Te tattha mante ganthetvā,
Okkākaṁ tadupāgamuṁ;
Pahūtadhanadhaññosi,
Yajassu bahu te vittaṁ;
Yajassu bahu te dhanaṁ.
303
Tato ca rājā saññatto,
Brāhmaṇehi rathesabho;
Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ;
Ete yāge yajitvāna,
Brāhmaṇānamadā dhanaṁ.
304
Gāvo sayanañca vatthañca,
Nāriyo samalaṅkatā;
Rathe cājaññasaṁyutte,
Sukate cittasibbane.
305
Nivesanāni rammāni,
Suvibhattāni bhāgaso;
Nānādhaññassa pūretvā,
Brāhmaṇānamadā dhanaṁ.
306
Te ca tattha dhanaṁ laddhā,
Sannidhiṁ samarocayuṁ;
Tesaṁ icchāvatiṇṇānaṁ,
Bhiyyo taṇhā pavaḍḍhatha;
Te tattha mante ganthetvā,
Okkākaṁ puna mupāgamuṁ.
307
Yathā āpo ca pathavī ca,
Hiraññaṁ dhanadhāniyaṁ;
Evaṁ gāvo manussānaṁ,
Parikkhāro so hi pāṇinaṁ;
Yajassu bahu te vittaṁ,
Yajassu bahu te dhanaṁ.
308
Tato ca rājā saññatto,
Brāhmaṇehi rathesabho;
Nekā satasahassiyo,
Gāvo yaññe aghātayi.
309
Na pādā na visāṇena,
Nāssu hiṁsanti kenaci;
Gāvo eḷakasamānā,
Soratā kumbhadūhanā;
Tā visāṇe gahetvāna,
Rājā satthena ghātayi.
310
Tato devā pitaro ca,
Indo asurarakkhasā;
Adhammo iti pakkanduṁ,
Yaṁ satthaṁ nipatī gave.
311
Tayo rogā pure āsuṁ,
Icchā anasanaṁ jarā;
Pasūnañca samārambhā,
Aṭṭhānavutimāgamuṁ.
312
Eso adhammo daṇḍānaṁ,
Okkanto purāṇo ahu;
Adūsikāyo haññanti,
Dhammā dhaṁsanti yājakā.
313
Evameso aṇudhammo,
Porāṇo viññugarahito;
Yattha edisakaṁ passati,
Yājakaṁ garahatī jano.
314
Evaṁ dhamme viyāpanne,
Vibhinnā suddavessikā;
Puthū vibhinnā khattiyā,
Patiṁ bhariyāvamaññatha.
315
Khattiyā brahmabandhū ca,
Ye caññe gottarakkhitā;
Jātivādaṁ nirākatvā,
Kāmānaṁ vasamanvagun"ti.
Evaṁ vutte, te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: "Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama … pe … upāsake no bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṁ gate"ti.
Brāhmaṇadhammikasuttaṁ sattamaṁ.