[192] Then Doṇa the brahmin approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the courteous talk fit to be remembered was concluded, he sat down at one side. Sitting at one side, Doṇa the brahmin said this to the Blessed One: "I have heard this, Master Gotama: 'The ascetic Gotama does not bow down to, nor rise up for, nor invite to a seat brahmins who are old, aged, elderly, far gone in life, come to the last stage of life.' And this, Master Gotama, is just so; for Master Gotama does not bow down to, nor rise up for, nor invite to a seat brahmins who are old, aged, elderly, far gone in life, come to the last stage of life. This, Master Gotama, is not proper at all."
"But do you too, Doṇa, claim to be a brahmin?"
"Master Gotama, if one speaking rightly should say of anyone: 'He is a brahmin well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth; a student and bearer of the hymns (manta), a master of the three Vedas together with their vocabularies and ritual manuals (Nighaṇḍu and Keṭubha), together with the analysis of syllables, and with the histories (itihāsa) as a fifth; skilled in the words, a grammarian, fully proficient in nature-lore (lokāyata) and in the marks of a great man' — speaking rightly, Master Gotama, he would say it of me. For I, Master Gotama, am a brahmin well born on both sides, on my mother's side and on my father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth; a student and bearer of the hymns, a master of the three Vedas together with their vocabularies and ritual manuals, together with the analysis of syllables, and with the histories as a fifth; skilled in the words, a grammarian, fully proficient in nature-lore and in the marks of a great man."
"Doṇa, those ancient seers of the brahmins — the makers of the hymns, the promulgators of the hymns, whose ancient hymnal verses, chanted, proclaimed, and compiled, the brahmins of today still chant after them and recite after them, repeating what was spoken and having recited what was taught to be recited — namely, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamadaggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, and Bhagu — these declare five brahmins: the one equal to Brahmā, the one equal to a deity, the one who keeps the boundary, the one who has broken the boundary, and, as the fifth, the brahmin-caṇḍāla. Which of these are you, Doṇa?"
"Master Gotama, we do not know these five brahmins; we know only that we are 'brahmins.' It would be good if Master Gotama would teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I might know these five brahmins."
"Then, Doṇa, listen and attend closely; I will speak." "Yes, sir," Doṇa the brahmin replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"And how, Doṇa, is a brahmin equal to Brahmā? Here, Doṇa, a brahmin is well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth. For forty-eight years he lives the celibate holy life (brahmacariya) of youth, studying the hymns. Having lived the celibate holy life of youth for forty-eight years and studied the hymns, he seeks the teacher's fee for his teacher only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by farming, not by trade, not by cattle-herding, not by archery, not by royal service, not by any one of the crafts, but solely by wandering for alms, not despising the alms-bowl. Having presented the teacher's fee to his teacher, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness. Gone forth thus, he dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness — abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill will. With a mind imbued with compassion ... with a mind imbued with altruistic joy ... with a mind imbued with equanimity he dwells pervading one quarter, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity — abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill will. Having developed these four sublime abidings (brahmavihāra), with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, the Brahmā world. It is in this way, Doṇa, that a brahmin is equal to Brahmā.
"And how, Doṇa, is a brahmin equal to a deity? Here, Doṇa, a brahmin is well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth. For forty-eight years he lives the celibate holy life of youth, studying the hymns. Having lived the celibate holy life of youth for forty-eight years and studied the hymns, he seeks the teacher's fee for his teacher only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by farming, not by trade, not by cattle-herding, not by archery, not by royal service, not by any one of the crafts, but solely by wandering for alms, not despising the alms-bowl. Having presented the teacher's fee to his teacher, he seeks a wife only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by purchase, not by sale, but only a brahmin woman bestowed with the pouring of water. He goes only to a brahmin woman; he does not go to a khattiya woman, nor a vessa woman, nor a sudda woman, nor a caṇḍāla woman, nor a woman of the hunters, nor of the bamboo-workers, nor of the chariot-makers, nor of the scavengers; he does not go to a pregnant woman, he does not go to one who is nursing, he does not go to one who is not in season. And why, Doṇa, does the brahmin not go to a pregnant woman? Because, Doṇa, if the brahmin goes to a pregnant woman, that boy or girl is called one born amid excessive filth; therefore, Doṇa, the brahmin does not go to a pregnant woman. And why, Doṇa, does the brahmin not go to one who is nursing? Because, Doṇa, if the brahmin goes to one who is nursing, that boy or girl is called one who sucks impurity; therefore, Doṇa, the brahmin does not go to one who is nursing. His brahmin wife is not for sensual pleasure, not for amusement, not for delight; the brahmin's wife is only for progeny. Having engendered offspring through intercourse, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness. Gone forth thus, quite secluded from sensual pleasures … he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. Having developed these four jhānas, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. It is in this way, Doṇa, that a brahmin is equal to a deity.
"And how, Doṇa, is a brahmin one who keeps the boundary? Here, Doṇa, a brahmin is well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth. For forty-eight years he lives the celibate holy life of youth, studying the hymns. Having lived the celibate holy life of youth for forty-eight years and studied the hymns, he seeks the teacher's fee for his teacher only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by farming, not by trade, not by cattle-herding, not by archery, not by royal service, not by any one of the crafts, but solely by wandering for alms, not despising the alms-bowl. Having presented the teacher's fee to his teacher, he seeks a wife only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by purchase, not by sale, but only a brahmin woman bestowed with the pouring of water. He goes only to a brahmin woman; he does not go to a khattiya woman, nor a vessa woman, nor a sudda woman, nor a caṇḍāla woman, nor a woman of the hunters, nor of the bamboo-workers, nor of the chariot-makers, nor of the scavengers; he does not go to a pregnant woman, he does not go to one who is nursing, he does not go to one who is not in season. And why, Doṇa, does the brahmin not go to a pregnant woman? Because, Doṇa, if the brahmin goes to a pregnant woman, that boy or girl is called one born amid excessive filth; therefore, Doṇa, the brahmin does not go to a pregnant woman. And why, Doṇa, does the brahmin not go to one who is nursing? Because, Doṇa, if the brahmin goes to one who is nursing, that boy or girl is called one who sucks impurity; therefore, Doṇa, the brahmin does not go to one who is nursing. His brahmin wife is not for sensual pleasure, not for amusement, not for delight; the brahmin's wife is only for progeny. Having engendered offspring through intercourse, desiring that very delight in children, he settles down on the family estate; he does not go forth from the household life into homelessness. As far as the boundary of the ancient brahmins extends, there he stands, and he does not transgress it. 'As far as the boundary of the ancient brahmins extends, there the brahmin stands, and he does not transgress it' — for this reason, Doṇa, the brahmin is called 'one who keeps the boundary.' It is in this way, Doṇa, that a brahmin is one who keeps the boundary.
"And how, Doṇa, is a brahmin one who has broken the boundary? Here, Doṇa, a brahmin is well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth. For forty-eight years he lives the celibate holy life of youth, studying the hymns. Having lived the celibate holy life of youth for forty-eight years and studied the hymns, he seeks the teacher's fee for his teacher only righteously, not unrighteously. And what therein, Doṇa, is righteous? Not by farming, not by trade, not by cattle-herding, not by archery, not by royal service, not by any one of the crafts, but solely by wandering for alms, not despising the alms-bowl. Having presented the teacher's fee to his teacher, he seeks a wife both righteously and unrighteously — by purchase, by sale, and one bestowed with the pouring of water. He goes to a brahmin woman, he goes to a khattiya woman, he goes to a vessa woman, he goes to a sudda woman, he goes to a caṇḍāla woman, he goes to a woman of the hunters, he goes to a woman of the bamboo-workers, he goes to a woman of the chariot-makers, he goes to a woman of the scavengers; he goes to a pregnant woman, he goes to one who is nursing, he goes to one in season, he goes to one not in season. His brahmin wife is for sensual pleasure, for amusement, for delight, and also for progeny. As far as the boundary of the ancient brahmins extends, there he does not stand; he transgresses it. 'As far as the boundary of the ancient brahmins extends, there the brahmin does not stand; he transgresses it' — for this reason, Doṇa, the brahmin is called 'one who has broken the boundary.' It is in this way, Doṇa, that a brahmin is one who has broken the boundary.
"And how, Doṇa, is a brahmin a brahmin-caṇḍāla? Here, Doṇa, a brahmin is well born on both sides, on his mother's side and on his father's, of pure conception back through seven generations of paternal ancestors, unassailable and irreproachable with respect to birth. For forty-eight years he lives the celibate holy life of youth, studying the hymns. Having lived the celibate holy life of youth for forty-eight years and studied the hymns, he seeks the teacher's fee for his teacher both righteously and unrighteously — by farming, by trade, by cattle-herding, by archery, by any one of the crafts, by royal service, and also simply by wandering for alms, not despising the alms-bowl. Having presented the teacher's fee to his teacher, he seeks a wife both righteously and unrighteously — by purchase, by sale, and one bestowed with the pouring of water. He goes to a brahmin woman, he goes to a khattiya woman, he goes to a vessa woman, he goes to a sudda woman, he goes to a caṇḍāla woman, he goes to a woman of the hunters, he goes to a woman of the bamboo-workers, he goes to a woman of the chariot-makers, he goes to a woman of the scavengers; he goes to a pregnant woman, he goes to one who is nursing, he goes to one in season, he goes to one not in season. His brahmin wife is for sensual pleasure, for amusement, for delight, and also for progeny. He makes his living by every kind of work. The brahmins say to him: 'Why, sir, while claiming to be a brahmin, do you make your living by every kind of work?' He replies: 'Just as, sirs, fire burns what is clean and burns what is unclean, yet the fire is not thereby defiled, even so, sirs, even if a brahmin makes his living by every kind of work, the brahmin is not thereby defiled.' 'He makes his living by every kind of work' — for this reason, Doṇa, the brahmin is called a brahmin-caṇḍāla. It is in this way, Doṇa, that a brahmin is a brahmin-caṇḍāla.
"Doṇa, those ancient seers of the brahmins — the makers of the hymns, the promulgators of the hymns, whose ancient hymnal verses, chanted, proclaimed, and compiled, the brahmins of today still chant after them and recite after them, repeating what was spoken and having recited what was taught to be recited — namely, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamadaggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, and Bhagu — these declare five brahmins: the one equal to Brahmā, the one equal to a deity, the one who keeps the boundary, the one who has broken the boundary, and, as the fifth, the brahmin-caṇḍāla. Which of these are you, Doṇa?"
"That being so, Master Gotama, we do not measure up even to the brahmin-caṇḍāla. Excellent, Master Gotama! … Let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who from this day forth has gone for refuge for as long as life lasts."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.