SuttanibātaUragavaggaVasalasutta

Suttapiṭaka · Khuddakanikāya · Khuddakapāṭha · Dhammapada · Udāna · Itivuttaka · Suttanipāta · Vol. 25 · Section 306

[306] 1. The man who is wrathful and bears grudges, an evil denigrator, corrupted in view, deceitful — one should know him as an outcaste (vasala). 2. Whoever here harms a living being, whether once-born or twice-born, who has no sympathy for living beings — one should know him as an outcaste. 3. Whoever destroys and besieges villages and towns, notorious as an oppressor — one should know him as an outcaste. 4. Whether in the village or in the wilderness, whoever takes by theft what has not been given, what is cherished by others — one should know him as an outcaste. 5. Whoever indeed, having taken on a debt, absconds while enjoying it, saying, "I have no debt to you" — one should know him as an outcaste. 6. Whoever indeed, out of desire for some trifle, slays a person traveling on the road and seizes the trifle — one should know him as an outcaste. 7. The man who, questioned as a witness, speaks falsely for his own sake, for another's sake, or for the sake of wealth — one should know him as an outcaste. 8. Whoever is seen among the wives of relatives or of friends, whether by force or by mutual consent — one should know him as an outcaste. 9. Whoever, though able, does not support his mother or father when old, their youth gone — one should know him as an outcaste. 10. Whoever strikes, or abuses with speech, his mother or father, brother, sister, or mother-in-law — one should know him as an outcaste. 11. Whoever, being asked what is good, points out what is harmful and gives counsel with concealment — one should know him as an outcaste. 12. Whoever, having done an evil deed, wishes, "May none know of me," a man of covert deeds — one should know him as an outcaste. 13. Whoever indeed, having gone to another's family and eaten fine food, does not honor him in return when he comes — one should know him as an outcaste. 14. Whoever deceives with false speech (musāvāda) a brahmin (brāhmaṇa) or an ascetic (samaṇa) or any other mendicant — one should know him as an outcaste. 15. Whoever, when mealtime is at hand, reviles a brahmin or an ascetic with speech and does not give — one should know him as an outcaste. 16. Whoever here, enveloped in delusion (moha), proclaims what is not, coveting some trifle — one should know him as an outcaste. 17. Whoever exalts himself and despises others, debased by his own conceit (māna) — one should know him as an outcaste. 18. One who is abusive and miserly, of evil desires, stingy, crafty, shameless, and without moral dread — one should know him as an outcaste. 19. Whoever reviles the Buddha or a disciple of his, whether a wanderer or a householder — one should know him as an outcaste. 20. Whoever indeed, not being an arahant (arahaṃ), claims to be an arahant, is a thief in the world with its Brahmās — he indeed is the vilest of outcastes. These indeed are they who are called outcastes by me — those whom I have made known. Not by birth does one become an outcaste; not by birth does one become a brahmin. By action (kamma) one becomes an outcaste; by action one becomes a brahmin. Know it by this as well, in accordance with this example of mine: the son of a caṇḍāla, a dog-cooker (sopāka), renowned as Mātaṅga — That Mātaṅga attained the highest fame, so very hard to obtain; many khattiyas and brahmins came to wait upon him. Having mounted the vehicle of the devas, the dust-free great highway, having expunged sensual lust (kāmarāga), he became one who reached the Brahma world. Birth did not bar him from rebirth in the Brahma world. But brahmins born in a family of reciters, kinsmen of the sacred hymns — even they are repeatedly seen engaged in evil deeds. In this very life they are blameworthy, and in the life to come there is a bad destination. Birth does not bar them from a bad destination or from blame. Not by birth does one become an outcaste; not by birth does one become a brahmin. By action one becomes an outcaste; by action one becomes a brahmin.

English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.