[382] "Acknowledged and self-professed,
we are masters of the three Vedas (tevijjā), sir:
I am Pokkharasāti's pupil,
and this young man is Tārukkha's.
In whatever is proclaimed by the masters of the three Vedas
we are fully accomplished:
philologists and grammarians both,
in recitation the equals of our teachers.
Between us, Gotama, there is a dispute
concerning the doctrine of birth (jātivāda):
Bhāradvāja says, 'One is a brahmin (brāhmaṇa) by birth,'
while I say it is by action (kamma) —
know it thus, O One with Vision.
Since we are unable
to convince one another,
we have come to ask you, sir,
who are renowned as the Fully Awakened One.
As people, drawing near with joined palms,
bow down and venerate
the moon that has passed beyond its waning,
so, Gotama, [do they venerate you] in the world.
We ask Gotama,
the Eye arisen in the world:
is one a brahmin by birth,
or does one become one by action?
Declare it to us who do not know,
so that we may know a brahmin."
"I shall expound it to you
('Vāseṭṭha,' said the Blessed One)
in due sequence, as it truly is —
the classification of living beings by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Know the grasses and trees:
though they make no claim [to it],
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Next the insects and the grasshoppers,
down to the ants, small and great:
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Know also the four-footed creatures,
both small and large:
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Know also those whose belly is their foot,
the serpents, the long-backed ones:
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Then know also the fish,
in the water, ranging in the water:
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
Then know also the birds,
borne on wings, coursing through the sky:
their mark is produced by birth;
for their kinds of birth are mutually distinct.
While in these kinds the marks
produced by birth are manifold,
among human beings there is no
manifold mark produced by birth:
not by the hair, nor by the head,
not by the ears, nor by the eyes,
not by the mouth, nor by the nose,
not by the lips, nor by the brows,
not by the neck, nor by the shoulders,
not by the belly, nor by the back,
not by the buttocks, nor by the breast,
not by the genitals, nor by intercourse,
not by the hands, nor by the feet,
not by the fingers, nor by the nails,
not by the calves, nor by the thighs,
not by complexion, nor by voice —
here there is no mark produced by birth
as there is in the other kinds.
Individually, in their own bodies,
this is not found among humans;
distinction among humans
is spoken of [only] by designation.
Whoever among humans
makes his living by keeping cattle —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a farmer, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
lives by his manifold crafts —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a craftsman, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
makes his living by trade —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a merchant, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
lives by serving others —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a servant, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
makes his living on what is not given —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a thief, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
makes his living by archery —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a soldier, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
lives by priestly office —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a sacrificer, not a brahmin.
Whoever among humans
enjoys [the lordship of] village and realm —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is a king, not a brahmin.
I do not call him a brahmin
because of birth from a womb, because sprung from a mother:
he is merely one who says 'bho,'
and he is indeed one who still has something.
One who has nothing and takes nothing up —
him I call a brahmin.
Having cut off every fetter (saṃyojana),
one who indeed does not tremble,
gone beyond ties (saṅga), detached —
him I call a brahmin.
Having cut the strap and the thong,
the cord together with its bridle,
who has lifted the cross-bar, awakened —
him I call a brahmin.
One who, unangered, endures
abuse, beating, and bonds,
with patience (khanti) his strength, his strength an army —
him I call a brahmin.
Free from anger, devout in observance,
virtuous, without haughtiness,
tamed, bearing his final body —
him I call a brahmin.
Like water on a lotus leaf,
like a mustard seed on the point of an awl,
one who does not cling to sensual pleasures —
him I call a brahmin.
One who understands, right here,
the destruction of his own suffering (dukkha),
with burden laid down, detached —
him I call a brahmin.
One of deep wisdom, intelligent,
skilled in what is the path (magga) and what is not the path,
who has attained the highest goal —
him I call a brahmin.
One who mingles neither with householders
nor with the homeless,
drifting to no abode, of few wishes —
him I call a brahmin.
Having laid down the rod toward living beings,
the frail and the firm alike,
one who neither kills nor causes to kill —
him I call a brahmin.
Unopposing among the opposing,
at peace among those with rod in hand,
without grasping among those who grasp —
him I call a brahmin.
One from whom lust and hatred,
conceit and denigration have been made to fall,
like a mustard seed from the point of an awl —
him I call a brahmin.
One who would utter speech
that is gentle, instructive, and true,
by which he offends no one —
him I call a brahmin.
One who takes nothing in the world
that is not given, long or short,
small or great, fair or foul —
him I call a brahmin.
One in whom no longings are found
for this world or the next,
without longing, detached —
him I call a brahmin.
One in whom no attachments are found,
who through final knowledge is free from perplexity,
who has reached the plunge into the Deathless (amata) —
him I call a brahmin.
One who has here escaped the tie
of both merit (puñña) and evil,
sorrowless, dust-free, pure —
him I call a brahmin.
Spotless as the moon, pure,
limpid and unclouded,
in whom delight in existence is destroyed —
him I call a brahmin.
One who has passed beyond this mire,
this hard road, this round of rebirth (saṃsāra), this delusion;
who has crossed over, gone beyond, a meditator,
imperturbable, free from perplexity,
quenched through not clinging —
him I call a brahmin.
One who, having abandoned sensual pleasures here,
would wander forth homeless,
in whom sensual lust (kāmarāga) is destroyed —
him I call a brahmin.
One who, having abandoned craving (taṇhā) here,
would wander forth homeless,
in whom craving and existence are destroyed —
him I call a brahmin.
Having left the human yoke (yoga) behind,
he has passed beyond the divine yoke;
one detached from all yokes —
him I call a brahmin.
Having left behind delight and discontent,
grown cool, without acquisitions (upadhi),
a hero who has vanquished the whole world —
him I call a brahmin.
One who has known in every way
the passing away and reappearance of beings,
unattached, well-gone, awakened —
him I call a brahmin.
One whose destination devas,
gandhabbas, and humans do not know,
his taints (āsava) destroyed, an arahant —
him I call a brahmin.
One for whom there is nothing —
before, after, or in between —
who has nothing and takes nothing up —
him I call a brahmin.
The bull, the most excellent, the steadfast sage,
the great seer, the victorious one,
imperturbable, cleansed, awakened —
him I call a brahmin.
One who has known his former abodes,
who sees heaven and the states of loss,
and who has reached the destruction of birth —
him I call a brahmin.
For this is mere designation in the world —
'name and clan' is a formulation,
arisen by common consent,
formulated here and there.
For those who do not know,
this view has long lain latent;
not knowing, they declare to us:
'One is a brahmin by birth.'
Not by birth is one a brahmin,
nor by birth a non-brahmin:
by action one is a brahmin,
by action one is a non-brahmin.
By action one is a farmer,
by action a craftsman;
by action one is a merchant,
by action a servant;
by action one is even a thief,
by action, too, a soldier;
by action one is a sacrificer,
by action, too, one is a king.
Thus the wise see this action
as it really is (yathābhūta) —
seers of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda),
skilled in action and its result.
By action the world goes on;
by action the race of beings goes on;
beings are held fast by action,
as the rolling chariot by its linchpin.
By austerity, by the holy life,
by restraint and by self-taming —
by this one is a brahmin;
this is supreme brahminhood.
One accomplished in the three true knowledges (vijjā),
at peace, with renewed existence destroyed —
know thus, Vāseṭṭha:
he is Brahmā and Sakka to those who understand."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.