[120] **"The brahmin does not say that purity is from anything else — in what is seen, in what is heard, in virtue and vows, or in what is sensed":** The word "not" (na) is a negation. **"Brahmin" (brāhmaṇa):** one is a brahmin because of having banished (bāhitattā) seven things: personality-view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi) has been banished; doubt (vicikicchā) has been banished; adherence to rules and rituals (sīlabbataparāmāsa) has been banished; lust (rāga) has been banished; hatred (dosa) has been banished; delusion (moha) has been banished; conceit (māna) has been banished. For him there are banished those evil, unwholesome dhammas that defile, that lead to renewed existence, that are accompanied by distress, that ripen in suffering (dukkha), that make for future birth, aging, and death.
"Having banished all evils" (Sabhiya, said the Blessed One),
"stainless, well concentrated, of steadfast self,
having passed beyond saṃsāra, consummate (kevalī),
independent, such a one (tādī) — he is called a brahmin."
**"The brahmin does not say that purity is from anything else":** the brahmin does not say — does not speak, does not utter, does not point out, does not express — that there is purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release by anything else: by an impure path, by a wrong practice, by a way that does not lead out — apart from the establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), apart from the right strivings, apart from the bases of spiritual power, apart from the faculties, apart from the powers, apart from the factors of awakening (bojjhaṅga), apart from the noble eightfold path. Therefore, "the brahmin does not say that purity is from anything else."
**"In what is seen, in what is heard, in virtue and vows, or in what is sensed":** There are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the seen (diṭṭhasuddhikā). They regard the sight of certain forms as auspicious (maṅgala); they regard the sight of certain forms as inauspicious.
The sight of which forms do they regard as auspicious? Rising early, they see forms accounted highly auspicious: they see a wind-bird (vātasakuṇa); they see a white bael sapling (pussaveḷuvalaṭṭhi); they see a pregnant woman; they see a person going along with a young girl mounted upon his shoulder; they see a full pot; they see a rohita fish; they see a thoroughbred; they see a chariot yoked with thoroughbreds; they see a bull; they see a tawny cow. The sight of such forms as these they regard as auspicious.
The sight of which forms do they regard as inauspicious? They see a heap of straw; they see a pot of buttermilk; they see an empty pot; they see a dancer; they see a naked ascetic; they see a donkey; they see a donkey-cart; they see a vehicle yoked with a single animal; they see a blind person; they see a person with a withered hand; they see a lame person; they see a paralyzed person; they see an aged person; they see a sick person; they see a dead person. The sight of such forms as these they regard as inauspicious. These are those ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the seen: through the seen they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release.
There are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the heard (sutasuddhikā). They regard the hearing of certain sounds as auspicious; they regard the hearing of certain sounds as inauspicious.
The hearing of which sounds do they regard as auspicious? Rising early, they hear sounds accounted highly auspicious: "Increase!" or "Increasing!" or "Full!" or "Bright!" or "Sorrowless!" or "Glad of mind!" or "Good star!" or "Good fortune!" or "Splendor!" or "Growing in splendor!" The hearing of such sounds as these they regard as auspicious.
The hearing of which sounds do they regard as inauspicious? "Blind," or "withered-handed," or "lame," or "paralyzed," or "aged," or "sick," or "dead," or "cut off," or "broken," or "burnt," or "lost," or "there is none" — the hearing of such sounds as these they regard as inauspicious. These are those ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the heard: through the heard they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release.
There are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through virtue (sīlasuddhikā). By mere virtue, by mere self-control, by mere restraint, by mere non-transgression, they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release. Samaṇamuṇḍikāputta said thus: "Carpenter, I declare a person endowed with four qualities to be accomplished in the wholesome, supreme in the wholesome, an ascetic attained to the highest attainment, invincible. Which four? Here, carpenter, he does no evil deed with the body, he speaks no evil speech, he intends no evil intention, and he pursues no evil livelihood. Endowed with these four qualities, carpenter, I declare a person to be accomplished in the wholesome, supreme in the wholesome, an ascetic attained to the highest attainment, invincible." Even so, there are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through virtue: by mere virtue, by mere self-control, by mere restraint, by mere non-transgression, they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release.
There are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through vows (vattasuddhikā). They are practitioners of the elephant-vow, or practitioners of the horse-vow, or practitioners of the cow-vow, or practitioners of the dog-vow, or practitioners of the crow-vow, or practitioners of the Vāsudeva-vow, or practitioners of the Baladeva-vow, or practitioners of the Puṇṇabhadda-vow, or practitioners of the Maṇibhadda-vow, or practitioners of the fire-vow, or practitioners of the nāga-vow, or practitioners of the supaṇṇa-vow, or practitioners of the yakkha-vow, or practitioners of the asura-vow, or practitioners of the gandhabba-vow, or practitioners of the Great Kings-vow, or practitioners of the moon-vow, or practitioners of the sun-vow, or practitioners of the Inda-vow, or practitioners of the Brahmā-vow, or practitioners of the deva-vow, or practitioners of the directions-vow. These are those ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through vows: through a vow they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release.
There are some ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the sensed (mutasuddhikā). Rising early, they touch the earth; they touch green plants; they touch cow-dung; they touch a tortoise; they tread upon a net; they touch a cart-load of sesame; they chew white sesame; they smear themselves with white sesame oil; they chew a white tooth-stick; they bathe with white clay; they put on a white garment; they wrap on a white turban. These are those ascetics and brahmins who hold that purity comes through the sensed: through the sensed they hold there to be purity, purification, complete purity, freedom, liberation, complete release.
**"The brahmin does not say that purity is from anything else — in what is seen, in what is heard, in virtue and vows, or in what is sensed":** the brahmin does not say that there is purity through purity of the seen; he does not say that there is purity through purity of the heard; he does not say that there is purity through purity of virtue; he does not say that there is purity through purity of vows; he does not say that there is purity through purity of the sensed — he does not speak it, does not utter it, does not point it out, does not express it. Therefore, "the brahmin does not say that purity is from anything else — in what is seen, in what is heard, in virtue and vows, or in what is sensed."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.