3.
The Discourse to Assalāyana
401. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time about five hundred brahmins from various kingdoms were dwelling at Sāvatthī on some business. Then those brahmins had this thought: "This ascetic Gotama declares purification for the four castes. Who is able to discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama?" Now at that time a young man named Assalāyana was dwelling at Sāvatthī, young, with a shaven head, sixteen years old by birth, who had mastered the three Vedas together with their vocabularies and rituals, phonology and etymology, and the histories as a fifth, learned in verse, a grammarian, fully versed in worldly knowledge and the marks of a great man. Then those brahmins had this thought: "This young man Assalāyana is dwelling at Sāvatthī, young, with a shaven head, sixteen years old by birth, who has mastered the three Vedas, etc. fully versed. He is able to discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama."
Then those brahmins approached the young man Assalāyana; having approached, they said this to the young man Assalāyana - "This, dear Assalāyana, the ascetic Gotama declares purification for the four castes. Let the venerable Assalāyana come and discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama."
When this was said, the young man Assalāyana said this to those brahmins - "The ascetic Gotama, my dear, is indeed one who speaks what is the Teaching; and those who speak what is the Teaching are difficult to discuss with. I am not able to discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama." For the second time those brahmins said this to the young man Assalāyana - "This, dear Assalāyana, the ascetic Gotama declares purification for the four castes. Let the venerable Assalāyana come and discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama. The venerable Assalāyana has practised the life of a wandering ascetic." For the second time the young man Assalāyana said this to those brahmins - "The ascetic Gotama, my dear, is indeed one who speaks what is the Teaching; and those who speak what is the Teaching are difficult to discuss with. I am not able to discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama." For the third time those brahmins said this to the young man Assalāyana - "This, dear Assalāyana, the ascetic Gotama declares purification for the four castes. Let the venerable Assalāyana come and discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama. The venerable Assalāyana has practised the life of a wandering ascetic. Let not the venerable Assalāyana accept defeat without a fight."
When this was said, the young man Assalāyana said this to those brahmins - "Certainly indeed I cannot obtain this from the venerable sirs. Indeed, my dear, the ascetic Gotama is one who speaks what is the Teaching; and those who speak what is the Teaching are difficult to discuss with. I am not able to discuss this matter together with the ascetic Gotama." But I will go at the word of the venerable sirs."
402. Then the young man Assalāyana together with a large group of brahmins approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the young man Assalāyana said this to the Blessed One - "Brahmins, Master Gotama, say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior; the brahmin alone is the fair class, other classes are dark; only brahmins are purified, not non-brahmins; only brahmins are the sons of Brahmā, legitimate sons, born of his breast, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.' What does Master Gotama say about this?" "But, Assalāyana, brahmin women of the brahmins are seen menstruating, pregnant, giving birth, and nursing. And those brahmins, being womb-born, say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior; the brahmin alone is the fair class, other classes are dark; only brahmins are purified, not non-brahmins; only brahmins are the sons of Brahmā, legitimate sons, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.'" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
403. "What do you think, Assalāyana, have you heard - 'Among the Greeks and Kambojas and other border districts there are only two classes - master and slave; having been a master one becomes a slave, having been a slave one becomes a master'?" "Yes, sir, I have heard that - 'Among the Greeks and Kambojas and other border districts there are only two classes - master and slave; having been a master one becomes a slave, having been a slave one becomes a master.'" "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
404. "What do you think, Assalāyana, would only a noble who kills living beings, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisive speech, speaks harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, has a mind of ill-will, and holds wrong view, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell, but not a brahmin? Would only a merchant, etc. Would only a worker who kills living beings, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisive speech, speaks harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, has a mind of ill-will, and holds wrong view, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell, but not a brahmin?" "No indeed, Master Gotama. A noble too indeed, Master Gotama, who kills living beings, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisive speech, speaks harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, has a mind of ill-will, and holds wrong view, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell. A brahmin too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. A merchant too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. A worker too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. All four castes indeed, Master Gotama, who kill living beings, take what is not given, engage in sexual misconduct, speak falsehood, speak divisive speech, speak harsh speech, engage in idle chatter, are covetous, have minds of ill-will, and hold wrong views, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell." "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
405. "What do you think, Assalāyana, is it only a brahmin who, abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter, being non-covetous, having a mind without ill-will, holding right view, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world, and not a noble, not a merchant, not a worker?" "No indeed, Master Gotama! A noble too indeed, Master Gotama, abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter, being non-covetous, having a mind without ill-will, holding right view, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. A brahmin too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. A merchant too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. A worker too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. All four castes indeed, Master Gotama, abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter, being non-covetous, having minds without ill-will, holding right view, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world." "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
406. "What do you think, Assalāyana, is it only a brahmin who is able to develop a mind of friendliness, free from enmity, free from ill-will, in this place, and not a noble, not a merchant, not a worker?" "No indeed, Master Gotama! A noble too indeed, Master Gotama, is able to develop a mind of friendliness, free from enmity, free from ill-will, in this place; a brahmin too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. a merchant too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. a worker too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. all four castes indeed, Master Gotama, are able to develop a mind of friendliness, free from enmity, free from ill-will, in this place." "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
407. "What do you think, Assalāyana, is it only a brahmin who is able, having taken bathing paste, having gone to the river, to wash off dust and dirt, and not a noble, not a merchant, not a worker?" "No indeed, Master Gotama! A noble too indeed, Master Gotama, is able, having taken bathing paste, having gone to the river, to wash off dust and dirt; a brahmin too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. a merchant too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. a worker too indeed, Master Gotama, etc. all four castes indeed, Master Gotama, are able, having taken bathing paste, having gone to the river, to wash off dust and dirt." "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
408. "What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here a king of the warrior caste, anointed on the head, were to convoke a hundred men of various births - 'Let those sirs come who are arisen from families of the warrior caste, from brahmin families, from royal families, having taken an upper fire-stick of teak or sal or salaḷa or sandal or padumaka wood, let them produce fire, let them manifest heat. And let those sirs come who are arisen from outcast families, from hunter families, from basket-maker families, from chariot-maker families, from refuse-remover families, having taken an upper fire-stick from a dog's drinking trough or a pig's trough or a washerman's trough or castor-oil wood, let them produce fire, let them manifest heat.'
"What do you think, Assalāyana, would that fire produced by those arisen from families of the warrior caste, from brahmin families, from royal families, having taken an upper fire-stick of teak or sal or salaḷa or sandal or padumaka wood, that fire having heat manifested, would that fire alone be with flame and colourful and luminous, and would it be possible with that fire to do what should be done with fire; but that fire produced by those arisen from outcast families, from hunter families, from basket-maker families, from chariot-maker families, from refuse-remover families, having taken an upper fire-stick from a dog's drinking trough or a pig's trough or a washerman's trough or castor-oil wood, that fire having heat manifested, would that fire be without flame and without colour and without luminosity, and would it not be possible with that fire to do what should be done with fire?" "No indeed, Master Gotama! For that fire, Master Gotama, produced by those arisen from families of the warrior caste, from brahmin families, from royal families, having taken an upper fire-stick of teak or sal or salaḷa or sandal or padumaka wood, that fire having heat manifested, that fire would be with flame and colourful and luminous, and it would be possible with that fire to do what should be done with fire; and that fire produced by those arisen from outcast families, from hunter families, from basket-maker families, from chariot-maker families, from refuse-remover families, having taken an upper fire-stick from a dog's drinking trough or a pig's trough or a washerman's trough or castor-oil wood, that fire having heat manifested, that fire too would be with flame and colourful and luminous, and it would be possible with that fire to do what should be done with fire. For all fire, Master Gotama, is with flame and colourful and luminous, and with all fire it is possible to do what should be done with fire." "Here, Assalāyana, what is the power of the brahmins, what is the reassurance, that here brahmins say thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior; the brahmin alone is the fair class, other classes are dark; only brahmins are purified, not non-brahmins; only brahmins are the sons of Brahmā, legitimate sons, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā'?" "Although Master Gotama says thus, yet here brahmins think thus - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.'"
409. "What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here a young noble were to live together with a brahmin maiden, and from their living together a son would be born; would that son born from a young noble and a brahmin maiden be similar to his mother and similar to his father, and should he be called 'a noble' and should he be called 'a brahmin'?" "That son, Master Gotama, born from a young noble and a brahmin maiden would be similar to his mother and similar to his father, and should be called 'a noble' and should be called 'a brahmin'."
"What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here a young brahmin were to live together with a noble maiden, and from their living together a son would be born; would that son born from a young brahmin and a noble maiden be similar to his mother and similar to his father, and should he be called 'a noble' and should he be called 'a brahmin'?" "That son, Master Gotama, born from a young brahmin and a noble maiden would be similar to his mother and similar to his father, and should be called 'a noble' and should be called 'a brahmin'."
"What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here they were to mate a mare with a donkey, and from their mating a foal would be born; would that foal born from a mare and a donkey be similar to its mother and similar to its father, and should it be called 'a horse' and should it be called 'a donkey'?" "Because it is a mule, Master Gotama, it is a mule. Here indeed, Master Gotama, I see a difference; but in the former case I see no difference among them."
"What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here there were two young men, brothers of the same womb, one a reciter who has been initiated, one not a reciter who has not been initiated. Which of them would the brahmins feed first at a memorial feast, or at a pot-of-rice ceremony, or at a sacrifice, or at a guest meal?" "That young man, Master Gotama, who is a reciter and has been initiated, him the brahmins would feed first at a memorial feast, or at a pot-of-rice ceremony, or at a sacrifice, or at a guest meal. For what great fruit would there be, Master Gotama, in what is given to one who is not a reciter and has not been initiated?"
"What do you think, Assalāyana, suppose here there were two young men, brothers of the same womb, one a reciter who has been initiated but is immoral and of bad character, one not a reciter who has not been initiated but is moral and of good character. Which of them would the brahmins feed first at a memorial feast, or at a pot-of-rice ceremony, or at a sacrifice, or at a guest meal?" "That young man, Master Gotama, who is not a reciter and has not been initiated but is moral and of good character, him the brahmins would feed first at a memorial feast, or at a pot-of-rice ceremony, or at a sacrifice, or at a guest meal. For what great fruit would there be, Master Gotama, in what is given to one who is immoral and of bad character?"
"First, Assalāyana, you went to birth; having gone to birth, you went to the sacred verses; having gone to the sacred verses, you went to austere asceticism; having gone to austere asceticism, you have come back to the purification of the four castes, which I declare." When this was said, the young brahmin Assalāyana sat silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, face cast down, brooding, without response.
410. Then the Blessed One, having understood that the young man Assalāyana had become silent, downcast, with drooping shoulders, with face cast down, pondering, bewildered, said this to the young man Assalāyana - "Once in the past, Assalāyana, seven brahmin sages dwelling in leaf huts in a forest haunt, consulting together, such an evil wrong view arose in them - 'The brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior, etc. heirs of Brahmā.' The sage Asita Devala heard, Assalāyana - 'It is said that among seven brahmin sages dwelling in leaf huts in a forest haunt, consulting together, such an evil wrong view has arisen - the brahmin alone is the superior class, etc. heirs of Brahmā.' Then, Assalāyana, the sage Asita Devala, having trimmed his hair and beard, having put on crimson-coloured cloths, having put on sandals with straps, having taken a golden staff, appeared in the courtyard of the seven brahmin sages. Then, Assalāyana, the sage Asita Devala, walking up and down in the courtyard of the seven brahmin sages, said thus - 'Well now, where have these venerable brahmin sages gone; well now, where have these venerable brahmin sages gone?' Then, Assalāyana, this thought occurred to the seven brahmin sages - 'Who is this one like a village lout walking up and down in the courtyard of the seven brahmin sages, saying thus - "Well now, where have these venerable brahmin sages gone; well now, where have these venerable brahmin sages gone?" Come, let us curse him.' Then, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin sages cursed the sage Asita Devala - 'Become ashes, outcast; become ashes, outcast.' In whatever way, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin sages cursed the sage Asita Devala, in that way the sage Asita Devala became even more handsome, even more fair to behold, and even more pleasing. Then, Assalāyana, this thought occurred to the seven brahmin sages - 'Surely our austere asceticism is in vain, our holy life is fruitless. For formerly whomever we cursed - "Become ashes, outcast; become ashes, outcast" - some one becomes just ashes. But this one, in whatever way we curse him, in that way he becomes even more handsome, even more fair to behold, and even more pleasing.' 'Your austere asceticism is not in vain, your holy life is not fruitless. Come now, venerable sirs, whatever ill-will you have towards me, abandon that.' 'Whatever ill-will there is, we abandon that. But who is the venerable one?' 'Have you heard of - the sage Asita Devala?' 'Yes, sir.' 'I am indeed he, sir.' Then, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin sages began to pay respect to the sage Asita Devala.
411. "Then, Assalāyana, the sage Asita Devala said this to the seven brahmin sages: 'I have heard this, sirs, it is said that among seven brahmin sages dwelling in leaf huts in a forest haunt, consulting together, such an evil wrong view has arisen - the brahmin alone is the superior class, other classes are inferior; the brahmin alone is the fair class, other classes are dark; only brahmins are purified, not non-brahmins; only brahmins are the sons of Brahmā, legitimate sons, born of his breast, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā.' 'Yes, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know - whether the mother who gave you birth went only with a brahmin, not with a non-brahmin?' 'No indeed, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know - whether the mother of the mother who gave you birth, up to the seventh generation of maternal ancestors, went only with a brahmin, not with a non-brahmin?' 'No indeed, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know - whether the father who begot you went only with a brahmin woman, not with a non-brahmin woman?' 'No indeed, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know - whether the father of the father who begot you, up to the seventh generation of paternal ancestors, went only with a brahmin woman, not with a non-brahmin woman?' 'No indeed, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know - how conception in a womb takes place?' 'We know, sir - how conception in a womb takes place. Here mother and father come together, and the mother is in her fertile period, and a gandhabba is present; thus from the coming together of three, there is conception in a womb.'
"'But do you sirs know - whether truly that gandhabba is a noble or a brahmin or a merchant or a worker?' 'We do not know, sir - whether truly that gandhabba is a noble or a brahmin or a merchant or a worker.' 'This being so, sirs, do you know - who you are?' 'This being so, sir, we do not know - who we are.' Those seven brahmin sages indeed, Assalāyana, being cross-questioned, being pressed for reasons, being admonished by the sage Asita Devala regarding their own doctrine of birth, could not explain; how then will you now, being cross-questioned, being pressed for reasons, being admonished by me regarding your own doctrine of birth, be able to explain, you together with your teacher who are not even equal to Puṇṇa the ladle-holder?"
When this was said, the young man Assalāyana said this to the Blessed One - "Excellent, Master Gotama! Etc. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth for life."
The Discourse on Assalāyana is concluded as third.