SNP 1.7 The Lowlife

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

So I have heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms.

Now at that time in the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper’s home the sacred flame had been kindled and the oblation prepared.

Wandering indiscriminately for almsfood in Sāvatthī, the Buddha approached Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper’s house.

Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper saw the Buddha coming off in the distance

and said to him,

“Stop right there, shaveling!

Right there, fake ascetic!

Right there, lowlife!”

When he said this, the Buddha said to him,

“But brahmin, do you know what is a lowlife or what are the qualities that make you a lowlife?”

“No I do not, worthy Gotama.

Please, worthy Gotama, teach me this matter so I can understand what is a lowlife or what are the qualities that make you a lowlife.”

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Yes, worthy sir,” Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper replied.

The Buddha said this:

“Irritable and acrimonious,

wicked and offensive,

a man deficient in view, deceitful:

know him as a lowlife.

He harms living creatures

born of womb or of egg,

and has no kindness for creatures:

know him as a lowlife.

He destroys and devastates

villages and towns,

a notorious oppressor:

know him as a lowlife.

Whether in village or wilderness,

he steals what belongs to others,

taking what has not been given:

know him as a lowlife.

Having fallen into debt,

when pressed to pay up he flees, saying

‘I don’t owe you anything!’:

know him as a lowlife.

Wanting some item or other,

he attacks a person in the street

and takes it:

know him as a lowlife.

For his own sake or the sake of another,

or for the sake of wealth, a man

tells a lie when asked to bear witness:

know him as a lowlife.

He is spied among the partners

of relatives and friends,

by force or seduction:

know him as a lowlife.

Though able, he does not look after

his mother and father

when elderly, past their prime:

know him as a lowlife.

He hits or verbally abuses

his mother or father,

brother, sister, or mother-in-law:

know him as a lowlife.

When asked about the good,

he teaches what is bad,

giving secretive advice:

know him as a lowlife.

Having done a bad deed, he wishes,

‘May no-one find me out!’

His deeds are underhand:

know him as a lowlife.

When visiting another family

he eats their delicious food,

but does not return the honor:

know him as a lowlife.

He deceives with lies

ascetics and brahmins

and other supplicants:

know him as a lowlife.

When time comes to offer a meal

to brahmins or ascetics,

he abuses them and does not give:

know him as a lowlife.

He talks about what never happened,

being wrapped up in delusion,

chasing after some item or other:

know him as a lowlife.

He extols himself

and disparages others,

brought down by his pride:

know him as a lowlife.

He’s a bully and a miser,

of corrupt wishes, stingy, and devious,

shameless, imprudent:

know him as a lowlife.

He insults the Buddha

or his disciple,

whether lay or renunciate:

know him as a lowlife.

He claims to be a perfected one,

when he really is no such thing.

In the world with its divinities,

that crook is truly the lowest lowlife.

These who are called lowlifes

I have explained to you.

You’re not a lowlife by birth,

nor by birth are you a brahmin.

You’re a lowlife by your deeds,

by deeds you’re a brahmin.

And also you should know

according to this example.

A corpse-worker’s son of the dog-eating caste

became renowned as Mātaṅga.

Mātaṅga achieved the highest fame

so very hard to find.

Lots of aristocrats and brahmins

came to serve him.

He ascended the stainless highway

that leads to the heavens;

having discarded sensual desire,

he was reborn in a realm of divinity.

His birth did not prevent him

from rebirth in the realm of divinity.

Those born in a brahmin family

who recite as kinsmen of the hymns,

are often discovered

in the midst of wicked deeds.

Blameworthy in this very life,

and in the next, a bad destination.

Their birth does not prevent them

from blame or bad destiny.

You’re not a lowlife by birth,

nor by birth are you a brahmin.

You’re a lowlife by your deeds,

by deeds you’re a brahmin.”

When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper said to the Buddha,

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

​

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

Tena kho pana samayena aggikabhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa nivesane aggi pajjalito hoti āhuti paggahitā.

Atha kho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno yena aggikabhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami.

Addasā kho aggikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“tatreva, muṇḍaka;

tatreva, samaṇaka;

tatreva, vasalaka, tiṭṭhāhī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā aggikabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

“jānāsi pana tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vasalaṁ vā vasalakaraṇe vā dhamme”ti?

“Na khvāhaṁ, bho gotama, jānāmi vasalaṁ vā vasalakaraṇe vā dhamme;

sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu, yathāhaṁ jāneyyaṁ vasalaṁ vā vasalakaraṇe vā dhamme”ti.

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho aggikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Kodhano upanāhī ca,

pāpamakkhī ca yo naro;

Vipannadiṭṭhi māyāvī,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Ekajaṁ vā dvijaṁ vāpi,

yodha pāṇaṁ vihiṁsati;

Yassa pāṇe dayā natthi,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo hanti parirundhati,

gāmāni nigamāni ca;

Niggāhako samaññāto,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Gāme vā yadi vā raññe,

yaṁ paresaṁ mamāyitaṁ;

Theyyā adinnamādeti,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo have iṇamādāya,

cujjamāno palāyati;

Na hi te iṇamatthīti,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo ve kiñcikkhakamyatā,

panthasmiṁ vajantaṁ janaṁ;

Hantvā kiñcikkhamādeti,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Attahetu parahetu,

dhanahetu ca yo naro;

Sakkhipuṭṭho musā brūti,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo ñātīnaṁ sakhīnaṁ vā,

dāresu paṭidissati;

Sāhasā sampiyena vā,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo mātaraṁ pitaraṁ vā,

jiṇṇakaṁ gatayobbanaṁ;

Pahu santo na bharati,

taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo mātaraṁ pitaraṁ vā,

Bhātaraṁ bhaginiṁ sasuṁ;

Hanti roseti vācāya,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo atthaṁ pucchito santo,

Anatthamanusāsati;

Paṭicchannena manteti,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo katvā pāpakaṁ kammaṁ,

Mā maṁ jaññāti icchati;

Yo paṭicchannakammanto,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo ve parakulaṁ gantvā,

Bhutvāna sucibhojanaṁ;

Āgataṁ nappaṭipūjeti,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo brāhmaṇaṁ samaṇaṁ vā,

Aññaṁ vāpi vanibbakaṁ;

Musāvādena vañceti,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo brāhmaṇaṁ samaṇaṁ vā,

Bhattakāle upaṭṭhite;

Roseti vācā na ca deti,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Asataṁ yodha pabrūti,

Mohena paliguṇṭhito;

Kiñcikkhaṁ nijigīsāno,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo cattānaṁ samukkaṁse,

Pare ca mavajānāti;

Nihīno sena mānena,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Rosako kadariyo ca,

Pāpiccho maccharī saṭho;

Ahiriko anottappī,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo buddhaṁ paribhāsati,

Atha vā tassa sāvakaṁ;

Paribbājaṁ gahaṭṭhaṁ vā,

Taṁ jaññā vasalo iti.

Yo ve anarahaṁ santo,

Arahaṁ paṭijānāti;

Coro sabrahmake loke,

Eso kho vasalādhamo;

Ete kho vasalā vuttā,

Mayā yete pakāsitā.

Na jaccā vasalo hoti,

Na jaccā hoti brāhmaṇo;

Kammunā vasalo hoti,

Kammunā hoti brāhmaṇo.

Tadamināpi jānātha,

Yathāmedaṁ nidassanaṁ;

Caṇḍālaputto sopāko,

Mātaṅgo iti vissuto.

So yasaṁ paramaṁ patto,

Mātaṅgo yaṁ sudullabhaṁ;

Āgacchuṁ tassupaṭṭhānaṁ,

Khattiyā brāhmaṇā bahū.

Devayānaṁ abhiruyha,

Virajaṁ so mahāpathaṁ;

Kāmarāgaṁ virājetvā,

Brahmalokūpago ahu;

Na naṁ jāti nivāresi,

Brahmalokūpapattiyā.

Ajjhāyakakule jātā,

Brāhmaṇā mantabandhavā;

Te ca pāpesu kammesu,

Abhiṇhamupadissare.

Diṭṭheva dhamme gārayhā,

Samparāye ca duggati;

Na ne jāti nivāreti,

Duggatyā garahāya vā.

Na jaccā vasalo hoti,

Na jaccā hoti brāhmaṇo;

Kammunā vasalo hoti,

Kammunā hoti brāhmaṇo”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, aggikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

Vasalasuttaṁ sattamaṁ.