AN 4.185

Brāhmaṇasaccasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā paribbājakā sippinikātīre paribbājakārāme paṭivasanti, seyyathidaṁ annabhāro varadharo sakuludāyī ca paribbājako aññe ca abhiññātā abhiññātā paribbājakā. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena sippinikātīre paribbājakārāmo tenupasaṅkami.

Truths of the Brahmins

Once the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain. Now at that time several very well-known wanderers were residing in their monastery on the bank of the Serpentine River. They included Annabhāra, Varadhara, Sakuludāyī, and other very well-known wanderers. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the monastery for the wanderers on the bank of the Serpentine River.

Tena kho pana samayena tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarā kathā udapādi: “itipi brāhmaṇasaccāni, itipi brāhmaṇasaccānī”ti. Atha kho bhagavā yena te paribbājakā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā te paribbājake etadavoca:

Now at that time this discussion came up while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together, “The truths of the brahmins are like this; the truths of the brahmins are like that.” Then the Buddha went up to those wanderers, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to them,

“Kāya nuttha, paribbājakā, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti? “Idha, bho gotama, amhākaṁ sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘itipi brāhmaṇasaccāni, itipi brāhmaṇasaccānī’”ti.

“Wanderers, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?” “Well, worthy Gotama, this discussion came up among us while we were sitting together: ‘The truths of the brahmins are like this; the truths of the brahmins are like that.’”

“Cattārimāni, paribbājakā, brāhmaṇasaccāni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditāni. Katamāni cattāri? Idha, paribbājakā, brāhmaṇo evamāha: ‘sabbe pāṇā avajjhā’ti. Iti vadaṁ brāhmaṇo saccaṁ āha, no musā. So tena na samaṇoti maññati, na brāhmaṇoti maññati, na seyyohamasmīti maññati, na sadisohamasmīti maññati, na hīnohamasmīti maññati. Api ca yadeva tattha saccaṁ tadabhiññāya pāṇānaṁyeva anuddayāya anukampāya paṭipanno hoti.

“Wanderers, I declare these four truths of the brahmins, having realized them with my own insight. What four? Take a brahmin who says: ‘No sentient beings should be killed.’ In speaking like this, a brahmin speaks the truth, not lies. But they don’t think of themselves as an ‘ascetic’ or ‘brahmin’ because of that. Nor do they think ‘I’m better’ or ‘I’m equal’ or ‘I’m worse’. Rather, they simply practice out of kindness and sympathy for living creatures, having had insight into the truth of that.

Puna caparaṁ, paribbājakā, brāhmaṇo evamāha: ‘sabbe kāmā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti. Iti vadaṁ brāhmaṇo saccamāha, no musā. So tena na samaṇoti maññati, na brāhmaṇoti maññati, na seyyohamasmīti maññati, na sadisohamasmīti maññati, na hīnohamasmīti maññati. Api ca yadeva tattha saccaṁ tadabhiññāya kāmānaṁyeva nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti.

Take another brahmin who says: ‘All sensual pleasures are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ Saying this, a brahmin speaks the truth, not lies. But they don’t think of themselves as an ‘ascetic’ or ‘brahmin’ because of that. Nor do they think ‘I’m better’ or ‘I’m equal’ or ‘I’m worse’. Rather, they simply practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding sensual pleasures, having had insight into the truth of that.

Puna caparaṁ, paribbājakā, brāhmaṇo evamāha: ‘sabbe bhavā aniccā …pe… tadabhiññāya bhavānaṁyeva nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti.

Take another brahmin who says: ‘All states of existence are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.’ … They simply practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding future lives, having had insight into the truth of that.

Puna caparaṁ, paribbājakā, brāhmaṇo evamāha: ‘nāhaṁ kvacani kassaci kiñcanatasmiṁ na ca mama kvacani katthaci kiñcanatatthī’ti. Iti vadaṁ brāhmaṇo saccaṁ āha, no musā. So tena na samaṇoti maññati, na brāhmaṇoti maññati, na seyyohamasmīti maññati, na sadisohamasmīti maññati, na hīnohamasmīti maññati. Api ca yadeva tattha saccaṁ tadabhiññāya ākiñcaññaṁyeva paṭipadaṁ paṭipanno hoti. Imāni kho, paribbājakā, cattāri brāhmaṇasaccāni mayā sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā paveditānī”ti.

Take another brahmin who says: ‘I don’t belong to anyone anywhere. And nothing belongs to me anywhere.’ In speaking like this, a brahmin speaks the truth, not lies. But they don’t think of themselves as an ‘ascetic’ or ‘brahmin’ because of that. Nor do they think ‘I’m better’ or ‘I’m equal’ or ‘I’m worse’. Rather, they simply practice the path of nothingness, having had insight into the truth of that. These are the four truths of the brahmins that I declare, having realized them with my own insight.”