The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [366]
“What do you think, Assalāyana? Is only a brahmin capable of developing a mind of loving-kindness towards this region, without hostility and without ill will, and not a noble, or a merchant, or a worker?”
“No, Master Gotama. Whether it be a noble, or a brahmin, or a merchant, or a worker—those of all four castes are capable of developing a mind of loving-kindness towards this region, without hostility and without ill will.”
“Then on the strength of what [argument] or with the support of what [authority] do the brahmins in this case say thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā’?”
10. “Although Master Gotama says this, still the brahmins think thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā.’”
“What do you think, Assalāyana? Is only a brahmin capable of taking a loofah and bath powder, going to the river, and washing off dust and dirt, and not a noble, or a merchant, or a worker?”
“No, Master Gotama. Whether it be a noble, or a brahmin, or a merchant, or a worker—those of all four castes are capable of taking a loofah and bath powder, going to the river, and washing off dust and dirt.”
“Then on the strength of what [argument] or with the support of what [authority] do the brahmins in this case say thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā’?”
11. “Although Master Gotama says this, still the brahmins think thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā.’”
“What do you think, Assalāyana? [152] Suppose a head-anointed noble king were to assemble here a hundred men of different birth and say to them: ‘Come, sirs, let any here who have been born into a noble clan or a brahmin clan or a royal clan take an upper fire-stick of sāla wood, salala wood, sandalwood, or padumaka wood and light a fire and produce heat. And also let any who have been born into an outcast clan, a trapper clan, a wicker workers’ clan, a cartwrights’ clan, or a scavengers’ clan take an upper fire-stick made from a dog’s drinking trough, from a pig’s trough, from a dustbin, or from castor-oil wood and light a fire and produce heat.’
“What do you think, Assalāyana? When a fire is lit and heat is produced by someone in the first group, would that fire have a flame, a colour, and a radiance, and would it be possible to use it for the purposes of fire, while when a fire is lit and heat is produced by someone of the second group, that fire would have no flame, no colour, and no radiance, and it would not be possible to use it for the purposes of fire?”
“No, Master Gotama. When a fire is lit and heat is produced by someone in the first group, that fire would have a flame, a colour, and a radiance, and it would be possible to use it for the purposes of fire. And when a fire is lit and heat is produced by someone of the second group, that fire too would have a flame, a colour, and a radiance, and it would be possible to use it for the purposes of fire. For all fire has a flame, [153] a colour, and a radiance, and it is possible to use all fire for the purposes of fire.”
“Then on the strength of what [argument] or with the support of what [authority] do the brahmins in this case say thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā’?”
12. “Although Master Gotama says this, still the brahmins think thus: ‘Brahmins are the highest caste…heirs of Brahmā.’”
“What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a noble youth were to cohabit with a brahmin girl, and a son was born from their cohabitation. Should a son born from a noble youth and a brahmin girl be called a noble after the father or a brahmin after the mother?”
“He could be called both, Master Gotama.”
13. “What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a brahmin youth here were to cohabit with a noble girl, and a son were to be born from their cohabitation. Should the son born from a brahmin youth and a noble girl be called a noble after the mother or a brahmin after the father?”
“He could be called both, Master Gotama.”
14. “What do you think, Assalāyana? Suppose a mare were to be mated