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5. “I do not say, brahmin, that all are to be served, nor do I say that none are to be served. For if, when serving someone, one becomes worse and not better because of that service, then I say that he should not be served. And if, when serving someone, one becomes better and not worse because of that service, then I say that he should be served.

6. “If they were to ask a noble thus: ‘Which of these should you serve—one in whose service you become worse and not better when serving him, or one in whose service you become better and not worse when serving him: [179] answering rightly, a noble would answer thus: ‘I should not serve the one in whose service I become worse and not better when serving him; I should serve the one in whose service I become better and not worse when serving him.’

“If they were to ask a brahmin…to ask a merchant…to ask a worker…answering rightly, a worker would answer thus: ‘I should not serve the one in whose service I become worse and not better when serving him; I should serve the one in whose service I become better and not worse when serving him.’

7. “I do not say, brahmin, that one is better because one is from an aristocratic family, nor do I say that one is worse because one is from an aristocratic family. I do not say that one is better because one is of great beauty, nor do I say that one is worse because one is of great beauty. I do not say that one is better because one is of great wealth, nor do I say that one is worse because one is of great wealth.

8. “For here, brahmin, one from an aristocratic family may kill living beings, take what is not given, misconduct himself in sensual pleasures, speak falsely, speak maliciously, speak harshly, gossip, be covetous, have a mind of ill will, and hold wrong view. Therefore I do not say that one is better because one is from an aristocratic family. But also, brahmin, one from an aristocratic family may abstain from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from misconduct in sensual pleasures, from false speech, from malicious speech, from harsh speech, and from gossip, and he may be uncovetous, have a mind without ill will, and hold right view. Therefore I do not say that one is worse because one is from an aristocratic family.

“Here, brahmin, one of great beauty…one of great wealth may kill living beings…and hold wrong view. Therefore I do not say that one is better because one is of great beauty…of great wealth. But also, brahmin, one of great beauty…of great wealth may abstain from killing living beings…and hold right view. Therefore [180] I do not say that one is worse because one is of great beauty…of great wealth.

9. “I do not say, brahmin, that all are to be served, nor do I say that none are to be served. For if, when serving someone, one’s faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom increase in his service, then I say that he should be served.”

10. When this was said, the brahmin Esukārī said to the Blessed One: “Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe four types of wealth. They prescribe the wealth of a brahmin, the wealth of a noble, the wealth of a merchant, and the wealth of a worker.

“Therein, Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe this as the wealth of a brahmin—wandering for alms;894 a brahmin who spurns his own wealth, wandering for alms, abuses his duty like a guard who takes what has not been given. That is the wealth of a brahmin which the brahmins prescribe. Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe this as the wealth of a noble—the bow and quiver; a noble who spurns his own wealth, the bow and quiver, abuses his duty like a guard who takes what has not been given. That is the wealth of a noble which the brahmins prescribe. Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe this as the wealth of a merchant—farming and cattle-breeding;895 a merchant who spurns his own wealth, farming and cattle-breeding, abuses his duty like a guard who takes what has not been given. That is the wealth of a merchant which the brahmins prescribe. Master Gotama, the brahmins prescribe this