The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [378]
11. “Well, brahmin, has all the world authorised the brahmins to prescribe these four types of wealth?”—[181] “No, Master Gotama.”—“Suppose, brahmin, they were to force a cut of meat upon a poor, penniless, destitute man and tell him: ‘Good man, you must eat this meat and pay for it’; so too, without the consent of those [other] recluses and brahmins, the brahmins nevertheless prescribe these four types of wealth.
12. “I, brahmin, declare the noble supramundane Dhamma as a person’s own wealth.896 But recollecting his ancient maternal and paternal family lineage, he is reckoned according to wherever he is reborn.897 If he is reborn in a clan of nobles, he is reckoned as a noble; if he is reborn in a clan of brahmins, he is reckoned as a brahmin; if he is reborn in a clan of merchants, he is reckoned as a merchant; if he is reborn in a clan of workers, he is reckoned as a worker. Just as fire is reckoned by the particular condition dependent on which it burns—when fire burns dependent on logs, it is reckoned as a log fire; when fire burns dependent on faggots, it is reckoned as a faggot fire; when fire burns dependent on grass, it is reckoned as a grass fire; when fire burns dependent on cowdung, it is reckoned as a cowdung fire—so too, brahmin, I declare the noble supramundane Dhamma as a person’s own wealth. But recollecting his ancient maternal and paternal lineage, he is reckoned according to wherever he is reborn. If he is reborn…in a clan of workers, he is reckoned as a worker.
13. “If, brahmin, anyone from a clan of nobles goes forth from the home life into homelessness, and after encountering the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tath̄gata, he abstains from killing living beings, from taking what is not given, from incelibacy, from false speech, from malicious speech, from harsh speech, and from gossip, and is uncovetous, has a mind without ill will, and holds right view, he is one who is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome. [182]
“If, brahmin, anyone from a clan of brahmins goes forth…If anyone from a clan of merchants goes forth…If anyone from a clan of workers goes forth from the home life into homelessness, and after encountering the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, he abstains from killing living beings…and holds right view, he is one who is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.
14. “What do you think, brahmin? Is only a brahmin capable of developing a mind of loving-kindness towards a certain 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 a certain region, without hostility and without ill will.”
“So too, brahmin, if anyone from a clan of nobles goes forth...(repeat §13)...he is one who is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.
15. “What do you think, brahmin? 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, [183] 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.”
“So too, brahmin, if anyone from a clan of nobles goes forth...(repeat §13)...he is one who is accomplishing the true way, the Dhamma that is wholesome.
16. “What do you think, brahmin? Suppose a head-anointed noble king were to assemble here a hundred men of different birth”...(as Sutta 93, §11) [184]...“For all fire has a flame, a colour, and a radiance, and it is possible to