Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.187

Numbered Discourses 4.187

19. Brāhmaṇavagga

19. Brahmins

Vassakārasutta

With Vassakāra

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Atha kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Vassakāra the brahmin, a chief minister of Magadha, went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Jāneyya nu kho, bho gotama, asappuriso asappurisaṁ: ‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“Master Gotama, could a bad person know of a bad person: ‘This fellow is a bad person’?”

“Aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya: ‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti.

“That’s impossible, brahmin, it can’t happen.”

“Jāneyya pana, bho gotama, asappuriso sappurisaṁ: ‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“Could a bad person know of a good person: ‘This fellow is a good person’?”

“Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, aṭṭhānaṁ anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya: ‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti.

“That too is impossible, it can’t happen.”

“Jāneyya nu kho, bho gotama, sappuriso sappurisaṁ: ‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“Master Gotama, could a good person know of a good person: ‘This fellow is a good person’?”

“Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya: ‘sappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti.

“That, brahmin, is possible.”

“Jāneyya pana, bho gotama, sappuriso asappurisaṁ: ‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti?

“Could a good person know of a bad person: ‘This fellow is a bad person’?”

“Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, ṭhānaṁ vijjati yaṁ sappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya: ‘asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’”ti.

“That too is possible.”

“Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ bhotā gotamena: ‘aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya—asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, aṭṭhānaṁ anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya—sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya—sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, ṭhānaṁ vijjati yaṁ sappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya—asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’ti.

“It’s incredible, Master Gotama, it’s amazing, how well said this was by Master Gotama: ‘It’s impossible, it can’t happen, that a bad person could know … But it is possible that a good person could know …’

Ekamidaṁ, bho gotama, samayaṁ todeyyassa brāhmaṇassa parisati parūpārambhaṁ vattenti: ‘bālo ayaṁ rājā eḷeyyo samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasanno, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karoti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikammanti. Imepi rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā bālā—yamako moggallo¹ uggo nāvindakī gandhabbo aggivesso, ye samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasannā, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karonti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikamman’ti. Tyāssudaṁ todeyyo brāhmaṇo iminā nayena neti. ‘Taṁ kiṁ maññanti, bhonto, paṇḍito rājā eḷeyyo karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataro’ti? ‘Evaṁ, bho, paṇḍito rājā eḷeyyo karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataroti.

Once, members of the brahmin Todeyya’s assembly were going on complaining about others: ‘This King Eḷeyya is a fool to be so devoted to Rāmaputta. He even shows him the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with joined palms, and observing proper etiquette for him. And these king’s men are fools too—Yamaka, Moggalla, Ugga, Nāvindakī, Gandhabba, and Aggivessa—for they show the same kind of deference to Rāmaputta.’ Then the brahmin Todeyya reasoned with them like this: ‘What do the good sirs think? When it comes to the various duties and speeches, isn’t King Eḷeyya astute, even better than the experts?’ ‘That’s true, sir.’

Yasmā ca kho, bho, samaṇo rāmaputto raññā eḷeyyena paṇḍitena paṇḍitataro karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarena alamatthadasataro, tasmā rājā eḷeyyo samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasanno, samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karoti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikammaṁ’.

‘It’s because Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than King Eḷeyya that the king is so devoted to him. That’s why he even shows Rāmaputta the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with joined palms, and observing proper etiquette for him.

‘Taṁ kiṁ maññanti, bhonto, paṇḍitā rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā—yamako moggallo uggo nāvindakī gandhabbo aggivesso, karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasatarā’ti? ‘Evaṁ, bho, paṇḍitā rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā—yamako moggallo uggo nāvindakī gandhabbo aggivesso, karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasatarāti.

‘What do the good sirs think? When it comes to the various duties and speeches, aren’t the king’s men—Yamaka, Moggalla, Ugga, Nāvindakī, Gandhabba, and Aggivessa—astute, even better than the experts?’ ‘That’s true, sir.’

Yasmā ca kho, bho, samaṇo rāmaputto rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakehi paṇḍitehi paṇḍitataro karaṇīyādhikaraṇīyesu vacanīyādhivacanīyesu alamatthadasatarehi alamatthadasataro, tasmā rañño eḷeyyassa parihārakā samaṇe rāmaputte abhippasannā; samaṇe ca pana rāmaputte evarūpaṁ paramanipaccakāraṁ karonti, yadidaṁ abhivādanaṁ paccuṭṭhānaṁ añjalikammaṁ sāmīcikamman’ti.

‘It’s because Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than the king’s men that they have such devotion to him. … It’s because Rāmaputta is even more astute and expert than King Eḷeyya that the king is so devoted to him. That’s why he even shows Rāmaputta the utmost deference by bowing down to him, rising up for him, greeting him with joined palms, and observing proper etiquette for him.’

Acchariyaṁ, bho gotama, abbhutaṁ, bho gotama. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ bhotā gotamena: ‘aṭṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya—asappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, aṭṭhānaṁ anavakāso yaṁ asappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya—sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Ṭhānaṁ kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, vijjati yaṁ sappuriso sappurisaṁ jāneyya—sappuriso ayaṁ bhavanti. Etampi kho, brāhmaṇa, ṭhānaṁ vijjati yaṁ sappuriso asappurisaṁ jāneyya—asappuriso ayaṁ bhavan’ti. Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bho gotama, gacchāma. Bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.

It’s incredible, Master Gotama, it’s amazing, how well said this was by Master Gotama: ‘It’s impossible, it can’t happen, that a bad person could know … But it is possible that a good person could know … Well, now, Master Gotama, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.”

“Yassadāni tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.

“Please, brahmin, go at your convenience.”

Atha kho vassakāro brāhmaṇo magadhamahāmatto bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmīti.

Then Vassakāra the brahmin, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, got up from his seat and left.

Sattamaṁ.