Vasettha; He is not a Brahman.
Who makes his living among men by varied crafts, you should know is called a craftsman,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Who makes his living among men by merchandise, you should know is called a merchant,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Who makes his living among men by serving others, you should know is called a servant,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Who makes his living among men by stealing, you should know is called a robber,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Who makes his living among men by archery, you should know is called a soldier,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Who makes his living among men by priestly craft, you should know is called a chaplain,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
Whoever governs among men the town and realm, you should know is called a ruler,
Vasettha; He is not a brahmin.
"I call him not a brahmin because of his origin and lineage. If impediments still lurk in him,
He is just one who says 'Sir.'Who is unimpeded and clings no more:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has cut off all fetters and is no more by anguish shaken,
Who has overcome all ties, detached:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has cut each strap and thong, the reins and bridle-band as well,
Whose shaft is lifted, the awakened one:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who endures without a trace of hate abuse, violence, and bondage too,
With strength of patience well arrayed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who does not flare up with anger, dutiful, virtuous, and humble,
Subdued, bearing his final body:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who, like the rain on lotus leaves, or mustard seed on the point of an awl,
Clings not at all to sensual pleasures:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who knows right here within himself the destruction of all suffering,
With burden lowered, and detached:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who with deep understanding, wise, can tell the path from the not-path and has attained the goal supreme: He is the one I call a brahmin.
Aloof alike from householders and those gone into homelessness, who wanders without home or wish: He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has laid aside the rod against all beings frail or bold, aho does not kill or have them killed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who is unopposed among opponents, peaceful among those given to violence, who does not cling among those who cling:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has dropped all lust and hate, dropped conceit and contempt, like mustard seed on the point of an awl:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who utters speech free from harshness, full of meaning, ever truthful, which does not damage anyone:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who in the world will never take what is not given, long or short, small or big or fair or foul:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has no more inner yearnings regarding this world and the next, who lives unyearning and detached:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has no more indulgences no more perplexity since he knows, through having reached the Deathless Sphere:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who, by transcending all ties here about both merit and evil deeds, is sorrowless, stainless, and pure:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who, pure as the spotless moon, is clear and limpid,
and in whom delight and being have been destroyed: He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has passed beyond the swamp, the mire, samsara, all delusion, who has crossed to the further shore and meditates within the jhanas,
Is unperturbed and unperplexed, attained Nibbana through no clinging:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has abandoned sensual pleasures and wanders here in homelessness, with sense desires and being destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has abandoned craving too, and wanders here in homelessness, with craving and being both destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who leaves behind all human bonds and has cast off the bonds of heaven,detached from all bonds everywhere:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who leaves behind delight and discontent, who is cool and without attachment, the hero who has transcended the whole world:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who knows how beings pass away to reappear in many a mode, unclutching he, sublime, awake:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Whose destination is unknown to gods, to spirits, and to men, an arahant with taints destroyed:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who has no impediments at all, before, behind, or in the middle, who is unimpeded and clings no more: He is the one I call a brahmin.
The herd's leader, perfected hero, the great seer whose victory is won, unperturbed, cleansed, awakened:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
Who knows his manifold past lives and sees the heavens and states of woe, who has reached the destruction of birth:
He is the one I call a brahmin.
For name and clan are assigned as mere designations in the worldoriginating in conventions and they are assigned here and there.
For those who do not know this fact, wrong views have long underlain their hearts;
Not knowing, they declare to us:
One is a brahmin by birth.'
One is not a brahmin by birth, nor by birth a non-brahmin, by action is one a brahmin and by action is one a non-brahmin.
For men are farmers by their acts, and by their acts are craftsmen too;
And men are merchants by their acts, And by their acts are servants too.
And men are robbers by their acts, And by their acts are soldiers too;
And men are chaplains by their acts, And by their acts are rulers too.
So that is how the truly wise, see action as it really is, seers of dependent origination, and skilled in action and its results.
Action makes the world go round, action makes this generation turn.
Living beings are bound by action, like the chariot wheel by the pin.
Asceticism, the holy life, self-control and inner training by this one becomes a brahmin, in this supreme brahminhood lies.
One possessing the triple knowledge. peaceful, with being all destroyed, know him thus, O Vasettha, As Brahma and Sakka for those who understand."
