Udāna 5

Heartfelt Sayings 1.5

The Brahmin

1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time a number of senior monks approached the Buddha—the venerables Sāriputta, Mahāmoggallāna, Mahākassapa, Mahākaccāna, Mahākoṭṭhita, Mahākappina, Mahācunda, Anuruddha, Revata, and Nanda.

2 The Buddha saw them coming off in the distance, and addressed the mendicants: “These, mendicants, are brahmins coming! These are brahmins coming!” When he said this, a certain mendicant who was brahmin by birth asked the Buddha, “Sir, how do you define a brahmin? And what are the things that make one a brahmin?”

3 Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

4 “Having banished bad qualities,

those who live always mindful,

with fetters ended, awakened,

they are the world’s true brahmins.”