The Brahmin

Cut through the current with courage and drive out craving. Once you understand how all created things come undone, you'll glimpse the uncreated, the part of reality that was never made and never fades.

Exert yourself, O holy man! Cut off the stream (of craving), and discard sense desires. Knowing the destruction of all the conditioned things, become, O holy man, the knower of the Uncreated (Nibbana)! [26]

When the noble one has reached the far shore of both things, calm concentration and clear insight, then for the one who truly knows, every chain falls away.

When a holy man has reached the summit of two paths (meditative concentration and insight), he knows the truth and all his fetters fall away.

The one I call truly noble clings to neither this side nor the far side nor anything between: free of fear, free of every chain.

He for whom there is neither this shore nor the other shore, nor yet both, he who is free of cares and is unfettered — him do I call a holy man. [27]

The one I call truly noble sits quiet and unstained, deep in meditation, their work done and their inner stains gone, having reached the highest goal.

He who is meditative, stainless and settled, whose work is done and who is free from cankers, having reached the highest goal — him do I call a holy man.

The sun shines by day, the moon by night, the warrior shines in armor, and the meditator shines in stillness; but the Awakened One shines, in splendor, all day and all night.

The sun shines by day, the moon shines by night. The warrior shines in armor, the holy man shines in meditation. But the Buddha shines resplendent all day and all night.

Because he has set aside what is harmful, he is called noble; because his conduct is serene, he is called a seeker; and because he has sent away his own impurities, he is called one who has gone forth.

Because he has discarded evil, he is called a holy man. Because he is serene in conduct, he is called a recluse. And because he has renounced his impurities, he is called a renunciate.

One should not strike the noble one; yet the noble one, when struck, should not give way to anger. Shame on the one who strikes; greater shame on the noble one who lets anger loose.

One should not strike a holy man, nor should a holy man, when struck, give way to anger. Shame on him who strikes a holy man, and more shame on him who gives way to anger.

Nothing serves the noble one better than holding the mind back from what it finds dear. As the urge to harm wears away, so suffering quietly comes to rest.

Nothing is better for a holy man than when he holds his mind back from what is endearing. To the extent the intent to harm wears away, to that extent does suffering subside.

The one I call truly noble does no wrong in deed, word, or thought, and stays restrained in all three.

He who does no evil in deed, word and thought, who is restrained in these three ways — him do I call a holy man.

Just as a brahmin priest reveres his sacrificial fire, so should one warmly honor the person from whom one learned the teaching the Buddha taught.

Just as a brahman priest reveres his sacrificial fire, even so should one devoutly revere the person from whom one has learned the Dhamma taught by the Buddha.

Not by matted hair, nor by family line, nor by birth does one become noble. The one in whom truth and right conduct live: that one is pure, that one is noble.

Not by matted hair, nor by lineage, nor by birth does one become a holy man. But he in whom truth and righteousness exist — he is pure, he is a holy man.

What good is your matted hair, foolish one? What good your cloak of animal hide? The tangle is inside you; you only comb the outside.

What is the use of your matted hair, O witless man? What of your garment of antelope’s hide? Within you is the tangle (of passion); only outwardly do you cleanse yourself. [28]

The one I call truly noble wears robes of cast-off rags, is lean with veins showing on the body, and meditates alone in the forest.

The person who wears a robe made of rags, who is lean, with veins showing all over the body, and who meditates alone in the forest — him do I call a holy man.

I do not call someone noble merely for being born to a certain mother or lineage. If he is full of clinging attachments, he is just a haughty man. But the one free of clinging, who holds on to nothing: that one I call noble.

I do not call him a holy man because of his lineage or high-born mother. If he is full of impeding attachments, he is just a supercilious man. But who is free from impediments and clinging — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has cut through every chain and no longer trembles, has moved beyond all attachment, and is free.

He who, having cut off all fetters, trembles no more, who has overcome all attachments and is emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has cut the strap of hatred, the rein of craving, and the rope of false views, has thrown off the crossbar of ignorance, and is awake.

He who has cut off the thong (of hatred), the band (of craving), and the rope (of false views), together with the appurtenances (latent evil tendencies), he who has removed the crossbar (of ignorance) and is enlightened — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble endures abuse, beating, and punishment without resentment, whose real strength and only army is patience.

He who without resentment endures abuse, beating and punishment; whose power, real might, is patience — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble is free from anger, faithful in duty, virtuous and without craving, self-controlled, and carries the body for the last time.

He who is free from anger, is devout, virtuous, without craving, self-subdued and bears his final body — him do I call a holy man.

Like water that won't stay on a lotus leaf, or a mustard seed that won't rest on a needle's point, the one I call truly noble lets sensual pleasures slide off without clinging.

Like water on a lotus leaf, or a mustard seed on the point of a needle, he who does not cling to sensual pleasures — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble realizes for himself, in this very life, the end of suffering, has set down the burden, and is free.

He who in this very life realizes for himself the end of suffering, who has laid aside the burden and become emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has deep knowledge and wisdom, can tell the right path from the wrong, and has reached the highest goal.

He who has profound knowledge, who is wise, skilled in discerning the right or wrong path, and has reached the highest goal — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble keeps apart from householders and wandering ascetics alike, moves through life with no fixed home, and wants almost nothing.

He who holds aloof from householders and ascetics alike, and wanders about with no fixed abode and but few wants — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has laid down all violence toward living beings, whether weak or strong, and neither kills nor causes others to kill.

He who has renounced violence towards all living beings, weak or strong, who neither kills nor causes others to kill — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble stays friendly among the hostile, peaceful among the violent, and unclinging among those who cling.

He who is friendly amidst the hostile, peaceful amidst the violent, and unattached amidst the attached — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has let lust, hatred, pride, and pretense fall away, like a mustard seed slipping from the point of a needle.

He whose lust and hatred, pride and hypocrisy have fallen off like a mustard seed from the point of a needle — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble speaks words that are gentle, instructive, and true, and offends no one with what he says.

He who utters gentle, instructive and truthful words, who imprecates none — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble takes nothing in this world that is not given, be it long or short, small or large, good or bad.

He who in this world takes nothing that is not given to him, be it long or short, small or big, good or bad — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble wants nothing of this world or the next, is free of longing, and is unbound.

He who wants nothing of either this world or the next, who is desire-free and emancipated — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has no attachment, has cleared away doubt through perfect knowing, and has plunged into the Deathless.

He who has no attachment, who through perfect knowledge is free from doubts and has plunged into the Deathless — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has gone beyond the ties of both merit and demerit, beyond grief and stain, sorrowless and pure.

He who in this world has transcended the ties of both merit and demerit, who is sorrowless, stainless and pure — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble is spotless and pure like the moon, serene and clear, with the delight in existence put out.

He, who, like the moon, is spotless and pure, serene and clear, who has destroyed the delight in existence — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has made it across this muddy, perilous round of existence, reached the far shore, and has come to peace: calm, meditative, free of doubt, clinging to nothing.

He who, having traversed this miry, perilous and delusive round of existence, has crossed over and reached the other shore; who is meditative, calm, free from doubt, and, clinging to nothing, has attained to Nibbana — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has left sensual pleasures behind, gone forth from the household life into homelessness, and put out both sensual desire and the craving to keep becoming.

He who, having abandoned sensual pleasures, has renounced the household life and become a homeless one; has destroyed both sensual desire and continued existence — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has left craving behind, gone forth from the household life into homelessness, and put out both craving and the urge to keep becoming.

He who, having abandoned craving, has renounced the household life and become a homeless one, has destroyed both craving and continued existence — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has cast off the bonds that tie us to human things, risen above the bonds that tie us to heavenly ones, and is freed from every tie.

He who, casting off human bonds and transcending heavenly ties, is wholly delivered of all bondages — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble has set aside both likes and dislikes, grown cool and quiet, freed of all that fuels rebirth, and like a hero has conquered every world.

He who, having cast off likes and dislikes, has become tranquil, is rid of the substrata of existence and like a hero has conquered all the worlds — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble understands, in every way, how beings pass away and are reborn, and is wholly unattached, blessed, and awake.

He who in every way knows the death and rebirth of all beings, and is totally detached, blessed and enlightened — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble leaves a track no gods, spirits, or humans can trace: the awakened one who has ended every inner stain.

He whose track no gods, no angels, no humans trace, the arahant who has destroyed all cankers — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble clings to nothing of the past, the future, or the present, owning nothing and holding on to nothing.

He who clings to nothing of the past, present and future, who has no attachment and holds on to nothing — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble is the noble and excellent one, the heroic, the great sage, the conqueror, free of craving, pure, and awake.

He, the Noble, the Excellent, the Heroic, the Great Sage, the Conqueror, the Passionless, the Pure, the Enlightened one — him do I call a holy man.

The one I call truly noble understands where they have come from, sees clearly the heights and depths of experience, has reached the end of restless becoming, and is complete in wisdom, a sage whose realization wants for nothing.

He who knows his former births, who sees heaven and hell, who has reached the end of births and attained to the perfection of insight, the sage who has reached the summit of spiritual excellence — him do I call a holy man.