MODULE 3
Lesson 1 : Lesson of Deeds (3)
Vasala Sutta (snp 1.7 The Outcaste)
Once the Buddha was going on his alms round at Savatthi. A Brahmin named Aggikabharadvaja saw him from afar, shouted at him “Stop there, shave-ling; stop there, wretched ascetic; stop there, outcaste.” “Very interesting. What is an outcaste and what constitutes an outcaste?” asked the Buddha. In which the Brahmin couldn’t answers.
“Whoever is angry, rancorous, evil and hypocritical, has wrong views and is deceitful, he is an outcaste.”
“Whoever harms a living creature, who has no compassion for a living creature, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever destroys or besieges villages and towns, and is notorious as a oppressor, he is an outcaste.”
“Whoever takes by theft what has not been given to him and is cherished by others, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever having contracted a debt, when urged to repay it, absconds, saying: “I have no debt to you”, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever takes the trifle… speak falsely… misbehave among the wives of others… being able does not support his parents… angers with his parents… teaches what is profitless… concealed his evil actions… he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Not by birth does one become an outcaste, not by birth does one become a Brahmin. By one’s action, one becomes an outcaste, by one’s action one becomes a Brahmin.”
Further reading: Sutta Nipata: snp 1.7 The Outcaste
Vasettha Sutta. (snp 3.9)
There was a disagreement between two young Brahmins on the question on how one becomes a Brahmin. Brahman Bharadvaja argued that one must be well born on both the mother and father’s side, and is of pure descent for seven generations. Brahman Vasettha has a different opinion, as he believes that one must possess virtuous conduct and is endowed with good vows.
They are not able to convince each other and they agreed to see the Buddha for clarification. “There is a dispute between us, Gotama, with reference to birth. Bharadvaja says that one becomes a Brahman by birth, but I say it is because of action. Tell us, who do not know, so that we may know.”
“I shall explain this to you. In due order accordance to the Truth, there are many species of the living creatures. … consider the birds, going on wings, sky travellers, when they are born, their distinguishing marks form different types of species among them. They are not similar, some long beak, some short beak, some long tail, some short tail, some can fly and some cannot fly…
Consider the snakes, fishes… when they are born they are different. They have different type of names; there are the python snake, the rattlesnake, the sea snake and many species of snake.
When a human is born, they are all born the same. They are born with two eyes, two ears, one nose etc. We are born in the same category – Homo sapiens. There is no difference among man and if there is, they are only different in the convention – Indian, Chinese, English, African and etc.
There is not among man different kinds and species with regards to their eye, ear, nose, hair, … they are all the same. From the head to the feet, from the back to the front, we are all the same.
We can never distinguish a person at birth. They do not inherit a variety of features that other creatures have. In the case of human, differences are only differences only by convention. If this guy were to become an adult in his later life, he is called by a different name.
He is called a craftsman because he lives by means of various crafts, we don’t call him a Brahmin. He is called a carpenter because he dwells in wood. He is called a priest because he carries out rites and rituals…
Him, I call a Brahman if he has nothing and is without grasping. Whoever indeed, having cut every fetter, does not tremble, gone beyond attachment, unfettered, him I call a Brahman. Without anger, possessing vows and virtuous conduct, free from haughtiness, tamed, him I call a Brahman.
Whoever does not cling to sensual pleasures, as water does not cling to lotus leaf, him I call a Brahman. Whoever understands the end of his own misery, with burden laid aside, unfettered, him I call a Brahman.
We are not born a doctor, engineer, teacher, lawyer or accountant. It is what you do that you are given a title and that again is a convention. It is by your deeds that we are judged. Even a Brahmin can break their precepts.
Further reading: Sutta Nipata: snp 3.9 Vasettha Sutta
In the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha advised, we should not believe out of respect to a person due to his seemingly abilities. When the Sala Trees were blooming out of season, the Buddha told the Devas that this is not the way to respect him.
Again in order to clear the commotion against Dhammarama who did not visit and pay respect to the Buddha before he passed away, he replied, “The best respect is to ensure I attain enlightenment before the Buddha passed away.” The Buddha clarifies, “Indeed, the best respect is to heed my advised and to follow my path.”
Action speaks louder than your belief
Five Messages
We may deduce the following messages from the Buddha, in the first lesson of deeds.
1. Be-lived and not believe
We should believe in our good and wholesome action.
2. Fear only our action
Hiri & Ottappa - moral shame & moral fear should be the guiding principle of our action
Wise man never fear only the fools do. They only fear their own action.
3. Forgo and ignore label
It doesn’t matter what others say, as far as our conduct are upright and wholesome.
One should not be angry or over elated by the words of others because if you do, you will not be able to see the truth in it.
4. Power of deeds
Meritorious action is performance based. We are measured by our deeds. Wholesome deeds will give rise to wholesome results, unwholesome deeds to unwholesome results. Most of the time, a combination of both and that’s why there are so many inequalities in life. If we don’t act we won’t get the result.
5. Self-esteem and self-respect
Look at ourselves, what we have done and left undone and not others. We do not need to compete with others. We do what we can for drop-by-drop, one day the water pot will be filled. (dhammapada 122). We should establish our own self-esteem for every wholesome deed that we did, it carries the little happiness that we need. We do not need to compete with others. Push yourselves to your best of your ability.
Values # 1
Quality that arises from understanding the lesson.
When we understand a lesson through learning, memorized and ponder over them then a certain value will grow from it. We start to perceive and act everything within that value. Value cannot be practised. They arise automatically from understanding the lesson. Basically if the value does not arise, it means that you don’t understand the lesson. You only cultivate the seed and not the flower. You don’t need to remember the values for then it becomes very academic. We need to practise the lesson.
1. Right Understanding
As it is so fundamental in Buddhism, all the others Rights (Thought, Action, Speech, Livelihood, Effort, Concentration and Mindfulness) in the Noble Eightfold Path become right.
2. Objectivity
We tend to become value-based. We are not distracted by the colour, the gender, the position… the form, as they are just convention and not real. We transcend the forms and we view not the content but the context. We become a person of simplicity and moderation. Our life no longer controlled by ritualistic binding and we have a sense of self-value.
3. Gratitude
A good memory and thankfulness for good deeds performed on us.
We have to be grateful to ourselves as well as others. We become a self-made person rather than outside.
4. Respect for Values
We are able to see the qualities beyond the form and not be caught by its external appearance.
There are 4 things that one should not be disrespect or under estimate -
a. young prince – he will one day becomes the king and sentenced you, …
b. little snake - it can be very poisonous,
c. small fire – it can grew up and burn the forest,
d. young monk – he will not only burn the whole forest tree but also all it roots such that it will not grow again. The roots of evil – greed, hatred, delusion, and became an enlightened person.
5. Prioritising
we begin to give up a smaller happiness for a greater one. Our decisions become wiser and considerate.
6. Moral Sensitivity
We become very conscious and aware of the quality of the deeds. Our moral fear and shame (hiri-ottappa) begin to be more pronounced and grow in our actions and perceptions. We can feel ourselves in the shoes’ of others. The voice of conscience begins to enhance our action.
With all the above values growing in us, we begin to develop a sense of peace within ourselves.
Conclusion
“Do not do onto others what you do not want others to do onto you.”
Note :
DN Digha Nikaya, Long Discourses, consists of 32 suttas.
MN Majjhima Nikaya, Middle Length, (152 suttas)
SN Samyutta Nikaya, Kindred Sayings in 56 groups, (2,889 suttas)
AN Anguttara Nikaya, Gradual Sayings with 11 numbered books, (8,777 suttas)
Snp Sutta Nipata, Sutta Collection (72 suttas)
Dhp Dhammapada, Path of the Dhamma (423 suttas)
“Whoever is angry, rancorous, evil and hypocritical, has wrong views and is deceitful, he is an outcaste.”
“Whoever harms a living creature, who has no compassion for a living creature, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever destroys or besieges villages and towns, and is notorious as a oppressor, he is an outcaste.”
“Whoever takes by theft what has not been given to him and is cherished by others, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever having contracted a debt, when urged to repay it, absconds, saying: “I have no debt to you”, he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Whoever takes the trifle… speak falsely… misbehave among the wives of others… being able does not support his parents… angers with his parents… teaches what is profitless… concealed his evil actions… he is to be known as an outcaste.”
“Not by birth does one become an outcaste, not by birth does one become a Brahmin. By one’s action, one becomes an outcaste, by one’s action one becomes a Brahmin.”
Further reading: Sutta Nipata: snp 1.7 The Outcaste
Vasettha Sutta. (snp 3.9)
There was a disagreement between two young Brahmins on the question on how one becomes a Brahmin. Brahman Bharadvaja argued that one must be well born on both the mother and father’s side, and is of pure descent for seven generations. Brahman Vasettha has a different opinion, as he believes that one must possess virtuous conduct and is endowed with good vows.
They are not able to convince each other and they agreed to see the Buddha for clarification. “There is a dispute between us, Gotama, with reference to birth. Bharadvaja says that one becomes a Brahman by birth, but I say it is because of action. Tell us, who do not know, so that we may know.”
“I shall explain this to you. In due order accordance to the Truth, there are many species of the living creatures. … consider the birds, going on wings, sky travellers, when they are born, their distinguishing marks form different types of species among them. They are not similar, some long beak, some short beak, some long tail, some short tail, some can fly and some cannot fly…
Consider the snakes, fishes… when they are born they are different. They have different type of names; there are the python snake, the rattlesnake, the sea snake and many species of snake.
When a human is born, they are all born the same. They are born with two eyes, two ears, one nose etc. We are born in the same category – Homo sapiens. There is no difference among man and if there is, they are only different in the convention – Indian, Chinese, English, African and etc.
There is not among man different kinds and species with regards to their eye, ear, nose, hair, … they are all the same. From the head to the feet, from the back to the front, we are all the same.
We can never distinguish a person at birth. They do not inherit a variety of features that other creatures have. In the case of human, differences are only differences only by convention. If this guy were to become an adult in his later life, he is called by a different name.
He is called a craftsman because he lives by means of various crafts, we don’t call him a Brahmin. He is called a carpenter because he dwells in wood. He is called a priest because he carries out rites and rituals…
Him, I call a Brahman if he has nothing and is without grasping. Whoever indeed, having cut every fetter, does not tremble, gone beyond attachment, unfettered, him I call a Brahman. Without anger, possessing vows and virtuous conduct, free from haughtiness, tamed, him I call a Brahman.
Whoever does not cling to sensual pleasures, as water does not cling to lotus leaf, him I call a Brahman. Whoever understands the end of his own misery, with burden laid aside, unfettered, him I call a Brahman.
We are not born a doctor, engineer, teacher, lawyer or accountant. It is what you do that you are given a title and that again is a convention. It is by your deeds that we are judged. Even a Brahmin can break their precepts.
Further reading: Sutta Nipata: snp 3.9 Vasettha Sutta
In the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha advised, we should not believe out of respect to a person due to his seemingly abilities. When the Sala Trees were blooming out of season, the Buddha told the Devas that this is not the way to respect him.
Again in order to clear the commotion against Dhammarama who did not visit and pay respect to the Buddha before he passed away, he replied, “The best respect is to ensure I attain enlightenment before the Buddha passed away.” The Buddha clarifies, “Indeed, the best respect is to heed my advised and to follow my path.”
Action speaks louder than your belief
Five Messages
We may deduce the following messages from the Buddha, in the first lesson of deeds.
1. Be-lived and not believe
We should believe in our good and wholesome action.
2. Fear only our action
Hiri & Ottappa - moral shame & moral fear should be the guiding principle of our action
Wise man never fear only the fools do. They only fear their own action.
3. Forgo and ignore label
It doesn’t matter what others say, as far as our conduct are upright and wholesome.
One should not be angry or over elated by the words of others because if you do, you will not be able to see the truth in it.
4. Power of deeds
Meritorious action is performance based. We are measured by our deeds. Wholesome deeds will give rise to wholesome results, unwholesome deeds to unwholesome results. Most of the time, a combination of both and that’s why there are so many inequalities in life. If we don’t act we won’t get the result.
5. Self-esteem and self-respect
Look at ourselves, what we have done and left undone and not others. We do not need to compete with others. We do what we can for drop-by-drop, one day the water pot will be filled. (dhammapada 122). We should establish our own self-esteem for every wholesome deed that we did, it carries the little happiness that we need. We do not need to compete with others. Push yourselves to your best of your ability.
Values # 1
Quality that arises from understanding the lesson.
When we understand a lesson through learning, memorized and ponder over them then a certain value will grow from it. We start to perceive and act everything within that value. Value cannot be practised. They arise automatically from understanding the lesson. Basically if the value does not arise, it means that you don’t understand the lesson. You only cultivate the seed and not the flower. You don’t need to remember the values for then it becomes very academic. We need to practise the lesson.
1. Right Understanding
As it is so fundamental in Buddhism, all the others Rights (Thought, Action, Speech, Livelihood, Effort, Concentration and Mindfulness) in the Noble Eightfold Path become right.
2. Objectivity
We tend to become value-based. We are not distracted by the colour, the gender, the position… the form, as they are just convention and not real. We transcend the forms and we view not the content but the context. We become a person of simplicity and moderation. Our life no longer controlled by ritualistic binding and we have a sense of self-value.
3. Gratitude
A good memory and thankfulness for good deeds performed on us.
We have to be grateful to ourselves as well as others. We become a self-made person rather than outside.
4. Respect for Values
We are able to see the qualities beyond the form and not be caught by its external appearance.
There are 4 things that one should not be disrespect or under estimate -
a. young prince – he will one day becomes the king and sentenced you, …
b. little snake - it can be very poisonous,
c. small fire – it can grew up and burn the forest,
d. young monk – he will not only burn the whole forest tree but also all it roots such that it will not grow again. The roots of evil – greed, hatred, delusion, and became an enlightened person.
5. Prioritising
we begin to give up a smaller happiness for a greater one. Our decisions become wiser and considerate.
6. Moral Sensitivity
We become very conscious and aware of the quality of the deeds. Our moral fear and shame (hiri-ottappa) begin to be more pronounced and grow in our actions and perceptions. We can feel ourselves in the shoes’ of others. The voice of conscience begins to enhance our action.
With all the above values growing in us, we begin to develop a sense of peace within ourselves.
Conclusion
“Do not do onto others what you do not want others to do onto you.”
Note :
DN Digha Nikaya, Long Discourses, consists of 32 suttas.
MN Majjhima Nikaya, Middle Length, (152 suttas)
SN Samyutta Nikaya, Kindred Sayings in 56 groups, (2,889 suttas)
AN Anguttara Nikaya, Gradual Sayings with 11 numbered books, (8,777 suttas)
Snp Sutta Nipata, Sutta Collection (72 suttas)
Dhp Dhammapada, Path of the Dhamma (423 suttas)
