17. Jāṇussoṇivagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.167

Numbered Discourses 10.167

17. Jāṇussoṇivagga

17. With Jāṇussoṇī

Brāhmaṇapaccorohaṇīsutta

The Brahmin Ceremony of Descent

Tena kho pana samayena jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya bhagavato avidūre ekamantaṁ ṭhito hoti.

Now, at that time it was the sabbath. The brahmin Jānussoṇi had bathed his head and dressed in a new pair of linen robes. Holding a handful of fresh grass, he stood to one side not far from the Buddha.

Addasā kho bhagavā jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātaṁ navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthaṁ allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ.

The Buddha saw him,

Disvāna jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

and said,

“kiṁ nu tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhito?

“Brahmin, why have you bathed your head and dressed in a new pair of linen robes? Why are you standing to one side holding a handful of fresh grass?

Kiṁ nvajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti?

What’s going on today with the brahmin clan?”

“Paccorohaṇī, bho gotama, ajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, today is the ceremony of descent for the brahmin clan.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti?

“But how do the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent?”

“Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātā navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthā allena gomayena pathaviṁ opuñjitvā haritehi kusehi pattharitvā antarā ca velaṁ antarā ca agyāgāraṁ seyyaṁ kappenti.

“Well, worthy Gotama, on the sabbath the brahmins bathe their heads and dress in a new pair of linen robes. They make a heap of fresh cow dung and spread it with green grass. Then they make their beds between the boundary and the fire chamber.

Te taṁ rattiṁ tikkhattuṁ paccuṭṭhāya pañjalikā aggiṁ namassanti:

That night they rise three times and worship the fire with cupped palms:

‘paccorohāma bhavantaṁ, paccorohāma bhavantan’ti.

‘We descend, lord! We descend, lord!’

Bahukena ca sappitelanavanītena aggiṁ santappenti.

And they serve the fire with abundant ghee, oil, and butter.

Tassā ca rattiyā accayena paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena brāhmaṇe santappenti.

And when the night has passed they serve the brahmins with delicious fresh and cooked foods.

Evaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

That’s how the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent.”

“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

“The ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is quite different from that observed in the training of the Noble One.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti?

“But worthy Gotama, how is the ceremony of descent observed in the training of the Noble One?

Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

Worthy Gotama, please teach me this.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi.

“Yes, worthy sir,” Jānussoṇi replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Idha, brāhmaṇa, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:

“It’s when a noble disciple reflects:

‘pāṇātipātassa kho pāpako vipāko diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

‘Killing living creatures has a bad result in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pāṇātipātaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up killing living creatures,

pāṇātipātā paccorohati.

they descend from killing living creatures.

… ‘Adinnādānassa kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Stealing has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya adinnādānaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up stealing,

adinnādānā paccorohati.

they descend from stealing.

… ‘Kāmesumicchācārassa kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Sexual misconduct has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya kāmesumicchācāraṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up sexual misconduct,

kāmesumicchācārā paccorohati.

they descend from sexual misconduct.

… ‘Musāvādassa kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Lying has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya musāvādaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up lying,

musāvādā paccorohati.

they descend from lying.

… ‘Pisuṇāya vācāya kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Backbiting has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pisuṇaṁ vācaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up backbiting,

pisuṇāya vācāya paccorohati.

they descend from backbiting.

… ‘Pharusāya vācāya kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Harsh speech has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pharusaṁ vācaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up harsh speech,

pharusāya vācāya paccorohati.

they descend from harsh speech.

… ‘Samphappalāpassa kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Talking nonsense has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya samphappalāpaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up talking nonsense,

samphappalāpā paccorohati.

they descend from talking nonsense.

… ‘Abhijjhāya kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Covetousness has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya abhijjhaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up covetousness,

abhijjhāya paccorohati.

they descend from covetousness.

… ‘Byāpādassa kho pāpako vipāko—

… ‘Ill will has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya byāpādaṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up ill will,

byāpādā paccorohati.

they descend from ill will.

… ‘Micchādiṭṭhiyā kho pāpako vipāko—

‘Wrong view has a bad result

diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti.

in the present life and in lives to come.’

So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchādiṭṭhiṁ pajahati;

Reflecting like this, they give up wrong view,

micchādiṭṭhiyā paccorohati.

they descend from wrong view.

Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

This is the ceremony of descent in the training of the Noble One.”

“Aññathā kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti.

“The ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is quite different from that observed in the training of the Noble One.

Imissā, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇiyā brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ.

And, worthy Gotama, the ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is not worth a sixteenth part of the ceremony of descent observed in the training of the Noble One.

Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

Excellent, worthy Gotama, excellent! …

upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Paṭhamaṁ.