UD 3.6  Pilindavaccha sutta - Pilindavaccha

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā pilindavaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarati. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “āyasmā, bhante, pilindavaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī”ti.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground. Now, at that time, venerable Pilindavaccha was addressing the bhikkhus with the term ‘outcaste’. Then, several bhikkhus approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. While seated to one side, those bhikkhus said this to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, venerable Pilindavaccha is addressing the bhikkhus with the term ‘outcaste’.”

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena pilindavacchaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi: ‘satthā taṁ, āvuso pilindavaccha, āmantetī’”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā pilindavaccho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ pilindavacchaṁ etadavoca: “satthā taṁ, āvuso pilindavaccha, āmantetī”ti.

Then the Blessed One addressed a certain bhikkhu: “Come, bhikkhu, go to Venerable Pilindavaccha on my behalf and address him, saying: ‘Friend Pilindavaccha, the Teacher calls you.’“ “Yes, venerable sir,” replied that bhikkhu to the Blessed One, and, having answered, he approached Venerable Pilindavaccha; having approached, he said to Venerable Pilindavaccha, “Friend Pilindavaccha, the Teacher calls you.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā pilindavaccho tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ pilindavacchaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, vaccha, bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarasī”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

“Yes, friend,” replied Venerable Pilindavaccha to that bhikkhu, and, having answered, he approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. While seated to one side, the Blessed One said to Venerable Pilindavaccha: “Is it true, Vaccha, that you are addressing the bhikkhus with the term ‘outcaste’?” “Yes, venerable sir,” he replied.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmato pilindavacchassa pubbenivāsaṁ manasi karitvā bhikkhū āmantesi: “mā kho tumhe, bhikkhave, vacchassa bhikkhuno ujjhāyittha. Na, bhikkhave, vaccho dosantaro bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācarati. Vacchassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno pañca jātisatāni abbokiṇṇāni brāhmaṇakule paccājātāni. So tassa vasalavādo dīgharattaṁ samudāciṇṇo. Tenāyaṁ vaccho bhikkhū vasalavādena samudācaratī”ti.

Then the Blessed One, reflecting on Venerable Pilindavaccha’s past lives, addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, do not find fault with Venerable Vaccha. Bhikkhus, Vaccha does not have any inner defilement that causes him to address the bhikkhus with the term ‘outcaste.’ For five hundred consecutive lifetimes, Venerable Vaccha was born in a family of brahmins. Thus, this habit of using the term ‘outcaste’ has long been practiced by him. Therefore, Vaccha addresses the bhikkhus with the term ‘outcaste’.”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then the Blessed One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion exclaimed:

“Yamhi na māyā vasatī na māno,
Yo vītalobho amamo nirāso;
Paṇunnakodho abhinibbutatto,
So brāhmaṇo so samaṇo sa bhikkhū”ti.

“In whom there is no |deception::illusion of understanding or knowing [māyā]| and no conceit,
who is |without craving::without greed [vītalobha]|, free from ‘mine’, and |fulfilled::free from hope [nirāsa]|;
Who has dispelled anger, |with completely cooled mind::self-quenched [abhinibbutatta]|,
they are a brahmin, an ascetic, and a bhikkhu.”