An outcast is a person who is
driven away from home friends or society or who has no place in society.
The following ethos is
applicable to the whole field of moral science. Behavior is a mirror in which everyone
displays own image.
A good deed never makes
anyone repent. Therefore, the noblest of all is the service rendered towards the
progress of mental and moral discipline in the conduct of life. The Buddha
wanted to liberate man from the chimeras and myths, under whose mystification
he is pinning away.
On one occasion
the Blessed One was dwelling in the monastery of Anatapindika at Jeta grove
near Shrawastri. One day the Blessed One dressed Himself in the fore noon and
taking His bowl and double robes went to the city of Shrawastri for alms. At
that time Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja was making arrangements for an offering in
his house and a fire was kept burning.
The Blessed One
who was going for alms in the streets came close to the house of the Brahmin
and the Brahmin said “Stay there you bold haired ascetic. Stay
there you wandering recluse, stay there you outcast.”
When he spoke thus the Blessed One
asked Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja whether he knows who an outcast is and the
conditions which make one an outcast.
The Brahmin said “Indeed Venerable
Gautama I do not know who an outcast is and the conditions which make one an
outcast. I wish to know from venerable
Gautama who an outcast is and the conditions which makes one an outcast. May I
please request Venerable Gautama to preach Dhamma to enable me to know who an
outcast is and the conditions which make one an outcast?”
“Listen then Brahmin attentively. I
shall tell that to you” Buddha told the Brahmin.
“Yes, Venerable Gotama,”Aggika
Bharadvaja expressed his desire to listen to the Blessed One.
1. A man who is irritable,
rancorous, vicious, detractive perverted in views and deceitful know him as an
outcast.
2. Whoever in his world harms
living beings – in whom there is no compassion for living beings - know him as
an outcast.
3. Whoever destroys and besieges
villages and hamlet, and is known as an oppressor – know him as outcast.
4. Whether in the village or in
the forest whoever appropriates by theft what belongs to other or what is not
given - know him as an outcast.
5. Whoever having really taken a
debt, flees, when pressed, saying “There is no debt to you.” - know him as an
outcast.
6. Whoever desiring some
trifle, kills a man going along the road, and pillages something - know him as
an outcast.
7. Who for his own sake, or for
the sake of others, or for sake of wealth, utters lies, when asked as witness -
know him as an outcast.
8.Whoever by force or with
consent is seen transgressing with the wives of relatives or friends - know him
as an outcast.
9. Whoever being rich, does not
support his aged mother and father who have passes their youth - know him as an
outcast.
10. Whoever strikes, or by
speech, annoys his mother, father, brother, sister or mother-in-law - know him
as an outcast.
11. Whoever, when questioned
about what is good counsels what is wrong and teacher in a concealing way –
know him as an outcast.
12.Whoever having done an evil
deed wish that it may not be known to others, and it concealed in actions - know
him as an outcast.
13. Whoever, having gone to
another’s house and partaken a choice food, does not honour him in return when
he comes - know him as an outcast.
14. Whoever deceives by falsehood
a Brahman or an ascetic or any other mendicant - know him as an outcast.
15. Whoever by speech annoys a
Brahman or ascetic when meal-time has come and does not give food - know him as
an outcast.
16.Whoever in this world
shrouded in ignorance, predicts what is not, expecting something - know him as
an outcast.
17. Whoever exalts himself and
despises others and is debases by his pride - know him as an outcast.
18. Whoever is annoying,
avaricious of base desires, selfish, deceitful, shameless and fearless in evil
action - know him as an outcast.
19. Whoever reviles the Buddha or a disciple of his, be he
a recluse or a householder - know him
as an outcast.
20. Whoever without being an
arahant claims to be an arahant is a thief in the whole universe he is the
lowest outcast.
Those whom I have described
to you indeed outcasts.
21. Not by Birth is one and
outcast, not by birth is one a Brahman, by deeds is one a Brahman.
22. Know that by this : Just as
example by me; Sopaka the son of an outcast was well known as Matanga: He
reached the highest fame.
Know it as such by his
illustration. There was a son of outcast known Matanga.
24. This Matanga attained to the
highest glory difficult to obtain. Many warriors and Brahman came to mister
unto him.
25. Mounting the celestial
vehicle along the passionless highway he soared the Brama, realm having discarded
sense-desires. Birth did not prevent him from being reborn in Brahman realm.
26. There are Brahmins born in the family or preceptors,
kinsmen of (Veda) hymns. They too are frequently seen addicted to evil deeds.
27. In this life itself they are despised; in the next they
get a woeful state. Birth does not preclude them either from a woeful state or
from condemnation.
By birth one is not an outcast. By Birth one is not a Brahman. By deeds is one an outcast. By deeds is one a Brahman.
When this was spoken the Brahman Aggika Bharadvaja addressed the blessed one as follows:
"Excellent, O Venerable Gotama! Excellent! It is as if O
Venerable Gotama,
a man were to set upright that which was over-turned or were
to reveal that which was hidden, or were point out the way to one who has gone
astray, or were to hold a lamp amidst the darkness, so that whoever has eyes
may see, even so has the Dhamma been expounded in various ways by the Venerable
Gotama."
“And I seek refuge in the Venerable Gotama, the Dhamma,
and the order of disciples. May the Venreble Gotama receive me as a follower
who has taken refuge from his very day life’s end.”
Article was written by Ven. Mahanuwara Sasanawanse Thera
