Verse 386

Dhammapada Verse 386

The Story of a Certain Brahmin

One day, a brahmin thought to himself, "Gotama Buddha calls his disciples 'brahmana'. I also am a brahmin by caste. Shouldn't I also be called a brahmana?" So thinking, he went to the Buddha and posed this question. To him the Buddha replied, "I do not call one a brahmana simply because of his caste; I only call him a brahmana, who has attained arahatship."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Jhayim viraja' masinam
katakicca' manasavam
uttamattha' manuppattam
tamaham brumi brahmanam.

Verse 386: Him I call a brahmana, who dwells in seclusion practising Tranquility and Insight Meditation and is free from taints (of moral defilements); who has performed his duties, and is free from moral intoxicants (asavas) and has reached the highest goal (arahatship).