Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.6.13 Sārandadasuttaṃ
How to Live in Harmony and True Democracy
At one time, when King Ajātasattu planned to go to war with the Vajjan country, he sent his chief minister, Vassakāra, to consult the Buddha for advice.1 Before giving advice to Vassakāra, the Buddha first asked Ānanda if the Vajjians were still upholding those wholesome principles of government as described in this Sārandadasutta.2 When Ānanda confirmed that the Vajjians were fully maintaining these principles, the Buddha’s reply to Vassakāra shows that such a model of administration closely resembled his ideal for a well-functioning society, even though he never explicitly explained it as such:
…ekamidāhaṃ, brāhmaṇa, samayaṃ vesāliyaṃ viharāmi sārandade cetiye. Tatrāhaṃ vajjīnaṃ ime satta aparihāniye3 dhamme desesiṃ. Yāvakīvañca, brāhmaṇa, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā vajjīsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu vajjī sandississanti, vuddhiyeva, brāhmaṇa, vajjīnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānī’ti.
At one time, Brāhmin, when I was dwelling at Vesāliyaṃ in the Sārandade cave. There I taught the Vajjians those seven principles for avoiding their decline. As long, Brāhmin, as these seven principles of non-decline are maintained by the Vajjians, as long as these seven principles of non-decline are upheld by the Vajjians, the Vajjians can expect to thrive, not to decline!4
The Buddha was so convinced that these seven principles constitute a healthy and wholesome base that he endorsed them for the Bhikkhus by adapting them respectively for the Saṅgha’s prosperity. He advised them to establish the first four but substituted the last with the advice that they should not fall prey to desires; remain devoted to forest lodgings and maintain proper awareness and mindfulness.5
In the same way as the Buddha emphasised welfare for all, joint participation in shared affairs, collective process in decision making, he likewise criticised a societal system that favoured the superiority of some over others. He criticised the established supremacy of castes6 and their imaginary differences. Repeatedly he emphasized that one may be born into any of these castes, and regardless of what caste one may be, it is still possible to commit a breakage of sīla and perform any kind of immoral act that is condemned and censured by the wise.7 Likewise anyone from these castes could perform wholesome deeds and enter into a spiritual life. It is not the birth that qualifies the superiority of a person – not even a Brāhmin may claim his supremacy – but rather the development of dhammic qualities which qualifies a person. Anyone from any caste shall be judged by their virtue alone:
Taṃ kissa hetu? Imesañhi, vāseṭṭha, catunnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ yo hoti bhikkhu arahaṃ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojano sammadaññāvimutto,8 so nesaṃ aggamakkhāyati9 dhammeneva, no adhammena. Dhammo hi, vāseṭṭha, seṭṭho janetasmiṃ, diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañca.10
Why is this so? Because, Vāseṭṭha, anyone from these four castes who is a Bhikkhu, an Arahant, completely freed from any defilements, who has reached perfection, done what ought to be done, laid down the burden and reached their goal, who has destroyed the fetters binding them to existence and become completely liberated by his own final knowledge — anyone of these is proclaimed supreme according to the principles of Dhamma, not through non-Dhamma. Because, Vāseṭṭha, Dhamma is paramount for people in this life and beyond!
The Aggaññasutta further relates the historical evolvement of how the castes came into being simply by distribution of responsibilities and work. While originally all beings dwelling on earth were mind-made, after the arising of craving for and consumption of food, their bodies became coarse. With more substantial nutriment, gender and sexual organs developed resulting in an increase of passion and indulgence in sexual activities. Finally, a situation developed where based on laziness towards the need of daily gathering of grains, the idea of storage arose; resulting in possession and theft following thereafter. Protection of property was needed, so a group of guards was given the responsibility of safeguarding.11 In this way the first group, the Khattiyā, developed with the duty to guard and censure misdeed. Similarly, those who did not engage in worldly affairs constituted the Brāhmiṇs, those who engaged in trade – the Vessā, those who engaged in hunting – the Suddā. But independent of how different classes, duties, or professions may have developed, the Buddha kept emphasising that all people were fundamentally the same: all could perform misdeeds but all could equally aim to restrain from unhealthy physical, verbal and mental actions, and develop the seven factors of enlightenment thus attaining Nibbāna in this very life:
… kāyena saṃvuto vācāya saṃvuto manasā saṃvuto sattannaṃ bodhipakkhiyānaṃ dhammānaṃ bhāvanamanvāya diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyati.
Is this all only wishful thinking or practical truth? It is up to each and every one to engage in wholesomeness and to refrain from evil; Buddha has given sufficient guidance that makes it easy even in today’s world to follow a prosperous path! May today’s world enable all beings to live a healthy and wholesome life, for the benefit of all!
1. Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ, Dīghanikāyo, Mahāvaggapāḷi.
2. The sutta is called after the location, the Sārandada-vihāra where the Buddha dwelled. It was one of the five sanctuaries he liked to visit around Vesāli, with beautiful and refreshing natural spots of former shrines, once dedicated to local deities. The Sārandada-vihāra was named after the Yakka Sārandada.
3. aparihāniye: not + connected with decay, loss.
4. Vassakāra, who intended to report back to Ajātasattu truthfully what the Buddha had said still was convinced that the intention to go to war by Ajātasattu remained in place and thought of other means to win the war in spite of these principles of wholesome administration: Akaraṇīyāva, bho gotama, vajjī raññā māgadhena ajātasattunā vedehiputtena yadidaṃ yuddhassa, aññatra upalāpanāya aññatra mithubhedā. Vassakāra then, with the support of Ajātasattu went to the Vajjians who invited him to teach their children. During the following three years Vassakāra managed to spread disharmony amongst the children which then was extended to the parents. When Ajātasattu was informed that the union and concord of the Vajjians had been wiped out, he could then easily conquer the Licchavis.
5. To compare the above seven wholesome principles of governance with those seven the Buddha advised the monks to maintain theses are listed here: ‘‘satta vo, bhikkhave, aparihāniye dhamme desessāmi, taṃ suṇātha, sādhukaṃ manasikarotha, bhāsissāmī’’ti. ‘‘Evaṃ, bhante’’ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etadavoca –
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū abhiṇhaṃ sannipātā sannipātabahulā bhavissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū samaggā sannipatissanti, samaggā vuṭṭhahissanti, samaggā saṅghakaraṇīyāni karissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū apaññattaṃ na paññapessanti, paññattaṃ na samucchindissanti, yathāpaññattesu sikkhāpadesu samādāya vattissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū ye te bhikkhū therā rattaññū cirapabbajitā saṅghapitaro saṅghapariṇāyakā, te sakkarissanti garuṃ karissanti mānessanti pūjessanti, tesañca sotabbaṃ maññissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū uppannāya taṇhāya ponobbhavikāya na vasaṃ gacchissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū āraññakesu senāsanesu sāpekkhā bhavissanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhū paccattaññeva satiṃ upaṭṭhapessanti – ‘kinti anāgatā ca pesalā sabrahmacārī āgaccheyyuṃ, āgatā ca pesalā sabrahmacārī phāsu vihareyyu’nti. Vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
‘‘Yāvakīvañca, bhikkhave, ime satta aparihāniyā dhammā bhikkhūsu ṭhassanti, imesu ca sattasu aparihāniyesu dhammesu bhikkhū sandississanti, vuddhiyeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhūnaṃ pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.
Bhikkhuaparihāniyadhammā, Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ, Dīghanikāyo, Mahāvaggapāḷi
6. The four castes are: Cattārome, vāseṭṭha, vaṇṇā – khattiyā, brāhmaṇā, vessā, suddā.
7. … Khattiyopi kho, vāseṭṭha, idhekacco pāṇātipātī hoti adinnādāyī kāmesumicchācārī musāvādī pisuṇavāco pharusavāco samphappalāpī abhijjhālu byāpannacitto micchādiṭṭhī. Iti kho, vāseṭṭha, yeme dhammā akusalā akusalasaṅkhātā sāvajjā sāvajjasaṅkhātā asevitabbā asevitabbasaṅkhātā naalamariyā naalamariyasaṅkhātā kaṇhā kaṇhavipākā viññugarahitā, khattiyepi te idhekacce sandissanti. …
8. For the vocabulary of the formula: ‘khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojano sammadaññāvimutto’ see lesson 1.4.7 Ānāpānassatisuttaṃ, Part One - Free from Prattle and Chatter is this Assembly.
9. aggamakkhāyati: aggaṃ + akkhāti (pass.): highest, supreme + to be proclaimed.
10. Quote from Catuvaṇṇasuddhi, Aggaññasuttaṃ, Pāthikavaggapāḷi, Dīghanikāyo, but see also: Cūḷaassapurasuttaṃ, Mahāyamakavaggo, Mūlapaṇṇāsapāḷi, Majjhimanikāyo: here the Buddha compares anyone from any of the four casts who can taste the Dhamma, practice it and thrive in with an exhausted wanderer from any of the four directions who quenches his thirst by the pure water of a clear pond: Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā. Puratthimāya cepi disāya puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. So taṃ pokkharaṇiṃ āgamma vineyya udakapipāsaṃ vineyya ghammapariḷāhaṃ…pe… pacchimāya cepi disāya puriso āgaccheyya…pe… uttarāya cepi disāya puriso āgaccheyya…pe… dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya puriso āgaccheyya. Yato kuto cepi naṃ puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto, kilanto tasito pipāsito.
Also seeMadhurasuttaṃ, Rājavaggo, Majjhimapaṇṇāsapāḷi, Majjhimanikāye: Here Mahā Kaccāna in his conversation with King Avantiputta of Madhurā likewise emphasises that there is no difference. Anyone from any caste could perform an evil deed and he would reappear in lower worlds after being penalized with the same punishment by the state. Likewise, if anyone from the castes would go into homelessness he would be respected as recluse: ‘‘Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, mahārāja, yadi evaṃ sante, ime cattāro vaṇṇā samasamā honti no vā? Kathaṃ vā te ettha hotī’’ti? ‘‘Addhā kho, bho kaccāna, evaṃ sante, ime cattāro vaṇṇā samasamā honti. Nesaṃ ettha kiñci nānākaraṇaṃ samanupassāmī’’ti. Similar exposition can be found at: Esukārīsutta; Assalāyanasutta both Brāhmaṇavaggo, Majjhimapaṇṇāsapāḷi, Majjhimanikāye.
11. ‘Evaṃ, bho’ti kho, vāseṭṭha, so satto tesaṃ sattānaṃ paṭissuṇitvā sammā khīyitabbaṃ khīyi, sammā garahitabbaṃ garahi, sammā pabbājetabbaṃ pabbājesi. Te panassa sālīnaṃ bhāgaṃ anuppadaṃsu. Mahājanasammatoti kho, vāseṭṭha, ‘mahāsammato, mahāsammato’ tveva paṭhamaṃ akkharaṃ upanibbattaṃ. Khettānaṃ adhipatīti kho, vāseṭṭha, ‘khattiyo, khattiyo’ tveva dutiyaṃ akkharaṃ upanibbattaṃ.