The Brahmin Ceremony of DescentBrāhmaṇapaccorohaṇīsutta

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

The Buddha saw him,Addasā kho bhagavā jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātaṁ navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthaṁ allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ. and said,Disvāna jāṇussoṇiṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca: “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 nu tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhāto navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivattho allakusamuṭṭhiṁ ādāya ekamantaṁ ṭhito? What’s going on today with the brahmin clan?”Kiṁ nvajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti?

“Worthy Gotama, today is the ceremony of descent for the brahmin clan.”“Paccorohaṇī, bho gotama, ajja brāhmaṇakulassā”ti.

“But how do the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent?”“Yathā kathaṁ pana, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti?

“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.“Idha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā tadahuposathe sīsaṁnhātā navaṁ khomayugaṁ nivatthā allena gomayena pathaviṁ opuñjitvā haritehi kusehi pattharitvā antarā ca velaṁ antarā ca agyāgāraṁ seyyaṁ kappenti. That night they rise three times and worship the fire with cupped palms:Te taṁ rattiṁ tikkhattuṁ paccuṭṭhāya pañjalikā aggiṁ namassanti: ‘We descend, lord! We descend, lord!’‘paccorohāma bhavantaṁ, paccorohāma bhavantan’ti. And they serve the fire with abundant ghee, oil, and butter.Bahukena ca sappitelanavanītena aggiṁ santappenti. And when the night has passed they serve the brahmins with delicious fresh and cooked foods.Tassā ca rattiyā accayena paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena brāhmaṇe santappenti. That’s how the brahmins observe the ceremony of descent.”Evaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

“The ceremony of descent observed by the brahmins is quite different from that observed in the training of the Noble One.”“Aññathā kho, brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

“But worthy Gotama, how is the ceremony of descent observed in the training of the Noble One?“Yathā kathaṁ pana, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti? Worthy Gotama, please teach me this.”Sādhu me bhavaṁ gotamo tathā dhammaṁ desetu yathā ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hotī”ti.

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”“Tena hi, brāhmaṇa, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, worthy sir,” Jānussoṇi replied.“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho jāṇussoṇi brāhmaṇo bhagavato paccassosi. The Buddha said this:Bhagavā etadavoca:

“It’s when a noble disciple reflects:“Idha, brāhmaṇa, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘Killing living creatures has a bad result in the present life and in lives to come.’‘pāṇātipātassa kho pāpako vipāko diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up killing living creatures,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pāṇātipātaṁ pajahati; they descend from killing living creatures.pāṇātipātā paccorohati.

… ‘Stealing has a bad result… ‘Adinnādānassa kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up stealing,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya adinnādānaṁ pajahati; they descend from stealing.adinnādānā paccorohati.

… ‘Sexual misconduct has a bad result… ‘Kāmesumicchācārassa kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up sexual misconduct,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya kāmesumicchācāraṁ pajahati; they descend from sexual misconduct.kāmesumicchācārā paccorohati.

… ‘Lying has a bad result… ‘Musāvādassa kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up lying,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya musāvādaṁ pajahati; they descend from lying.musāvādā paccorohati.

… ‘Backbiting has a bad result… ‘Pisuṇāya vācāya kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up backbiting,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pisuṇaṁ vācaṁ pajahati; they descend from backbiting.pisuṇāya vācāya paccorohati.

… ‘Harsh speech has a bad result… ‘Pharusāya vācāya kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up harsh speech,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya pharusaṁ vācaṁ pajahati; they descend from harsh speech.pharusāya vācāya paccorohati.

… ‘Talking nonsense has a bad result… ‘Samphappalāpassa kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up talking nonsense,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya samphappalāpaṁ pajahati; they descend from talking nonsense.samphappalāpā paccorohati.

… ‘Covetousness has a bad result… ‘Abhijjhāya kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up covetousness,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya abhijjhaṁ pajahati; they descend from covetousness.abhijjhāya paccorohati.

… ‘Ill will has a bad result… ‘Byāpādassa kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up ill will,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya byāpādaṁ pajahati; they descend from ill will.byāpādā paccorohati.

‘Wrong view has a bad result… ‘Micchādiṭṭhiyā kho pāpako vipāko— in the present life and in lives to come.’diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañcā’ti. Reflecting like this, they give up wrong view,So iti paṭisaṅkhāya micchādiṭṭhiṁ pajahati; they descend from wrong view.micchādiṭṭhiyā paccorohati. This is the ceremony of descent in the training of the Noble One.”Evaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, 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.“Aññathā kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī hoti, aññathā ca pana ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇī hoti. 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.Imissā, bho gotama, ariyassa vinaye paccorohaṇiyā brāhmaṇānaṁ paccorohaṇī kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ. Excellent, worthy Gotama, excellent! …Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.