We know that all of us who live in the world need only wisdom and virtue. We should strive to put all that we perceive into practice in the same way. How to do that is well explained in the Sonadanda Sutta. Let us examine the reasons and Dhamma that led to this Dhamma discourse. At one time, the Blessed One, accompanied by about five hundred great monks, was traveling through the Angu region for alms and came to a city called Champa. At that time, the Blessed One was living on the banks of a pond called Gaggara. At that time, a brahmin named Sonadanda was living in the city of Champa, which he had received as a high gift from King Bimbisara, the king of Magadha.
The heads of the Brahmin families of Champa, hearing that the Blessed One was coming to Champa with a large assembly of about five hundred monks, set out to see him and the great assembly. Seeing this group, the Brahmin Sonadanda inquired about it and, having learned the facts, said that he too was coming to see the Buddha. At that time, about five hundred Brahmins from various kingdoms were living in Champa, who had come on some business. When they heard that the Brahmin Sonadanda was going to see the Buddha, they devised various means to prevent his journey. They expounded the virtues of the Brahmin Sonadanda and the vices of the Buddha.
“The venerable Sonadanda was the teacher of many and the teacher of teachers. He recited the Vedic mantras to three hundred human beings. Many young people came to the venerable Sonadanda from various countries and states who wanted to learn the Vedic mantras. The venerable Sonadanda had grown up in an ancient family, had lived for a long time, had lived for two or three generations, and had reached a ripe old age. The venerable Gotama was young, a young monk. For these reasons, the venerable Sonadanda was unfit to come to see the venerable Gotama. It was the venerable Gotama who was fit to come to see Sonadanda.” And so on, they expounded the virtues of the brahmin Sonadanda and the vices of the Buddha.
Hearing the brahmin's speech, the brahmin Sonadanda declared that the Buddha was superior to him in virtue, virtue, and wisdom, and thus expounded the virtues of the Buddha. “The venerable Gotama was born well on both sides, on his mother’s side and on his father’s side. He was born of a pure mother’s womb, and was free from disgrace up to the seventh generation. He was not insulted by caste. For this reason, the venerable Gotama is not worthy of coming to see us. Then we ourselves will be worthy of coming to see the venerable Gotama. The venerable Gotama was a man of great wealth, great beauty, and unmixed, who had gone from the high caste of the Kshatriyas and became a monk. People from other countries and states come to hear and learn from the venerable Gotama. Many thousands of gods took refuge in the venerable Gotama during his lifetime.”
“Recluse, such a great fame of the Blessed One Gotama rose especially high. How is it that he has broken the wheel of samsara? He is an arahant. He knows everything that needs to be known. He is endowed with the eight wisdoms and the fifteen precepts. He walks the right path. He knows the world well. He gives gifts with virtues. He is able to control people. God is a teacher to people. He knows everything. He destroys defilements.” Thus the Buddha expounded the virtues of the Buddha. After the brahmin Sonadanda had thus expounded the virtues of the Buddha, the brahmins who had criticized the Buddha also wanted to go to see the Buddha. After that, they all set out to see the Buddha.
While they were walking, the brahmin Sonadanda had this thought. That is, if the Buddha asked him a question that was difficult to answer, he would be embarrassed and his reputation would be ruined by being embarrassed among the group. Although he wanted to go back without meeting the Buddha, he could not do that either, so he approached the Buddha with the thought, "Please ask the Buddha an easy question to answer." The Buddha, who wisely saw this thought in his mind, asked an easy question to answer after the happy conversation. "Brahmin, according to the Brahmin Dharma, how many things must a person called "Brahmin" possess to be a true Brahmin?" he asked.
Extremely happy to have been asked an easy question related to his Dharma, Sonadanda bowed his head high, looked at the group again and again, and answered the Buddha thus: Venerable Gotama, in order for someone to rightly say, “I am a Brahmin,” the Brahmins declare that he must be complete in five qualities. The five are as follows.”
1. Purification of both castes (a person belonging to the Brahmin lineage who is born good on both sides of his parents, who is born of a pure mother, who has not been disgraced up to the seventh generation. Who has not been disgraced by casteism, he accepts the Brahmin religion as a Brahmin) This is the first requirement for becoming a Brahmin.
2. Being a person who has reached the other side of the Vedas (like the Buddhist Tripitaka, the Brahmins have three main Vedas: Rig, Yajur, and Sama. If a person has a good understanding of these Vedas, he accepts the Brahmin religion as a Brahmin. ) This is the second thing required to become a Brahmin.
3. Being endowed with wealth of mind and form. This is the third thing required to become a Brahmin.
4. Being endowed with virtue (being virtuous) This is the fourth thing required to become a Brahmin.
5. Being a wise scholar (being wise) This is the fifth thing required to become a Brahmin.
He told the Buddha that a person who possesses these five things is mentioned in the Brahmin religion as a true Brahmin. Then the Buddha said to the Brahmin: “Can a Brahmin not be considered a Brahmin if one of these five elements is not fulfilled?” The Brahmin then said, “Venerable sir, all five elements are not necessary to become a Brahmin. There is no benefit in purifying the two castes. One can become a Brahmin even without them.”
Again the Buddha asked the Brahmin whether the remaining four elements were necessary to become a Brahmin. Then the Brahmin said, “Venerable sir, there is no benefit in going beyond the Vedas. One can become a Brahmin even without them.” Again the Buddha asked the Brahmin whether the remaining three elements were necessary to become a Brahmin. Then the Brahmin said, “Venerable sir, there is no benefit in being handsome. One can become a Brahmin even without them.”
When the brahmin Sonadanda had thus spoken, the other brahmins began to accuse him, saying, “Sonadanda is going against the Veda.” Then the Buddha said to the brahmins who were shouting, “Brahmins, if you think that the brahmin Sonadanda is incapable of arguing with me, then let anyone who wishes come and argue with me.” Then the brahmin Sonadanda said, “Venerable sir, I will answer these people who have come with me. Do not be weary.” Then he told the Buddha, using the example of his nephew Angaka, who was among the brahmins, as an example. “Venerable sir, do you see our nephew Angaka, a man of mean disposition?” “Yes, venerable sir,” replied the group of brahmins.
“Venerable sir, Angaka is a young man who kills. He takes what is not given, he goes to other wives, he lies, he drinks intoxicants. Venerable sir, now that this is the case, what does the race do? What does the mantra or the lineage do? What does the form do? Venerable sir, when a brahmin has been virtuous for some time, has developed virtuousness, is he endowed with perfect virtuousness? Venerable sir, does he become a learned man with wisdom? Venerable sir, if a person who has these two qualities says, ‘I am a brahmin,’ he speaks the truth. The brahmins declare that they do not lie,” and the brahmins gave examples from the dharma itself. Then all the brahmins fell silent. Then again the Buddha and the brahmin Sonadanda had a conversation. Again the Buddha asked the brahmin whether the remaining two elements were necessary to become a brahmin. Then the brahmin said, “Venerable Gautama, this matter cannot be said. Venerable Gautama, wisdom is purified by virtue. Virtue is purified by wisdom.
To whom virtue is directed, wisdom is directed. To whom wisdom is directed, virtue is directed. To him who has virtue, wisdom is directed. To him who has wisdom, virtue is directed. "The two virtues and wisdom are said to be the greatest in the world." Then the Buddha said, "Brahman, it is so, it cannot be changed. You are wise. It is so in my Dhamma also," and the brahmin Sonadanda praised and approved it, saying: "In this way, a brahmin, having attained the perfection of virtue "Whoever has virtue, he has wisdom. Whoever has wisdom, he has virtue. The one who has virtue has wisdom. The one who has wisdom has virtue. Virtue and wisdom are the two greatest things in the world," he preached. The Buddha further explained the mutual relationship between virtue and wisdom. "A brahmin's left hand helps him wash his right hand. The right hand helps him wash his left hand. In the same way, wisdom is purified by virtue, and virtue is purified by wisdom. They are mutually connected, like a tree to its bark and a tree to its bark."
Let us apply this Dhamma to our lives and purify virtue with wisdom, and wisdom with virtue, and work towards the realization of Nirvana.
❤️🩹
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