z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 04.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 304
304 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- “In these terms, Lord, do the Brahmins blame and revile me with characteristic abuse, copious, not at all stinted.”
III
“Surely, Vasettha,” said the Buddha, “the Brahmins have quite forgotton the ancient lore when they say so. On the contrary, the wives of Brahmins, like all women of other classes, are seen to be with child, bringing forth and nursing children. And yet it is these very womb-born Brahmins who say that Brahmins are genuine children of Brahma, born from his mouth ; his offspring ; his creation ; and his heirs ! By this they make a travesty of the nature of Brahma.”
Once the Brahmin Esukari went to the Buddha to argue with him three questions.
The first question he raised related to the permanent division of occupations. In defence of the system he began by saying : “I have come to ask you a question. The Brahmins say they shall serve nobody because they stand above all. Everyone else is born to serve them.
“Service, Gotama, is divided into four— service of Brahmin, service of noble, service of a middle-class man, or by a peasant ; while a peasant may be served only by a peasant,—for who else could ? ” What does the reverend Gotama say hereon ? ”
The Buddha answered him by asking a question : “Is the whole world in accord with Brahmins in their fourfold division of service ?” asked the Lord.
“For myself, I neither assert that all service is to be rendered nor that all service is to be refused. If the service makes a man bad and not good, it should not be rendered; but if it makes him better and not bad, then it should be rendered.
“This is the guiding consideration which should decide the conduct alike of nobles, of Brahmins, of middle-class men and of peasants ; each individual should refuse service which makes him bad and should accept only the service which makes him a better man.”
The next question raised was by Esukari.