Social
Conditions and Messages
of the Buddha through the Sonadanda Sutta
By Thich Thanh Nguyen
Digha
Nikaya is the first among the five collections of the Nikaya
sutra which contains simple and daily but sublime discourses of
the Buddha. Digha Nikaya contains thirty-four sutras in total
which are divided into three divisions: Silakkhandha Vagga Pali,
Mahà Vagga Pali, and Pathika Vagga Pali. The first division
contains thirteen sutras which deals with the morality and wrong
views of other sects concerning their views on sacrifice, caste,
and religious practices. The second division contains ten sutras
which deals with historical, biographical, and the doctrinal
aspects of Buddhism. The last one deals with the universal, the
responsibility of a person in the society, and the religious
practices of other sects. Sonadanda sutra is the fourth sutra of
the first division of the Digha Nikaya. The sutra is the
discussion between Brahman Sonadanda and the Buddha about the
characteristics which make one a true Brahman. This paper will
discuss the Indian social conditions at the time of the Buddha
and the messages which the Buddha wants to deliver through the
dialogue, namely equality, and virtue and wisdom.
First
of all, we examine the conditions for the Buddha to preach this
sutra. The Buddha once stayed at Gaggara lake in Kampa of Anga.
Sonadanda, a famous Brahman of Anga heard about the reputation
of the Buddha. So, together with his disciples and other
Brahmans, he came to see the Buddha, and the dialogue took
place.
Secondly,
we analyze the content of the sutra. It is divided into three
parts. The first part is the argument among the Brahmans that
should the Brahman Sonadanda visit the Buddha or vice versa.
Other Brahmans thought it was nonsense for Sonadanda to call
upon the Buddha because Sonadanda’s reputation would decrease
and the Buddha’s would increase. Moreover, Sonadanda was well
born on both sides, of pure descent through the mother and
through the father back through seven generations, with no slur
put upon him. Sonadanda was handsome and well-versed in the
Three Vedas, and so on. Therefore, it was not fitting for
Sonadanda to call upon the Buddha; rather it was more
appropriate for the Buddha to come to see Sonadanda. After
hearing so, Sonadanda explained why it was fitting for him to
see the Buddha. Finally, all of them agreed that they should
visit the Buddha.
The
second part is the dialogue between the Buddha and Sonadanda.
The Buddha asked him what were the characteristics that make one
a true Brahman. According to Sonadanda, there were five
characteristics that one could declare himself as a Brahman
“without being guilty of falsehood.” The five characteristics
are:
-
A
Brahman is well born on both sides, on the mother’s side and
on the father’s side, of pure descent back through seven
generations, with no slur put upon him, and no reproach, in
respect of birth.
-
Then he is a repeater (of the sacred words), knowing the
mystic verses by heart, one who has mastered the Three
Vedas, with the indices, the ritual, the phonology, and the
exegesis (as a fourth) and the legends as a fifth, learned
in the phrases and in the grammar, versed in Lokayata
sophistry, and in the theory of the signs on the body of a
great man.
-
Then he is handsome, pleasant to look upon, inspiring trust,
gifted with great beauty of complexion, fair in colour, fine
in presence, stately in behold.
-
Then he is virtuous, increased in virtue, gifted with virtue
that has grown great.
-
Then he is learned and wise, the first, or it may be the
second, among those who hold out the ladle.1
After
hearing these five characteristics, the Buddha asked him if it
is possible to leave one out of these five characteristics. The
answer of Sonadanda was “yes.” After asking Sonadanda several
times to eliminate the characteristics he thought were less
important, there are only two characteristics remained. They are
virtuous, and learned and wise. The Buddha agreed so.
In
the last part of the sutra, at the request of Sonadanda, the
Buddha broadly explained the meaning and how to promote virtue (sila),
and wisdom (prajna).
What
are the social aspects of Indian society which we can learn from
this sutra? Through the sutra, we learn that the caste system
was well-established in India during the Buddha’s time. There
were four distinct castes: Brahman, Ksatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra.
Among these four castes, the Brahman was the highest one. The
social discrimination was also visible that the lower caste (Sudra)
could not learn the Vedas or marry to the higher caste. The
caste system was inherited from generations to generations, i.e.
children of a Brahman family would be Brahmans, and Sudra’s
would be a Sudra’s forever. For example, Sonadanda was a pure
Brahman for he was well born on both sides of pure mother and
father back seven generations. Another aspect is that the
society evaluates people “by birth.” This was the reason why
Sonadanda took out the characteristic that “by birth” one was a
true Brahman, all other Brahmans were strongly against him. They
said Sonadanda against his tradition and totally converted to
Buddhism. In addition, there was a great pride of birth and
their social position of the higher castes, especially the
Brahman. When Sonadanda, a famous and well-versed Brahman of
Anga, decided to call upon the Buddha, all other Brahmans tried
to stop him for they think such famous Brahman like Sanadanda,
the Buddha should call upon him, rather not Sonadanda call upon
the Buddha. The first two reasons which they used to persuade
Sonadanda were: (1) Sonadanda’s reputation would decrease and
the Samana Gotama’s would increase, and (2) Sonadanda was well
born in a pure Brahman family back seven generations. According
to them, Sonadanda had a high position in the society, and he
was born into the highest caste, so as such a person, only
others should call upon him.
Through
the dialogue, the Buddha also wants to deliver two important
messages. Firstly, he emphasizes the importance of virtue and
wisdom. Of these two characteristics, Sonadanda said that it was
impossible to leave one out, and the Buddha agreed. All the
teachings of the Buddha are suffering and the way to end
suffering. The way to end suffering is the way of the Three
Studies which is constituted of virtue, meditation, and wisdom.
These three factors have a mutual relationship. From virtue
there arises meditation, and from meditation there arises
wisdom. One must fulfill virtue and wisdom in order to achieve
Enlightenment:
From wisdom, oh Gotama, is purified by uprightness, and
uprightness is purified by wisdom. Where there is
uprightness, wisdom is there, and where there is wisdom,
uprightness is there. To the upright there is wisdom, to the
wise there is uprightness, and wisdom and goodness are
declared to be the best thing in the world. Just, oh Gautama,
as one might wash hand with hand, or foot with foot, just
even so, oh Gautama, is wisdom purified by uprightness, and
uprightness is purified by wisdom. Where there is
uprightness, wisdom is there, and where there is wisdom,
uprightness is there. To the upright, there is wisdom, to
the wise there is uprightness, and wisdom and goodness are
declared to be the best thing in the world. [The Buddha
agrees so.]2
Thus,
virtue and wisdom elaborate and purify one another just like one
washes his hand with hand or foot with foot. Without virtue
there is no wisdom, and without wisdom there is no virtue. One
who is virtuous will have wisdom, and if he has wisdom, he will
be virtuous. To that end, one has to be perfect in virtue and
wisdom in order to end suffering or to attain Enlightenment.
Furthermore,
through the dialogue, the Buddha also stresses equality. To
declare as a Brahman was not a matter of birth, rather of his
deeds. All people can be a Brahman if he performs good deeds. In
contrast, if a person who was born in a Brahman family but
performs bad deeds, he could not be called a Brahman. Just like
the example of Angaka, a nephew of Sonadanda, he was well born
into a pure Brahman family, well-versed in three Vedas. If he
kills living beings, takes what has not been given, and speaks
lies, should he be called a true Brahman? In this case, how can
color avail him? What of the verses? What of his birth? None of
these conditions help him as a Brahman. However, if he was
virtuous, learned, and wise, we could rightly declare him as a
true Brahman.3 So, in the eyes of the Buddha, there
were no castes, and all are equal:
Majesty, in the Way of Liberation, there is no caste. To the
eyes of the enlightened person, all people are equal. Every
person’s
blood is red. Every person’s
tears are salty. We are all human beings. We must find a way
for all people to be able to realize their full dignity and
potential.4
In the
same manner, Buddha-hood was not a matter of birth. All sentient
beings have Buddha nature, and they all can attain Enlightenment
if they correctly follow the way which the Buddha has shown to
them: “Do not ask of the origin (jati), ask of the behavior.
Just as fire can be born out of any wood, so can a saint be born
in a kula of low status.”5
In
conclusion, the Sonadanda sutra’s content expresses what happens
daily in Indian society at the time of the Buddha. The caste
system and social discrimination are described in this sutra.
Indian society at that time evaluates people by their birth not
by their deeds. That was the reason the higher castes (Brahma
and Ksatriya) were proud of their birth and social position.
Sakyamuni Buddha appeared and declared that there was no
distinction between people. All were equal. People promote
themselves to higher states by their good deeds, not by their
birth. Through the sutra, the Buddha also stresses the
importance of virtue and wisdom. One has to perfect these two in
order to achieve salvation.
Bibliography
Davids, T. W. Rhys.
1992. Dialogues of the Buddha. Vol. 1. Oxford: Pali Text
Society.
Singh, Upinder. 2008.
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. New
Delhi: Pearson Education.
Thich, Nhat Hanh. 1991.
Old Path, White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the
Buddha. Berkeley, Calif.: Parallax Press.
