Ascetics and Brahmins

Linked Discourses 17.25

Chapter Three

Ascetics and Brahmins

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand the gratification, drawback, and escape when it comes to possessions, honor, and popularity.

I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand the gratification, drawback, and escape when it comes to possessions, honor, and popularity.

I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”