Vol. 11 · pages 306–310

287 WHAT IS SADDHAMMA ? III SECTION II DHAMMA TO BE SADDHAMMA MUST PROMOTE PRADNYA § 1. Dhamma is Saddhamma when it Makes Learning Open to All 1. The Brahminic doctrine was that acquisition of knowledge cannot be thrown open to all. It must necessarily be limited to a few. 2. They permitted acquisition of knowledge only to the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. But it was only to the male sex of these three classes. 3. All women, no matter whether they belonged to the Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishyas, and all Shudras, both males and females, were prohibited from acquiring knowledge, even from acquiring literacy. 4. The Buddha raised a revolt against this atrocious doctrine of the Brahmins. 5. He preached that the road to knowledge must be open to all—to males as well as to females. 6. Many Brahmins tried to controvert his views. His controversy with the Brahmin Lohikka throws great light on his views. 7. The Exalted One, when once passing on a tour through the Kosala districts with a multitude of the members of the Order, arrived at Salavatika, a village surrounded by a row of sala trees. 8. Now at the time, Lohikka the Brahmin was living at Salavatika, a spot teeming with life, with much grassland and woodland and corn, on a royal domain granted him by King Pasenadi of Kosala, as a royal gift, with power over it as if he were the king. 9. Lohikka the Brahmin was of opinion that if a Samana or a Brahmana acquired knowledge, he should not communicate it to the women or to the Shudras. 10. Then the Brahmin Lohikka heard that the Blessed Lord was staying in Salavatika. 11. Having heard of this he said to Bhesika the barber : “Come now, good Bhesika, go where the

288 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III Samana Gotama is staying, and, on your arrival, ask in my name as to whether his sickness and indisposition has abated, as to his health and vigour and condition of ease ; and speak thus : “May the venerable Gotama, and with him the brethren of the Order, accept tomorrow’s meal from Lohikka the Brahmin.” 12. “Very well, sir,” said the barber. 13. Acquiescing in the word of Lohikka the Brahmin, he did so even as he had been enjoined. And the Exalted One consented, by silence, to his request. 14. Early next morning, the Exalted One went robed, and carrying his bowl with him, with the brethren of the Order, towards Salavatika. 15. Bhesika, the barber, who had been sent by Lohikka to fetch the Blessed One, walked step by step, behind the Exalted One. On the way he told the Blessed One that Lohikka the Brahmin held the wicked opinion that a Samana or a Brahmana shall not communicate any knowledge or learning to women and the Shudras. 16. “That may well be, Bhesika, that may well be,” replied the Blessed One. 17. And the Exalted One went on to the dwelling place of Lohikka the Brahmin, and sat down on the seat prepared for him. 18. And Lohikka the Brahmin served the Order, with the Buddha at its head, with his own hand, with sweet food both hard and soft, until they refused any more. 19. And when the Exalted One had finished his meal, and had cleansed the bowl and his hands, Lohikka the Brahmin, brought a low seat and sat down beside him. 20. And to him, thus seated, the Exalted One said : “Is it true, what they say, Lohikka, that you hold the view that a Samana or a Brahmana should not communicate any knowledge or learning to women and Shudras ? ” 21. “That is so, Gotama,” replied Lohikka. 22. “Now what think you, Lohikka? Are you

289 WHAT IS SADDHAMMA ? III not established at Salavatika ?” “Yes, that is so, Gotama.” 23. “Then suppose, Lohikka, one were to speak thus : ‘Lohikka the Brahmin has a domain at Salavatika. Let him alone enjoy all the revenue and all the produce of Salavatika, allowing nothing to anybody else!’ Would the utterer of that speech be a danger-maker as touching the men who live in dependence upon you or not ? ” 24. “He would be a danger-maker, Gotama.” 25. “And making that danger, would he be regarded as a person who sympathised with their welfare?” 26. “No. He would not be considering their welfare, Gotama,” replied Lohikka. 27. “And not considering their welfare, would his heart stand fast in love towards them or in enmity ?” 28. “In enmity, Gotama.” 29. “But when one’s heart stands fast in enmity, is that unsound doctrine, or sound ? ” 30. “It is an unsound doctrine, Gotama.” 31. “Now what think you, Lohikka? Is not King Pasenadi of Kosala in possession of Kasi and Kosala?” 32. “Yes, that is so, Gotama.” 33. “Then suppose, Lohikka, one were to speak thus : ‘King Pasenadi of Kosala is in possession of Kasi and Kosala. Let him enjoy all the revenue and all the produce of Kasi and Kosala, allowing nothing to anybody else.’ Would the utterer of that speech be a danger-maker as touching the men who live in dependence on King Pasenadi of Kosala—both you yourself and others—or not ? ” 34. “He would be a danger-maker, Gotama.” 35. “And making that danger, would he be a person who sympathised with their welfare?” 36. “He would not be considering their welfare, Gotama.” 37. “And not considering their welfare, would his heart stand fast in love towards them, or in enmity ?” 38. “In enmity, Gotama.”

290 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III 39. “But when one’s heart stands fast in enmity, is that unsound doctrine, or sound?” 40. “It is an unsound doctrine, Gotama.” 41. “So then, Lohikka, you admit that he who should say that you, being in occupation of Salavatika, should therefore yourself enjoy all the revenue and produce thereof, bestowing nothing on anyone else ; and he who should say that King Pasenadi of Kosala, being in power over Kasi and Kosala, should therefore himself enjoy all the produce thereof, bestowing nothing on anyone else, would be making danger for those living in dependence on you ; or for those, you and others, living in dependence upon the king. And that those who thus make danger for others, must be wanting in sympathy and have their hearts set fast in enmity. And that to have one’s heart set fast in enmity is unsound doctrine. 42. “Then just so, Lohikka, is he who should say that a Samana or a Brahmin should not communicate his knowledge and learning to women and Shudras. 43. “Just so, he who should say thus, would be putting obstacles in the way of others and would be out of sympathy for their welfare. 44. “Being out of sympathy for their welfare his heart would become established in enmity ; and when one’s heart is established in enmity, that is unsound doctrine.” § 2. Dhamma is Saddhamma when it Teaches that Mere Learning is Not Enough: it may Lead to Pedantry 1. Once when the Buddha was residing in the country of Kausambi, in a certain Vihara called the “Beautiful Voice,” preaching to the people assembled there was a certain Brahmacharin. 2. The Brahmacharin felt that he was unrivalled for knowledge of scriptures and being unable to find anyone equal to himself in argument, was accustomed to carry, wherever he went, a lighted torch in his hand.

291 WHAT IS SADDHAMMA ? III 3. One day a man in the market place of a certain town, seeing him thus, asked him the reason of his strange conduct, on which he replied : 4. “The world is so dark, and men so deluded, that I carry this torch to light it up so far as I can.” 5. Seeing this the Buddha forthwith called out to the Brahmacharin, “ What ho there ! What are you about with that Torch ? ” 6. The Brahmacharin replied, “All men are so wrapped in ignorance and gloom, that I carry this torch to illumine them.” 7. Then the Blessed Lord asked him again, “And are you so learned as to be acquainted with the four treatises (Vidyas) which occur in the midst of the Sacred Books, to wit, the treatise on ‘Literature’ (Sabdavidya) ; the treatise on the ‘ Heavenly Bodies and their Paths’; the treatise on ‘Government’ and the treatise on ‘Military Art’?” 8. On the Brahmacharin being forced to confess he was unacquainted with these things, he flung away his torch, and the Buddha added these words : 9. “If any man, whether he be learned or not, considers himself so great as to despise other men he is like a blind man holding a candle—blind himself, he illumines others.” § 3, Dhamma is Saddhamma when it Teaches that what is Needed is Pradnya 1. The Brahmins regarded Vidya (Knowledge, Learning) as in itself a thing of value. A man of mere learning and knowledge was to them an object of veneration irrespective of the question whether or not he was a man of virtue. 2. Indeed they said that a king is honoured in his own country but a man of learning is honoured all over the world, suggesting thereby that a man of learning is greater than the king. 3. The Buddha made a distinction between Vidya and Pradnya, i.e., between knowledge and insight,