God Makes the Rivers to Flow: An Anthology of the World's Sacred Poetry and Prose (Essential Easwaran Library Book 4)

by Eknath Easwaran

That one I call a brahmin who is never angry, never causes harm to others even when harmed by them. That one I call a brahmin who clings not to pleasure. Do not cause sorrow to others; no more sorrow will come to you. That one I call a brahmin who does not hurt others with unkind acts, words, or thoughts. Both body and mind obey him. That one I call a brahmin who walks in the footsteps of the Buddha. Light your torch from the fire of his sacrifice. It is not matted hair nor birth that makes a brahmin, but truth and the love for all of life with which one’s heart is full. What use is matted hair? What use is a deerskin on which to sit for meditation if your mind still seethes with lust? Saffron robe and outward show do not make a brahmin, but training of the mind and senses through practice of meditation. Neither riches nor high caste makes a brahmin. Free yourself from selfish desires and you will become a brahmin. The brahmin has thrown off all chains and trembles not