Of the source of the true religions of the world we can look to the Vedas and then Buddhism which goes to the heart of the Vedas and reveals their unmatched truth which for the seeker is easier to recognize.
Looking at the twenty-sixth chapter of the Dhammapada, “Brāhmaṇavaggo” (transl., The Brāhmin), the first verse in this chapter reads:
Having undertaken the effort, cut off the stream of suffering. Dispel sense-pleasures, Brahmin! Having realized the end of conditioned things, you know the uncreated, Brahmin!
Here we see that the Brāhmin is a knower of the uncreated (akata) this being nirvana. In order to attain nirvana, the Brāhmin has realized the end (S., kṣaya) of conditioned things. In the commentary to this particular verse, conditioned things means the five khandhas or aggregates which make up our psychophysical body.
The Brāhmin is no different than the Buddhist Arhat insofar as he, like the Arhat, has reached the end of all conditioned things (i.e., transcended the psychophysical body) standing face to face with the unconditioned this being also nirvana or the uncreated.
In light of this, the Buddha doesn’t appear to have any animosity towards Brāhmins of this type. In fact he tells his monks,
“I am a Brāhmin, one to ask a favour of, ever clean-handed, wearing my last body, incomparable physician and surgeon. Ye are my own true sons, born of my mouth, born of dhamma, created by dhamma, my spiritual heirs, not carnal heirs” (Itivuttaka, IV, i).
The Buddha is a true Brāhmin because he can distinguish between the created perishable and the uncreated imperishable.
Excellent choice of scripture for a sermon. I've always appreciated the Brāhmaṇavaggo both for its poetic quality and inspirational character.
Posted by: n. yeti | January 24, 2018 at 09:05 AM