Brahmins in other religions

Buddhism

Brahmins were treated with the greatest veneration in the time of the Buddha and there are countless references to Brahmins throughout all of the Buddhist scriptures. Furthermore, most of the major Buddhist founders were Brahmins. They include Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, Mahakashyapa, Bodhi Dharma, Nagarjuna, Asvaghosha, Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Nagasena, Kumarajiva and Shantideva all of whom have always been referred to their titles as Brahmins in all scriptures. The word Brahmin was not redefined by the Buddha and it continued to be used alongside Arahat in separate capacities. For example, in the Ambattha Sutra, we find the Buddha debated a Brahmin who was clearly not an Arahat. Also, in many important dharanis, Brahmins are mentioned in an entirely different capacity to Arahats and therefore there is a marked difference. The Buddha however insisted that Brahmins had to live up to their great legacy and could not be by birth alone but also had to have the meritorious acts. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha mentions Brahmins and Arahats in very different capacities and dedicates an entire chapter to what it means to be a real Brahmin called the Brahmana-vagga. The Buddha did not believe in caste discrimination but he did endorse a fair division of labour based on merit. Brahmins were not to discriminate against lower castes but were to serve them wholeheartedly. Many sutras believe that the Buddha himself was a Brahmin in a previous life and due to his good merit as a Brahmin, he was re-born as the Buddha. Other experts believe the Buddha descended from Brahmin sage Angiras whose descendants like Dronacharya were Shatra Brahmins or warrior Brahmins that eventually became Kshatriya warriors.
The notion of ritual purity provided a conceptual foundation for the caste system, by identifying occupations and duties associated with impure or taboo objects as being themselves impure. Regulations imposing such a system of ritual purity and taboos are absent from the Buddhist monastic code, and not generally regarded as being part of Buddhist teachings To the contrary, the early Buddhist scriptures defined purity as determined by one's state of mind, and refer to anyone who behaves unethically, of whatever caste, as "rotting within", or "a rubbish heap of impurity".
There are many places in which the Buddha explains his use of the word brahman. At Sutta Nipata 1.7 Vasala Sutta, verse 12, he states: "Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a brahman. By deed one becomes an outcast, by deed one becomes a brahman."

Jainism

• The first convert of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism was Indrabhuti (aka Gautamswami) the Brahmin, who headed a group of other Brahmins and converted them to Jainism. He was from the village Gobbar (also called Govarya) near Rajgriha. It is said that at the sight of Gautama, the tapsas who were competing with him to reach the top of a hill once, by seeing the winner Gautama at the top, achieved moksha.


• Sajjambhava was another born from Rajgriha and was elected the head of the Jain temple. He is famous for his composition of the "Dasavaikalika Sutra."


• Acharya Vidyanand is a Brahmin of the Dhigambar Jain sect and compiled in the Sanskrit language, "Ashta Shahastri" with eight thousand verses.


• Acharya Shushil Kumar, known better to Jains as "Guruji", was born a Vaidik in the Shakarpur village of the Haryana province. At the age of 15, he took Diksha (became a sanyassin) into the Sthanakvasi, a Swhetambara sub-sect.


• There is also a story about a wealthy Brahmin named Dhangiri in the town of Tumbhivan, who, when heard the sermons of the Jain Acharya Sinhgiri, while he regularly listened to but later lost his interest in wealth and decided to take the Diksha.


• Umasvati was a composer who was so loved by Jains that he is considered by the Dhigambar sect to be a Dhigambar member and the Svetambara sect to be a Svetambara member.


• Akalanka of the 8th century is saod to the poineer in rthe field of Jain logic.

 Sikhism

Many writers of the Guru Granth Sahib are of the Bhatt surname. The Sikh composed Mathura Bhatt's fourteen verses are seven each in praise of Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan.
There are also several Mohyals (Brahmin warriors) in the Sikh community.

 Notes

1. ^ Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin. Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self. Brahmin or Brahmana refers to an individual, while the word Brahma refers to the creative aspect of the universal consciousness^{[citation needed]}.

 References

1. ^ Monier-Williams: inspired, inwardly stirred, wise, learned, etc.


2. ^ 'Dvija was used more frequently for Brahmins, but it also included Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas who were "reborn through investiture with the sacred knowledge" - Monier-Williams.


3. ^ Indian Economic and Social History Review 1987, Himanshu P Ray, 24: 443


4. ^ Ancient India: a history of its culture and civilization, Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi, p.166-170


5. ^ A social history of India, by SN Sadasivan


6. ^ Castes and tribes of Southern India, By Edgar Thurston, K. Rangachari


7. ^ Hopkins, Religions of India, p.192 states: "As to the fees, the rules are precise, and the propounders of them are unblushing. The priest performs the sacrifice for the fee alone, and it must consist of valuable garments, kine, horses, or gold; – when each is to be given is carefully stated. Gold is coveted most, for ‘this is immortality, the seed of Agni,’ and therefore peculiarly agreeable to the pious priest".


8. ^ A detailed article on Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation


9. ^ ^{a b} Wells et al. (2001)


10. ^ ^{a b c} Semino et al. (2000)


11. ^ High-Resolution Phylogenetic Analysis of Southeastern Europe Traces Major Episodes of Paternal Gene Flow Among Slavic Populations - Pericic et al. 22 (10): 1964 - Molecular Bi...


12. ^ Behar et al. (2003)


13. ^ The Autochthonous Origin and a Tribal Link of Indian Brahmins: Evaluation Through Molecular Genetic Markers, by S. Sharma (1,2), E. Rai (1,2), S. Singh (1,2), P.R. Sharma (1,3), A.K. Bhat (1), K. Darvishi (1), A.J.S. Bhanwer (2), P.K. Tiwari (3), R.N.K. Bamezai (1) 1) NCAHG, SLS, JNU, New delhi; 2) Department of Human Genetics, GNDU, Amritsar; 3) Centre for Genomics, SOS zoology, JU, Gwalior, Page 273 (1344/T), Published in The American Society of Human Genetics 57th Annual Meeting, October 23–27, 2007, San Diego, California.


14. ^ Passarino et al. (2002)


15. ^ Underhill et al. (2009)


16. ^ Brāhmanotpatti Martanda, cf. Dorilal Sharma, p.41-42


17. ^ Mentioned by Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya in "Hindu Castes and Sects", a detailed article on various castes and groups of Brahmins


18. ^ ^{a b} Leider, Jacques P.. "Specialists for Ritual, Magic and Devotion: The Court Brahmins of the Konbaung Kings". The Journal of Burma Studies 10: 159–180.


19. ^ Article on Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh at Vepachedu Educational Foundation


20. ^ ^{a b} The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India By R.V. Russell


21. ^ Vishwakarma (caste)


22. ^ The Tale of Tuluva Brahmins


23. ^ Article on Gotras of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation


24. ^ Article on Gotras and pravaras of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation


25. ^ Manu Smriti on learning of the Vedas


26. ^ Article on various sects and rishis of Brahmins at Vepachedu Educational Foundation


27. ^ Bhanu, B. V., People of India, p. 948.


28. ^ Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature, by John Dowson, p. 17.


29. ^ History of Indian Theatre, by Manohar Laxman Varadpande, p. 227.


30. ^ Crooke, William (1999). The Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. 6A, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi-110049, India: Asian Educational Services. pp. 1809 (at page 64). ISBN 8120612108.


31. ^ ^{a b c} P. 201, Professor A.L. Basham, My Guruji and Problems and Perspectives of Ancient, by Sachindra Kumar Maity


32. ^ P. 29, Cultural History from the Matsyapurāṇa, by Sureshachandra Govindlal Kantawala


33. ^ P. 37 Asian Medical Systems: A Comparative Study By Charles Leslie


34. ^ ^{a b} P. 13 Castes And Tribes Of Southern India By Edgar Thurston, K. Rangachari


35. ^ http://vedabase.net/sb/7/11/14/en | Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.11.14


36. ^ ^{a b c} "Mahima Dharma, Bhima Bhoi and Biswanathbaba"


37. ^ http://www.buddhanet.net/dhammapada/d_brahmi.htm


38. ^ http://www.jatakaonline.com/jataka-tales/0011-the-first-prophecy


39. ^ (Robinson, Johnson & Thanissaro 2005, p. 51)


40. ^ Sue Hamilton, Early Buddhism: A New Approach: The I of the Beholder. Routledge 2000, pages 47, 49.


41. ^ Translation by Piyadassi Thera


42. ^ P.21 Jaina-rūpa-maṇḍana =: Jaina Iconography By Umakant Premanand Shah


43. ^ P. 374 Buddhist phenomenology: a philosophical investigation of Yogācāra Buddhism By Dan Lusthaus


44. ^ Bards/Bhatts in Adi Granth: Bhatt Mathura