The Long Āgama Sūtra 5.14

5.14

佛告婆悉吒：「有四姓種，善惡居之，智者所舉，智者所責。何謂為四？一者剎利種，二者婆羅門種，三者居士種，四者首陀羅種。婆悉吒！汝聽剎利種中有殺生者，有盜竊者，有婬亂者，有欺妄者，有兩舌者，有惡口者，有綺語者，有慳貪者，有嫉妬者，有邪見者；婆羅門種、居士種、首陀羅種亦皆如是，雜十惡行。婆悉吒！夫不善行有不善報，為黑冥行則有黑冥報，若使此報獨在剎利、居士、首陀羅種，不在婆羅門種者，則婆羅門種應得自言：『我婆羅門種最為第一，餘者卑劣；我種清白，餘者黑冥；我婆羅門種出自梵天，從梵口生，現得清淨，後亦清淨。』若使行不善行有不善報，為黑冥行有黑冥報，必在婆羅門種、剎利、居士、首陀羅種者，則婆羅門不得獨稱：『我種清淨，最為第一。』

The Buddha told Vāsiṣṭha, “There are four castes that have good and bad people who are praised and criticized by the wise. What are the four? 1. The warrior caste, 2. priest caste, 3. householder caste, and 4. worker caste.

“Vāsiṣṭha, if you pay attention to those in the warrior caste, some kill beings, some steal, some are lustful, some are deceptive, some are duplicitous, some speak harshly, some speak frivolously, some are greedy, some are jealous, and some have wrong views. The priest caste, householder caste, and worker caste are also like this. They practice mixtures of the ten bad deeds.

“Vāsiṣṭha, actions that aren’t good have rewards that aren’t good, and actions that are dark have dark results. Suppose these results were only present in the warrior, householder, and worker castes and not present in the priest caste. The priests then could say of themselves, ‘Our priest caste is the best; the others are inferior. Our caste is pure white; the others are dark. Our caste of priests came out of Brahmā’s own mouth. Being born from Brahmā’s mouth, we can be purified in the present and will be pure in later [lives], too.’ If actions that aren’t good and have results that aren’t good and actions that are dark and have dark results are surely present in the priest caste and the warrior, householder, and worker castes, then the priests cannot be the only ones to declare: ‘Our caste is pure and the best!’