ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 20.2

20.2

Then they reared young Black on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and he flourished like a lotus in a lake. As he grew up, he studied letters, brahminical customs and conduct, the syllables oṃ and bho, ritual purity, ritual actions, the collection of ashes, holding the ritual vase, the Ṛg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sāma Veda, the Atharva Veda, how to perform sacrificial rites, how to lead others in performing sacrificial rites, how to give and receive offerings, recitation, and recitation instruction. Trained in these procedures, he became a master of the six types of brahminical activities, and in time he mastered the eighteen sciences.

Black’s father taught brahmin mantras to some five hundred young brahmins. One day, when he had become old, he thought, “Now that I am old, I shall not be able to teach mantras to these five hundred young brahmins, so I will put a leader in charge of the group.” So the father instructed his son, “Black, my child, now that I am old, I shall not be able to teach mantras to these five hundred young brahmins. Since you are a master of mantras, you must lead these young brahmins in the study of mantras.”

“As you wish, my preceptor,” the young man replied, and after that he began teaching mantras to the five hundred young brahmins.

Now, at that time there was another brahmin living in Rājagṛha who performed a sacrifice and offered many gifts to the brahmins. In the presence of the one who had performed the sacrifice, some of them said, “It is we who should collect these offerings. You others are not worthy to do so.”

Those of them who lived in town retorted, “We are pure, whereas you are servants of the king. Therefore it is we who should collect these offerings, and not you.”

The brahmin Black thought, “These brahmins are so quarrelsome that no one will be able to appease them. I’d better be careful.”