One is not a brahmin by birth,

nor by birth a non-brahmin.

By action one becomes a brahmin,

by action one becomes a non-brahmin.

One becomes a farmer by action,

by action one becomes a craftsman.

One becomes a merchant by action,

by action one becomes a servant.

One becomes a thief by action,

by action one becomes a soldier.

One becomes a priest by action,

by action one becomes a king.

So that is how the wise

see action as it really is —

seers of dependent origination,

skilled in action and its result.

By action the world goes round,

by action the population goes round.

Sentient beings are fastened by action

like the linch pin of a moving chariot.

By austerity, by the spiritual life,

by self-control, by inner taming —

by this one is a brahmin;

this is supreme brahminhood.

(from MN 98, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi)

Unless we live on the Indian sub-continent, or have studied the Vedic or Buddhist texts in depth, we may not understand all the associations the word “brahmin” carries with it. Brahmins were the highest of the four main castes in pre-Common Era India. They were generally the educated class, the teachers, and the holders of religious authority.

The pithy verses above say that the whole structure that caste depends on is not relevant. Our actions define our roles in life. People who say they are writers, but are not currently writing, are not writers. The definition of a writer is someone who writes, just as the definition of a baker is not the child of a baker, but is one who bakes. If we take something that is not ours and is not offered to us, we become a thief.

These are not singular, permanent, lifetime definitions, but the multi-faceted identities that we create as we move through life.

With each act of generosity, we become a generous person; with each act motivated by anger, we become an angry person. By supporting others, we become servants in the most wholesome sense. By leading others, we become leaders, for good or ill.

We can keep these questions in mind:

(1) Who are we right now?

(2) Who do we want to be?

Right now, we might be a procrastinator, or a complainer, or a dreamer, or a worker, or a carer, or a planner, or a meditator, or (fill in the blank). Which actions, when we take them, resonate as wholesome? Which actions create a sense of fulfilment or progress?

Who we are now, and who we become, is entirely in our own hands.