Hi,

> Some episodes with a similar use of humor:>

>The Kevaddhasutta, where god admits his ignorance ".... but don't tell anyone, please! All those others believe that I'm omniscient!"<

The relevant passage:

"Then the Great Brahma, taking the monk by the arm and leading him off to one side, said to him, 'These gods of the retinue of Brahma believe, "There is nothing that the Great Brahma does not know. There is nothing that the Great Brahma does not see. There is nothing of which the Great Brahma is unaware. There is nothing that the Great Brahma has not realized." That is why I did not say in their presence that I, too, don't know where the four great elements... cease without remainder. So you have acted wrongly, acted incorrectly, in bypassing the Blessed One in search of an answer to this question elsewhere. Go right back to the Blessed One and, on arrival, ask him this question. However he answers it, you should take it to heart.' http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/digha/dn11.html

So, here we have the Brahma who admitted himself inferior to the Buddha still refuse to admit to his subordinates and I presumed, his disciples.

> The Brahmajalasutta, where god misunderstands the situation and thinks he has created the world.<

Available here:
http://www.buddhistinformation.com/ida_b_wells_memorial_sutra_library/brahmajala_sutta.htm


I don't see anything funny here.

> The Tevijjasutta, where the path to god is explained by giving only the elementary aspects of buddhist teachings, omitting the higher aspects.<

Ya, the brahmaviharas. So?

> There are also episodes where the brahmins are the "victims" of the humor, like for instance the Kutadantasutta, where a prominent brahmin says that he does not know how to perform a grand sacrifice (which was the speciality of the brahmins), and asks the Buddha for advice on how to do it (a samana, who was not even allowed to study the texts to be recited at the sacrifice!). Just the thought of this - a samana teaching a brahmana how to perform a sacrifice - must have caused wild and uncontrolled giggles among the listeners.<

Available here: http://www.buddhistinformation.com/ida_b_wells_memorial_sutra_library/kutadanta_sutta.htm

Kutadanta went after getting good report about the Buddha. Also, at first, many Brahmins dissuade him from seeing the Buddha, and suggested the Buddha, instead, should come to see him. Obviously the reason they gave matched with the reason you gave.

Let me speculate. I believe that many people (including brahmins) were " ready to be enlightened" because of their previous lives connection to Buddha's dhamma. So, it is not strange for some brahmins to have the urge to see the Buddha even though it's not the custom/practise those days. Also, I believe it's just a minority of them.

Best wishes, Rahula



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