[Buddha-l] Rice & Dragons

[Richard Hayes]

On Apr 15, 2012, at 3:52 PM, "L.S. Cousins" <selwyn at ntlworld.com> wrote:

> Most of the Sanskrit-using thinkers who
>> shaped Buddhist thought in India—that is, most Mahāyānins, were
>> brahmins.
> 
> Is there reliable evidence of this ? Or is it based upon legends of 
> doubtful reliability ?

I just made it up. Best to disregard it.

> In Sri Lanka there are nikāyas within the bhikkhu-sangha
>> that are closed to all non-brahmins.
> 
> There are probably no Sinhalese brahmins and certainly no such Nikāyas.

I am quite sure I have read this certainly false claim, but I can't recall where. No doubt it was written by someone who was making it up just to be contrary. 

But these minor quibbles aside, I still stand by the claim that it is almost entirely a modern myth that the Buddhists in India questioned caste. But I stand by it because I like the sound of it, not because I have any evidence for it. I'm not now, never have been and never intend to be an historian. 

R. Hayes