Teaching is not a title—it’s a path of lived wisdom, earned through practice and compassion.

In this final chapter of the Dhammapada, we explore the reimagining of the term Brahmin—traditionally reserved for the priestly caste—as a spiritual teacher whose authority is earned not by birth, but by awakening. In this radical teaching, Gautama Buddha dismantles caste hierarchies and calls for a priesthood of liberation: a community of peacebuilders shaped by wisdom, not lineage.

Jason Storbakken reflects on:

• How Buddhism redefines Brahmin as one who embodies peace, compassion, and nonviolence

• The sramana movement’s roots in renunciation, forest-dwelling, and resistance to ritual domination

• Parallels between Buddha and Jesus as anti-hierarchical teachers calling forth movements of the marginalized

• The call to move beyond trauma and privilege—to choose the path of transformation (v. 384)

• The teacher as one who “neither kills, nor is complicit in killing... but cultivates compassion for all beings” (v. 405)

Drawing from Buddhist teaching, Christian scripture (1 Peter 2:9), and the work of trauma specialist Emily Wanderer Cohen, this episode invites us to embody the role of teacher as healer, transformer, and builder of liberationist communities.

🎧 New episodes drop Mondays at 6 AM EST
🕊️ Support the journey: www.brooklynpeace.center
#TeachingPeace #Dhammapada #Teacher #Brahmin #PeaceLeadership #Sramana #JesusAndBuddha #IntergenerationalHealing #Antiviolence #PriesthoodOfAllBelievers #TraumaAndPrivilege #LiberationCommunities