Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This Ambaṭṭha puts the Sakyans down too much by calling them riffraff. Why don’t I ask him about his own clan?”

So the Buddha said to him, “What is your clan, Ambaṭṭha?”

“I am a Kaṇhāyana, Master Gotama.”

“But, recollecting the ancient name and clan of your mother and father, the Sakyans were the children of the masters, while you’re descended from the son of a female bondservant of the Sakyans. But the Sakyans claim King Okkāka as their grandfather.

Once upon a time, King Okkāka, wishing to divert the royal succession to the son of his most beloved queen, banished the elder princes from the realm—Okkāmukha, Karakaṇḍa, Hatthinika, and Sinisūra. They made their home beside a lotus pond on the slopes of the Himalayas, where there was a large teak grove. For fear of diluting their lineage, they slept with their own sisters.

Then King Okkāka addressed his ministers and counselors, ‘Where, sirs, have the princes settled now?’

‘Sire, there is a lotus pond on the slopes of the Himalayas, by a large grove of sāka, the teak tree. They’ve settled there. For fear of diluting their lineage, they are sleeping with their own (saka) sisters.’

Then, Ambaṭṭha, King Okkāka was inspired to exclaim: ‘The princes are indeed Sakyans! The princes are indeed the best Sakyans!’ From that day on the Sakyans were recognized, and he was their founder.

Now, King Okkāka had a female bondservant named Disā. She gave birth to a black boy. When he was born, Black Boy said: ‘Wash me, mum, bathe me! Get this filth off of me! I will be useful for you!’ Whereas these days when people see goblins they know them as goblins, in those days they knew goblins as ‘blackboys’.

They said: ‘He spoke as soon as he was born—a blackboy is born! A goblin is born!’ From that day on the Kaṇhāyanas were recognized, and he was their founder. That’s how, recollecting the ancient name and clan of your mother and father, the Sakyans were the children of the masters, while you’re descended from the son of a female bondservant of the Sakyans.”

When he said this, those students said to him, “Master Gotama, please don’t put Ambaṭṭha down too much by calling him the son of a bondservant. He’s well-born, a gentleman, learned, a good speaker, and astute. He’s capable of having a dialogue with Master Gotama about this.”

So the Buddha said to them, “Well, students, if you think that Ambaṭṭha is ill-born, not a gentleman, uneducated, a poor speaker, witless, and not capable of having a dialogue with me about this, then leave him aside and you can have a dialogue with me. But if you think that he’s well-born, a gentleman, learned, a good speaker, astute, and capable of having a dialogue with me about this, then you should stand aside and let him have a dialogue with me.”

“He is capable of having a dialogue. We will be silent, and let Ambaṭṭha have a dialogue with Master Gotama.”

So the Buddha said to Ambaṭṭha, “Well, Ambaṭṭha, there’s a legitimate question that comes up. You won’t like it, but you ought to answer anyway. If you don’t answer, but dodge the issue, remain silent, or simply leave, your head will explode into seven pieces right here. What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? According to what you have heard from elderly and senior brahmins, the teachers of teachers, what is the origin of the Kaṇhāyanas, and who is their founder?”

When he said this, Ambaṭṭha kept silent.

For a second time, the Buddha put the question, and for a second time Ambaṭṭha kept silent.

So the Buddha said to him, “Answer now, Ambaṭṭha. Now is not the time for silence. If someone fails to answer a legitimate question when asked three times by the Buddha, their head explodes into seven pieces there and then.”

Now at that time the spirit Vajirapāṇi, holding a massive iron spear, burning, blazing, and glowing, stood in the sky above Ambaṭṭha, thinking, “If this Ambaṭṭha doesn’t answer when asked a third time, I’ll blow his head into seven pieces there and then!” And both the Buddha and Ambaṭṭha could see Vajirapāṇi.

Ambaṭṭha was terrified, shocked, and awestruck. Looking to the Buddha for shelter, protection, and refuge, he sat down close by the Buddha and said, “What did you say? Please repeat the question.”

“What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? According to what you have heard from elderly and senior brahmins, the teachers of teachers, what is the origin of the Kaṇhāyanas, and who is their founder?”

“I have heard, Master Gotama, that it is just as you say. That’s the origin of the Kaṇhāyanas, and that’s who their founder is.”