When he said this, Ambaṭṭha became angry and upset with the Buddha because of being described as unqualified. He even attacked and badmouthed the Buddha himself, saying, “The ascetic Gotama will be worsted!” He said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, the Sakyans are rude, harsh, touchy, and argumentative. Primitive they are, and primitive they remain! They don’t honor, respect, revere, worship, or venerate brahmins. It is neither proper nor appropriate that the Sakyans—primitives that they are—don’t honor, respect, revere, worship, or venerate brahmins.” And that’s how Ambaṭṭha denigrated the Sakyans with the word “primitives” for the first time.

2.2. The Second Use of the Word “Primitives” “But Ambaṭṭha, how have the Sakyans wronged you?” “This one time, worthy Gotama, I went to Kapilavatthu on some business for my tutor, the brahmin Pokkharasāti. I approached the Sakyans in their town hall. Now at that time several Sakyans and Sakyan princes were sitting on high seats, poking each other with their fingers, giggling and playing together. In fact, they even presumed to giggle at me, and didn’t invite me to a seat. It is neither proper nor appropriate that the Sakyans—primitives that they are—don’t honor, respect, revere, worship, or venerate brahmins.” And that’s how Ambaṭṭha denigrated the Sakyans with the word “primitives” for the second time.

2.3. The Third Use of the Word “Primitives”