according to johannes bronkhorst, a professor of indology specializing on early buddhism and hinduism, the ancient buddhist canon is predominantly devoid of varna discussion, and shudra and other varnas are rarely referred to in its ancient discourses. the buddhist texts do not describe the indian society as divided into the four varṇas of "brahmins, ksạtriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras". instead, states bronkhorst, the bulk of society is described as consisting of "householders" (pāli: "gahapati"), without internal distinctions. even where the brahmins are mentioned in such a context, they too are referred to as householders, or "brāhmaṇa-gahapati". the term "vaṇṇa" does appear in the buddhist texts as few exceptions, but states bronkhorst, only in the context of abstract divisions of society and it seems to "have remained a theoretical concept without any parallel in actual practice".