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painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings, they are capable of knowledge, of vision, of supreme enlightenment. This, O Bhāradvāja, was the third simile that occurred to me, wonderful, unheard of before. These, O Bhāradvāja, were the three similes that occurred to me, wonderful, unheard of before. 480. Then, O Bhāradvāja, it occurred to me: ‘What if I, pressing teeth against teeth, pressing tongue against palate, should restrain, crush, and torment the mind with the mind?’ So I, O Bhāradvāja, pressing teeth against teeth, pressing tongue against palate, restrained, crushed, and tormented the mind with the mind. As I, O Bhāradvāja, pressed teeth against teeth, pressed tongue against palate, restraining, crushing, and tormenting the mind with the mind, sweat flowed from my armpits. Just as, O Bhāradvāja, a strong man might seize a weaker man by the head or by the shoulder and restrain, crush, or torment him, even so, O Bhāradvāja, as I pressed teeth against teeth, pressed tongue against palate, restraining, crushing, and tormenting the mind with the mind, sweat flowed from my armpits. My energy, O Bhāradvāja, was aroused and unflagging; mindfulness was established and unconfused; but my body, O Bhāradvāja, was agitated and uncalmed, because I was afflicted by that painful exertion. 481. Then, O Bhāradvāja, it occurred to me: ‘What if I should meditate a breath-less meditation?’ So I, O Bhāradvāja, stopped the in-breaths and out-breaths from my mouth and nose. As I did so, Bharadvaja, when breathing in and out through mouth and nose was stopped, a great sound came from the ears as the winds escaped. Just as when a blacksmith's bellows are blown, a great sound is made, even so, Bharadvaja, when my breathing in and out through mouth and nose was stopped, a great sound came from my ears as the winds escaped. My energy, Bharadvaja, was aroused, unflagging, my mindfulness was established, unconfused; but my body was agitated, not tranquil, because of that painful exertion, I was afflicted by the striving. Then, Bharadvaja, it occurred to me: 'What if I were to practice meditation without breathing?' So I, Bharadvaja, stopped breathing in and out through my mouth, nose, and ears. When my breathing in and out through mouth, nose, and ears was stopped, Bharadvaja, violent winds struck my head. Just as, Bharadvaja, a strong man might bore into one's head with a sharp drill, even so, Bharadvaja, when my breathing in and out through mouth, nose, and ears was stopped, violent winds struck my head. My energy, Bharadvaja, was aroused, unflagging, my mindfulness was established, unconfused; but my body was agitated, not tranquil, because of that painful exertion, I was afflicted by the striving. Then, Bharadvaja, it occurred to me: 'What if I were to practice meditation without breathing?' So I, Bharadvaja, stopped breathing in and out through my mouth, nose, and ears. When my breathing in and out through mouth, nose, and ears was stopped, Bharadvaja, severe pains arose in my head. Just as, Bharadvaja, a strong man might bind one's head with a strong leather strap, even so, Bharadvaja, when my mouth and nose... and from the ears, when breathing in and out was stopped, extreme head-pains arose in my head. But, Bhāradvāja, my energy was aroused, unflagging, my mindfulness was established, unconfused; but my body was agitated, not calmed, by that painful striving, as I was pressed on by striving. Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: ‘What if I were to meditate without breathing?’ So, Bhāradvāja, I stopped my breathing in and out from my mouth, nose, and ears. As I, Bhāradvāja, had my breathing in and out stopped from my mouth, nose, and ears, extreme winds cut through my belly. Just as, Bhāradvāja, a skilled butcher or a butcher’s apprentice might cut open an ox’s belly with a sharp butcher’s knife, even so, Bhāradvāja, as I had my breathing in and out stopped from my mouth, nose, and ears, extreme winds cut through my belly. But, Bhāradvāja, my energy was aroused, unflagging, my mindfulness was established, unconfused; but my body was agitated, not calmed, by that painful striving, as I was pressed on by striving. Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: ‘What if I were to meditate without breathing?’ So, Bhāradvāja, I stopped my breathing in and out from my mouth, nose, and ears. As I, Bhāradvāja, had my breathing in and out stopped from my mouth, nose, and ears, extreme burning arose in my body. Just as, Bhāradvāja, two strong men, having seized a weaker man by both arms, might roast and burn him over a pit of glowing coals, even so, Bhāradvāja, as I had my breathing in and out stopped from my mouth, nose, and ears, extreme burning arose in my body. But, Bhāradvāja, my energy was aroused, unflagging, my mindfulness was established, unconfused; but my body was agitated My body was not tranquil, because of that painful striving, while I was striving. And also, Bhāradvāja, deities, seeing me, said this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has died.’ Some deities said this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has not died, but he is dying.’ Some deities said this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has not died, nor is he dying; the ascetic Gotama is an Arahant, such is the dwelling of an Arahant.’ Then, Bhāradvāja, it occurred to me: ‘What if I were to completely abstain from food?’ Then, Bhāradvāja, deities approached me and said this: ‘Do not, good sir, completely abstain from food. If you, good sir, completely abstain from food, we will infuse divine essence into your pores. By that, you will sustain yourself.’ Then, Bhāradvāja, it occurred to me: ‘If I were to claim complete non-consumption, and these deities were to infuse divine essence into my pores, and I were to sustain myself by that, that would be a lie for me.’ So, Bhāradvāja, I dismissed those deities, saying, ‘Enough!’ Then, Bhāradvāja, it occurred to me: ‘What if I were to take food little by little, a handful at a time, be it mung bean broth, or horse gram broth, or chickpea broth, or lentil broth?’ So, Bhāradvāja, I took food little by little, a handful at a time, be it mung bean broth, or horse gram broth, or chickpea broth, or lentil broth. As I, Bhāradvāja, was taking food little by little, a handful at a time, be it mung bean broth, or horse gram broth, or chickpea broth, or lentil broth, my body became extremely emaciated. Just as the joints of an eighty-year-old, or the joints of a black bamboo, even so were my limbs... My limbs became like sticks, due to that very little food. Just as a camel's hoof-print, even so my buttocks became, due to that very little food. Just as a string of beads, even so my backbone became, protruding and sinking in, due to that very little food. Just as the rafters of an old house, are dilapidated and broken, even so my ribs became, dilapidated and broken, due to that very little food. Just as in a deep well, the water-stars are seen, deeply sunken and obscured, even so in my eye-sockets, my eye-pupils were seen, deeply sunken and obscured, due to that very little food. Just as a bitter gourd, cut while raw, is shriveled and withered, by wind and sun, even so my scalp became, shriveled and withered, due to that very little food. Then I, Bhāradvāja, when I would touch my belly-skin, would grasp my backbone instead; when I would touch my backbone, would grasp my belly-skin instead; so much so, Bhāradvāja, my belly-skin had stuck to my backbone, due to that very little food. Then I, Bhāradvāja, when I would relieve myself, of feces or urine, would fall over right there, due to that very little food. Then I, Bhāradvāja, trying to comfort this very body, would stroke my limbs with my hand. As I, Bhāradvāja, was stroking my limbs with my hand, my hairs, rotten at the roots, fell from my body, due to that very little food. Moreover, Bhāradvāja, people seeing me, would say this: "Ascetic Gotama is dark." Some people would say this: "Ascetic Gotama is not dark, he is dusky." Some people would say this: "Ascetic Gotama is neither dark nor dusky, he has a mottled complexion"; so much so, Bhāradvāja, my pure, bright skin color had become ruined, due to that very little food. 482. Then it occurred to me, Bhāradvāja: "Whatever ascetics or brahmins there have been in the past..." Ascetics or brahmins suffered painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, brought on by striving. This was the utmost, nothing more than this. And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will suffer painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, brought on by striving, this will be the utmost, nothing more than this. And whatever ascetics or brahmins at present suffer painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, brought on by striving, this is the utmost, nothing more than this. But I, through this bitter, arduous practice, do not attain any superhuman state, any distinction of noble knowledge and vision. Might there be another path to awakening? Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: 'I recall, when my father, the Sakyan, was working, I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered and remained in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Might this be the path to awakening?' Then, Bhāradvāja, my consciousness followed that memory: 'This indeed is the path to awakening.' Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: 'Why should I fear that pleasure which is apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states?' Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: 'I do not fear that pleasure which is apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states.' 483. Then, Bhāradvāja, this occurred to me: 'It is not easy to attain that pleasure with a body so extremely emaciated. What if I were to take some coarse food, rice and gruel?' So I, Bhāradvāja, took coarse food, rice and gruel. At that time, Bhāradvāja, the group of five monks were attending on me,