English
"Give! Give!" they do not urge, therefore, O brahmin, I am happy. When this was said, the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan spoke thus to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama! Excellent, good Gotama! Just as, good Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Dhamma been made clear in many ways by the good Gotama. I go for refuge to the good Gotama, and to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth in the presence of the good Gotama, may I receive the full ordination." Indeed, the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, and received the full ordination. Not long after his full ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, not long thereafter, by his own direct knowledge, here and now, realized and attained that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life, for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness. He understood: "Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being." And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the Arahants. The First Chapter of Arahants. Its summary: Dhanañjānī and Accusation, Asurinda and Bilaṅgika; Ahiṃsaka and Jaṭā, Suddhika and Aggika; Sundarika and Bahudhītara, these are the ten. 2. The Chapter on Lay Followers. 1. The Discourse to Kasibhāradvāja. 197. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Magadha, in the brahmin village of Ekanāḷā in Dakkhiṇāgiri. Now at that time, Kasibhāradvāja... This brahmin had about five hundred plows yoked for the sowing season. Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, went to where the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja's work was. Now at that time, the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja's distribution of food was taking place. Then the Blessed One went to where the distribution was; having gone, he stood to one side. The brahmin Kasibhāradvāja saw the Blessed One standing for alms. Having seen him, he said to the Blessed One: "I, recluse, plow and sow, having plowed and sown, I eat. You too, recluse, plow and sow, having plowed and sown, you should eat." "I too, brahmin, plow and sow, having plowed and sown, I eat." "We do not see Master Gotama's yoke or plow, or plowshare or goad, or oxen. Yet Master Gotama says this: 'I too, brahmin, plow and sow, having plowed and sown, I eat.'" Then the brahmin Kasibhāradvāja addressed the Blessed One with a verse: "You claim to be a farmer, but I see no farming of yours. A farmer, when asked, tell us, how are we to know your farming?" "Faith is the seed, austerity the rain, wisdom my yoke and plow. Shame is the pole, mind the rope, mindfulness my plowshare and goad. "Guarded in body, guarded in speech, restrained in food and belly. Truth I make the cutting, gentleness my release. "Effort is my beast of burden, carrying to security from bondage. It goes without turning back, where having gone, one grieves not. "Thus is this farming plowed, it bears the fruit of deathlessness. Having plowed this farming, one is freed from all suffering." "Let Master Gotama eat. Master, you are a farmer. For Master Gotama plows a farming that bears the fruit of deathlessness." "Food offered in verse is not to be eaten by me, This is not the custom for those who see..." Brahmin, this is not the Dhamma. The Buddhas reject that which is sung in verses, When Dhamma is present, Brahmin, this is the saying: "With food and drink, You should attend upon another, a perfect one, a great sage, One whose taints are destroyed, one whose remorse is appeased. For that is a field for one who seeks merit." When this was said, the Brahmin Kasibhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama... From today onwards, I go for refuge for as long as life lasts." 2. Udaya Sutta 198. Thus have I heard. At Sāvatthī. Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, went to the dwelling of the Brahmin Udaya. Then the Brahmin Udaya filled the Blessed One's bowl with rice. A second time the Blessed One, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, went to the dwelling of the Brahmin Udaya... A third time the Brahmin Udaya, having filled the Blessed One's bowl with rice, said to the Blessed One: "This ascetic Gotama is very persistent, he comes again and again." "Again and again they sow seeds, Again and again the king of gods rains; Again and again farmers plough the field, Again and again the country obtains grain. "Again and again beggars beg, Again and again givers give; Again and again givers, having given, Again and again go to a heavenly state. "Again and again milkmaids milk, Again and again the calf goes to its mother; Again and again the fool wearies and struggles, Again and again he enters the womb. "Again and again he is born and dies, Again and again they carry him to the charnel ground; But having found the path to non-becoming, The wise one is not born again and again." When this was said, the Brahmin Udaya said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama... May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from today onwards, for as long as life lasts." 3. Devahita Sutta 199. At Sāvatthī. At that time, the Blessed One was afflicted by a wind-sickness; and Venerable Upavāṇa was the Blessed One's attendant. Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Upavāṇa: "Go, Upavāṇa, find me some hot water." "Yes, venerable sir," replied Venerable Upavāṇa, and having dressed, he took his bowl and robe and went to the dwelling of Devahita the brahmin; having gone there, he stood silently to one side. Devahita the brahmin saw Venerable Upavāṇa standing silently to one side. Having seen him, he addressed Venerable Upavāṇa with a verse: "Standing silently, sir, A shaven one, wrapped in a robe; What do you wish for, what do you seek, What have you come to beg for?" "The Arahant, the Fortunate One in the world, The sage, is afflicted by wind-sickness; If there is hot water, Give it to the sage, brahmin. "Honored by those worthy of honor, Respected by those worthy of respect; Revered by those worthy of reverence, For him I wish to obtain it." Then Devahita the brahmin had a man carry a pot of hot water and gave a packet of treacle to Venerable Upavāṇa. Then Venerable Upavāṇa went to the Blessed One; having gone there, he bathed the Blessed One with the hot water, and having dissolved the treacle in hot water, he gave it to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One's illness subsided. Then Devahita the brahmin went to the Blessed One; having gone there, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Devahita the brahmin addressed the Blessed One with a verse: "Where should one give a gift? Where given, is it greatly fruitful? How does the sacrificer, How does his offering succeed?" "He who knows his former lives, And sees heaven and hell; And has attained the destruction of birth, Perfect in supernormal knowledge— O Sage. Here one should give a gift, here a gift is greatly fruitful. Thus indeed for the sacrificer, thus indeed the offering succeeds. When this was said, Devahita the brahmin said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama... [as if] Gotama would remember me as a lay follower, who has taken refuge for life from this day forward." 4. The Great Rich Man Sutta 200. Occasion at Sāvatthī. Then a certain brahmin, a great rich man, rough and roughly clad, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having exchanged courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. The Blessed One said to that brahmin, the great rich man, as he sat to one side: "Why are you, brahmin, rough and roughly clad?" "Here, good Gotama, I have four sons. They, consulting with their wives, are driving me out of the house." "In that case, brahmin, learn these verses and, when a large crowd is assembled in the assembly hall and your sons are also seated, recite them— "By whose birth I rejoiced, and for whom I wished prosperity; They, consulting with their wives, are now warding me off like a pig. "Indeed, these base ones, 'Father, father!' they say; Demons in the form of sons, they abandon me in old age. "Like an old, useless horse, removed from the feeding trough; The father of children, old, begs in others' houses. "Indeed, a staff is better for me, than sons who are disobedient; It wards off even a fierce bull, and also a fierce dog. "In the darkness it is before me, in the deep it finds a footing; By the power of the staff, having stumbled, one stands firm." Then that brahmin, the great rich man, having learned these verses from the Blessed One, when a large crowd was assembled in the assembly hall and his sons were also seated, recited them— "By whose birth I rejoiced, and for whom I wished prosperity; They, consulting with their wives, are now warding me off like a pig. "Indeed, these base ones, 'Father, father!' they say, they speak; Rākṣasas in the form of sons, they abandon him when he is old. “Like an old, useless horse, he is removed from the feeding; The father of children, an elder, begs in others’ homes. “A staff is better for me, than sons who are disobedient; It wards off even a fierce ox, and also a fierce dog. “In the darkness, it is in front, it finds a footing in the deep; By the power of the staff, having stumbled, one stands firm.” Then his sons took that great brahmin to his house, bathed him, and each covered him with a pair of cloths.