SNP 1.4 With Bhāradvāja the Farmer

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

So I have heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Magadhans in the Southern Hills near the brahmin village of Ekanāḷa.

Now at that time the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Farmer had harnessed around five hundred plows, it being the season for sowing.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to where Bhāradvāja the Farmer was working.

Now at that time Bhāradvāja the Farmer was distributing food.

Then the Buddha went to where the distribution was taking place and stood to one side.

Bhāradvāja the Farmer saw him standing for alms

and said to him,

“I plough and sow, ascetic, and then I eat.

You too should plough and sow, then you may eat.”

“I too plough and sow, brahmin, and then I eat.”

“I don’t see the worthy Gotama with a yoke or plow or plowshare or goad or oxen, yet he says:

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‘I too plough and sow, brahmin, and then I eat.’”

Then Bhāradvāja the Farmer addressed the Buddha in verse:

“You claim to be a farmer,

but I don’t see you farming.

Tell me your farming when asked,

so I can recognize your farming.”

“Faith is my seed, fervor my rain,

and wisdom is my yoke and plough.

Conscience is my draft-pole, mind my strap,

mindfulness my plowshare and goad.

Guarded in body and speech,

I restrict my intake of food.

I use truth as my scythe,

and gentleness is my release.

Energy is my harnessed beast,

transporting me to sanctuary from the yoke.

It goes without turning back

where there is no sorrow.

That’s how to do the farming

that has freedom from death as its fruit.

When you finish this farming

you’re released from all suffering.”

Then Bhāradvāja the Farmer poured milk-rice in a large bronze cup and presented it to the Buddha:

“May the worthy Gotama eat the milk-rice!

The worthy one is a farmer.

For the worthy Gotama does the farming that has freedom from death as its fruit.”

“Food enchanted by a verse isn’t fit for me to eat.

That’s not the principle of those who see, brahmin.

The Buddhas cast aside things enchanted with verses.

Since there is such a principle, brahmin, that’s how they live.

Serve with other food and drink

the consummate one, the great seer,

with defilements ended and remorse stilled.

For he is the field for the seeker of merit.”

“Then, worthy Gotama, to whom should I give the milk-rice?”

“Brahmin, I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who can properly digest this milk-rice, except for the Realized One or one of his disciples.

Well then, brahmin, throw out the milk-rice where there is little that grows, or drop it into water that has no living creatures.”

So Bhāradvāja the Farmer dropped the milk-rice in water that had no living creatures.

And when the milk-rice was placed in the water, it sizzled and hissed, steaming and fuming.

Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day. If you placed it in the water, it would sizzle and hiss, steaming and fuming.

In the same way, when the milk-rice was placed in the water, it sizzled and hissed, steaming and fuming.

Then Bhāradvāja the Farmer, shocked and awestruck, went up to the Buddha, bowed down with his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said,

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent!

As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways.

I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the worthy Gotama’s presence?”

And Bhāradvāja the Farmer received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence.

Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.”

And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā magadhesu viharati dakkhiṇāgirismiṁ ekanāḷāyaṁ brāhmaṇagāme.

Tena kho pana samayena kasibhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa pañcamattāni naṅgalasatāni payuttāni honti vappakāle.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena kasibhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa kammanto tenupasaṅkami.

Tena kho pana samayena kasibhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa parivesanā vattati.

Atha kho bhagavā yena parivesanā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.

Addasā kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ piṇḍāya ṭhitaṁ.

Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“ahaṁ kho, samaṇa, kasāmi ca vapāmi ca; kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjāmi.

Tvampi, samaṇa, kasassu ca vapassu ca; kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjassū”ti.

“Ahampi kho, brāhmaṇa, kasāmi ca vapāmi ca; kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjāmī”ti.

“Na kho pana mayaṁ passāma bhoto gotamassa yugaṁ vā naṅgalaṁ vā phālaṁ vā pācanaṁ vā balībadde vā.

Atha ca pana bhavaṁ gotamo evamāha:

‘ahampi kho, brāhmaṇa, kasāmi ca vapāmi ca; kasitvā ca vapitvā ca bhuñjāmī’”ti.

Atha kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Kassako paṭijānāsi,

na ca passāma te kasiṁ;

Kasiṁ no pucchito brūhi,

yathā jānemu te kasiṁ”.

“Saddhā bījaṁ tapo vuṭṭhi,

paññā me yuganaṅgalaṁ;

Hirī īsā mano yottaṁ,

sati me phālapācanaṁ.

Kāyagutto vacīgutto,

āhāre udare yato;

Saccaṁ karomi niddānaṁ,

soraccaṁ me pamocanaṁ.

Vīriyaṁ me dhuradhorayhaṁ,

yogakkhemādhivāhanaṁ;

Gacchati anivattantaṁ,

yattha gantvā na socati.

Evamesā kasī kaṭṭhā,

Sā hoti amatapphalā;

Etaṁ kasiṁ kasitvāna,

Sabbadukkhā pamuccatī”ti.

Atha kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo mahatiyā kaṁsapātiyā pāyasaṁ vaḍḍhetvā bhagavato upanāmesi:

“bhuñjatu bhavaṁ gotamo pāyasaṁ.

Kassako bhavaṁ;

yañhi bhavaṁ gotamo amatapphalaṁ kasiṁ kasatī”ti.

“Gāthābhigītaṁ me abhojaneyyaṁ,

Sampassataṁ brāhmaṇa nesa dhammo;

Gāthābhigītaṁ panudanti buddhā,

Dhamme satī brāhmaṇa vuttiresā.

Aññena ca kevalinaṁ mahesiṁ,

Khīṇāsavaṁ kukkuccavūpasantaṁ;

Annena pānena upaṭṭhahassu,

Khettaṁ hi taṁ puññapekkhassa hotī”ti.

“Atha kassa cāhaṁ, bho gotama, imaṁ pāyasaṁ dammī”ti?

“Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, brāhmaṇa, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya, yassa so pāyaso bhutto sammā pariṇāmaṁ gaccheyya, aññatra tathāgatassa vā tathāgatasāvakassa vā.

Tena hi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, taṁ pāyasaṁ appaharite vā chaḍḍehi appāṇake vā udake opilāpehī”ti.

Atha kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo taṁ pāyasaṁ appāṇake udake opilāpesi.

Atha kho so pāyaso udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati.

Seyyathāpi nāma phālo divasaṁ santatto udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati;

evamevaṁ so pāyaso udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati.

Atha kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo saṁviggo lomahaṭṭhajāto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama.

Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya, ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.

Esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca,

labheyyāhaṁ bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

Alattha kho kasibhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ.

Acirūpasampanno kho panāyasmā bhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

Kasibhāradvājasuttaṁ catutthaṁ.