SN 7.9

Sundarikasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati sundarikāya nadiyā tīre. Tena kho pana samayena sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo sundarikāya nadiyā tīre aggiṁ juhati, aggihuttaṁ paricarati. Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo aggiṁ juhitvā aggihuttaṁ paricaritvā uṭṭhāyāsanā samantā catuddisā anuvilokesi: “ko nu kho imaṁ habyasesaṁ bhuñjeyyā”ti? Addasā kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle sasīsaṁ pārutaṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvāna vāmena hatthena habyasesaṁ gahetvā dakkhiṇena hatthena kamaṇḍaluṁ gahetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. Atha kho bhagavā sundarikabhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa padasaddena sīsaṁ vivari. Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo “muṇḍo ayaṁ bhavaṁ, muṇḍako ayaṁ bhavan”ti tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi. Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi: “muṇḍāpi hi idhekacce brāhmaṇā bhavanti; yannūnāhaṁ taṁ upasaṅkamitvā jātiṁ puccheyyan”ti.

With Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā

At one time the Buddha was staying in the Kosalan lands on the bank of the Sundarikā River. Now at that time the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā was serving the sacred flame and performing the fire sacrifice on the bank of the Sundarikā. Then he rose from his seat and surveyed the four quarters, wondering, “Now who might eat the leftovers of this oblation?” He saw the Buddha meditating at the root of a certain tree with his robe pulled over his head. Taking the leftovers of the oblation in his left hand and a pitcher in the right he approached the Buddha. When he heard Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā’s footsteps the Buddha uncovered his head. Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā thought, “This man is shaven, he is shaven!” And he wanted to turn back. But he thought, “Even some brahmins are shaven. Why don’t I go to him and ask about his birth?”

Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kiṁjacco bhavan”ti?

Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā went up to the Buddha, and said to him, “Sir, what are you by birth?”

“Mā jātiṁ puccha caraṇañca puccha, Kaṭṭhā have jāyati jātavedo; Nīcākulīnopi muni dhitimā, Ājānīyo hoti hirīnisedho.

“Don’t ask about birth, ask about conduct; for the fire of Jātaveda is born from sticks. A steadfast sage, even though from a low class family, is a thoroughbred checked by conscience.

Saccena danto damasā upeto, Vedantagū vusitabrahmacariyo; Yaññopanīto tamupavhayetha, Kālena so juhati dakkhiṇeyye”ti.

Tamed by truth, fulfilled by taming, a complete knowledge master who has completed the spiritual journey— that’s who a sacrificer should woo, and offer a timely oblation to one worthy of a religious donation.”

“Addhā suyiṭṭhaṁ suhutaṁ mama yidaṁ, Yaṁ tādisaṁ vedagumaddasāmi; Tumhādisānañhi adassanena, Añño jano bhuñjati habyasesan”ti.

“My sacrificial offering must have been well performed, since I have met such a knowledge master! It’s because I’d never met anyone like you that others ate the leftover oblation.

“Bhuñjatu bhavaṁ gotamo. Brāhmaṇo bhavan”ti.

May the worthy Gotama eat! The worthy one is a brahmin.”

“Gāthābhigītaṁ me abhojaneyyaṁ, Sampassataṁ brāhmaṇa nesa dhammo; Gāthābhigītaṁ panudanti buddhā, Dhamme sati brāhmaṇa vuttiresā.

“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.

Aññena ca kevalinaṁ mahesiṁ, Khīṇāsavaṁ kukkuccavūpasantaṁ; Annena pānena upaṭṭhahassu, Khettañhi taṁ puññapekkhassa hotī”ti.

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.”

“Atha kassa cāhaṁ, bho gotama, imaṁ habyasesaṁ dammī”ti? “Na khvāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yasseso habyaseso bhutto sammā pariṇāmaṁ gaccheyya aññatra, brāhmaṇa, tathāgatassa vā tathāgatasāvakassa vā. Tena hi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, taṁ habyasesaṁ appaharite vā chaḍḍehi appāṇake vā udake opilāpehī”ti.

“Then, Worthy Gotama, to whom should I give the leftovers of this oblation?” “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 these leftovers, except the Realized One or one of his disciples. Well then, brahmin, throw out those leftovers where there is little that grows, or drop them into water that has no living creatures.”

Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo taṁ habyasesaṁ appāṇake udake opilāpesi. Atha kho so habyaseso udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati. Seyyathāpi nāma phālo divasaṁsantatto udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati; evameva so habyaseso udake pakkhitto cicciṭāyati ciṭiciṭāyati sandhūpāyati sampadhūpāyati.

So Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā dropped the leftover oblation in water that had no living creatures. And when those leftovers were placed in the water, they 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 those leftovers were placed in the water, they sizzled and hissed, steaming and fuming.

Atha kho sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo saṁviggo lomahaṭṭhajāto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ kho sundarikabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ bhagavā gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā, shocked and awestruck, went up to the Buddha, and stood to one side. The Buddha addressed him in verse:

“Mā brāhmaṇa dāru samādahāno, Suddhiṁ amaññi bahiddhā hi etaṁ; Na hi tena suddhiṁ kusalā vadanti, Yo bāhirena parisuddhimicche.

“When you’re kindling the wood, brahmin, don’t imagine this is purity, for it’s just external. For those who are skilled say this is no way to purity, when one seeks purity in externals.

Hitvā ahaṁ brāhmaṇa dārudāhaṁ, Ajjhattamevujjalayāmi jotiṁ; Niccagginī niccasamāhitatto, Arahaṁ ahaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carāmi.

I’ve given up kindling firewood, brahmin, now I light only the inner flame. Always blazing, always serene, I am a perfected one leading the spiritual life.

Māno hi te brāhmaṇa khāribhāro, Kodho dhumo bhasmani mosavajjaṁ; Jivhā sujā hadayaṁ jotiṭhānaṁ, Attā sudanto purisassa joti.

Conceit, brahmin, is the burden of your pack, anger your smoke, and lies your ashes. The tongue is the ladle, the heart the fireplace; a well-tamed self is a person’s light.

Dhammo rahado brāhmaṇa sīlatittho, Anāvilo sabbhi sataṁ pasattho; Yattha have vedaguno sinātā, Anallagattāva taranti pāraṁ.

The teaching is a lake, brahmin, into which ethics are the stairs, unclouded, praised by the fine to the good. There the knowledge masters go to bathe, and cross to the far shore with dry limbs.

Saccaṁ dhammo saṁyamo brahmacariyaṁ, Majjhe sitā brāhmaṇa brahmapatti; Sa tujjubhūtesu namo karohi, Tamahaṁ naraṁ dhammasārīti brūmī”ti.

Truth, principle, restraint, the spiritual life, attaining divinity based on the middle, brahmin— pay homage to the upright ones. I declare that man one who follows the teaching.”

Evaṁ vutte, sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.