Sutta Nipata 1.4: Kasibharadvajasutta

So it was heard by me:

At one time Bhagavat dwelt in Magadha at Dakkhinagiri in the Brahmana village Ekanala. And at that time the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja’s five hundred ploughs were tied (to the yokes) in the sowing season. Then Bhagavat, in the morning, having put on his raiment and taken his bowl and robes, went to the place where the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja’s work (was going on). At that time the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja’s distribution of food took place. Then Bhagavat went to the place where the distribution of food took place, and having gone there, he stood apart. The Brahmana Kasibharadvaja saw Bhagavat standing there to get alms, and having seen him, he said this to Bhagavat:

‘I, O Samana, both plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, I eat; thou also, O Samana, shouldst plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, thou shouldst eat.’

‘I also, O Brahmana, both plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, I eat,’ so said Bhagavat.

‘Yet we do not see the yoke, or the plough, or the ploughshare, or the goad, or the oxen of the venerable Gotama.’

And then the venerable Gotama spoke in this way:

‘I also, O Brahmana, both plough and sow, and having ploughed and sown, I eat,’ so said Bhagavat. Then the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja addressed Bhagavat in a stanza:

‘Thou professest to be a ploughman, and yet we do not see thy ploughing; asked about (thy) ploughing, tell us (of it), that we may know thy ploughing.’

Bhagavat answered: ‘Faith is the seed, penance the rain, understanding my yoke and plough, modesty the pole of the plough, mind the tie, thoughtfulness my ploughshare and goad.

‘I am guarded in respect of the body, I am guarded in respect of speech, temperate in food; I make truth to cut away (weeds), tenderness is my deliverance.

‘Exertion is my beast of burden; carrying (me) to Nibbana he goes without turning back to the place where having gone one does not grieve.

‘So this ploughing is ploughed, it bears the fruit of immortality; having ploughed this ploughing one is freed from all pain.’

Then the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja, having poured rice-milk into a golden bowl, offered it to Bhagavat, saying, ‘Let the venerable Bhagavat eat of the rice-milk; the venerable is a ploughman, for the venerable Gotama ploughs a ploughing that bears the fruit of immortality.’

Bhagavat said: ‘What is acquired by reciting stanzas is not to be eaten by me; this is, O Brahmana, not the Dhamma of those that see rightly; Buddha rejects what is acquired by reciting stanzas, this is the conduct (of Buddhas) as long as the Dhamma exists.

‘One who is an accomplished great Isi, whose passions are destroyed and whose misbehaviour has ceased, thou shouldst serve with other food and drink, for this is the field for one who looks for good works.’

‘To whom then, O Gotama, shall I give this rice-milk?’ so said Kasibharadvaja.

‘I do not see, O Brahmana, in the world (of men) and gods and Maras and Brahmans, amongst beings comprising gods and men, and Samanas and Brahmanas, any by whom this rice-milk when eaten can be properly digested with the exception of Tathagata, or a disciple of Tathagata. Therefore, O Brahmana, thou shalt throw this rice-milk in (a place where there is) little grass, or cast it into water with no worms,’ so said Bhagavat.

Then the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja threw the rice-milk into some water with no worms. Then the rice-milk thrown into the water splashed, hissed, smoked in volumes; for as a ploughshare that has got hot during the day when thrown into the water splashes, hisses, and smokes in volumes, even so the rice-milk (when) thrown into the water splashed, hissed, and smoked in volumes.

Then the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja alarmed and terrified went up to Bhagavat, and after having approached and fallen with his head at Bhagavat’s feet, he said this to Bhagavat:

‘It is excellent, O venerable Gotama! It is excellent, O venerable Gotama! As one raises what has been overthrown, or reveals what has been hidden, or tells the way to him who has gone astray, or holds out an oil lamp in the dark that those who have eyes may see the objects, even so by the venerable Gotama in manifold ways the Dhamma (has been) illustrated. I take refuge in the venerable Gotama and in the Dhamma and in the Assembly of Bhikkhus; I wish to receive the pabbajja, I wish to receive the upasampada (the robe and the orders) from the venerable Gotama,’ so said Kasibharadvaja.

Then the Brahmana Kasibharadvaja received the pabbajja from Bhagavat, and he received also the upasampada; and the venerable Bharadvaja having lately received the upasampada, leading a solitary, retired, strenuous, ardent, energetic life, lived after having in a short time in this existence by his own understanding ascertained and possessed himself of that highest perfection of a religious life for the sake of which men of good family rightly wander away from their houses to a houseless state. ‘Birth had been destroyed, a religious life had been led, what was to be done had been done, there was nothing else (to be done) for this existence,’ so he perceived, and the venerable Bharadvaja became one of the arahats (saints).