7.18. Katthahàra

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhāradvājagottassa brāhmaṇassa sambahulā antevāsikā kaṭṭhahārakā māṇavakā yena vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā addasaṁsu bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā. Disvāna yena bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhāradvājagottaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“yagghe bhavaṁ jāneyyāsi.

Asukasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe samaṇo nisinno pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā”.

Atha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ yena so vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami.

Addasā kho bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“Gambhīrarūpe bahubherave vane,

Suññaṁ araññaṁ vijanaṁ vigāhiya;

Aniñjamānena ṭhitena vaggunā,

Sucārurūpaṁ vata bhikkhu jhāyasi.

Na yattha gītaṁ napi yattha vāditaṁ,

Eko araññe vanavassito muni;

Accherarūpaṁ paṭibhāti maṁ idaṁ,

Yadekako pītimano vane vase.

Maññāmahaṁ lokādhipatisahabyataṁ,

Ākaṅkhamāno tidivaṁ anuttaraṁ;

Kasmā bhavaṁ vijanamaraññamassito,

Tapo idha kubbasi brahmapattiyā”ti.

“Yā kāci kaṅkhā abhinandanā vā,

Anekadhātūsu puthū sadāsitā;

Aññāṇamūlappabhavā pajappitā,

Sabbā mayā byantikatā samūlikā.

Svāhaṁ akaṅkho asito anūpayo,

Sabbesu dhammesu visuddhadassano;

Pappuyya sambodhimanuttaraṁ sivaṁ,

Jhāyāmahaṁ brahma raho visārado”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Then several students, pupils of one of the Bhāradvāja brahmins, approached a forest grove while collecting firewood. They saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged at the root of a certain sal tree, his body set straight, and mindfulness established in his presence. Seeing this, they went up to Bhāradvāja and said to him,

“Please sir, you should know this.

In such and such a forest grove the ascetic Gotama is sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness established in his presence.”

Then Bhāradvāja together with those young students went to that forest grove

where he saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness established in his presence.

He went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

“Deep in the jungle so full of terrors,

you’ve plunged into the empty, desolate wilderness.

Still, steady, and graceful:

how beautifully you meditate, mendicant!

Where there is no song or music,

a lonely sage resorts to the wilderness.

This strikes me as an amazing thing,

that you dwell so joyfully alone in the jungle.

I suppose you wish to be reborn in the company

of the supreme world-sovereign of the Third Heaven.

Is that why you resort to the desolate wilderness,

to practice fervor for attaining divinity?”

“Any wishes and hopes that are always attached

to the many and various realms—

the yearnings sprung from the root of unknowing—

I’ve eliminated them all down to the root.

So I’m wishless, unattached, uninvolved;

amongst all things, my vision is clear.

I’ve attained the state of grace, the supreme awakening;

I meditate alone, brahmin, and self-assured.”

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja said to the Buddha,

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”