sutta » sn » sn7 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 7.18

Kaṭṭhahārasutta

Collecting Firewood The Wood Gatherers

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kosalans in a certain woodland thicket.

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:
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,
Now on that occasion a number of brahmin boys, students of a certain brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan, approached that woodland thicket while collecting firewood. Having approached, they saw the Blessed One sitting in that woodland thicket with his legs folded crosswise, holding his body erect, having set up mindfulness in front of him. Having seen him, they approached the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan and said to him:

“yagghe bhavaṁ jāneyyāsi.
“Please sir, you should know this.
“See now, master,

Asukasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe samaṇo nisinno pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā”.
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.”
you should know that in such and such a woodland thicket an ascetic is sitting with his legs folded crosswise,

Atha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ yena so vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami.
Then Bhāradvāja together with those young students went to that forest grove
Then the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan, together with those brahmin boys, went to that woodland thicket.

Addasā kho bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
where he saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness established in his presence.
He saw the Blessed One sitting there … having set up mindfulness in front of him.

Disvāna yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
He went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
He then approached the Blessed One and addressed him in verse:

“Gambhīrarūpe bahubherave vane,
“Deep in the jungle so full of terrors,
Deep in the woods where many terrors lurk,

Suññaṁ araññaṁ vijanaṁ vigāhiya;
you’ve plunged into the empty, desolate wilderness.
Having entered the empty, desolate forest,

Aniñjamānena ṭhitena vaggunā,
Still, steady, and graceful:
With a motionless body, steady, lovely,

Sucārurūpaṁ vata bhikkhu jhāyasi.
how beautifully you meditate, mendicant!
How you meditate, bhikkhu, so beautifully!

Na yattha gītaṁ napi yattha vāditaṁ,
Where there is no song or music,
In the forest where no song or music sounds,

Eko araññe vanavassito muni;
a lonely sage resorts to the wilderness.
A solitary sage has resorted to the woods!

Accherarūpaṁ paṭibhāti maṁ idaṁ,
This strikes me as an amazing thing,
This strikes me as a wonder—that you dwell

Yadekako pītimano vane vase.
that you dwell so joyfully alone in the jungle.
With joyful mind alone in the woods.

Maññāmahaṁ lokādhipatisahabyataṁ,
I suppose you wish to be reborn in the company
The company of the world’s divine lord,

Ākaṅkhamāno tidivaṁ anuttaraṁ;
of the supreme sovereign <j>of the heaven of the Three and Thirty.
I suppose you desire the supreme triple heaven,

Kasmā bhavaṁ vijanamaraññamassito,
Is that why you resort to the desolate wilderness,
Therefore you resort to the desolate forest:

Tapo idha kubbasi brahmapattiyā”ti.
to practice fervor for attaining divinity?”
You practise penance here for attaining Brahmā.

“Yā kāci kaṅkhā abhinandanā vā,
“Any wishes and hopes that are always attached
Whatever be the many desires and delights

Anekadhātūsu puthū sadāsitā;
to the many and various realms—
That are always attached to the manifold elements,

Aññāṇamūlappabhavā pajappitā,
the yearnings sprung from the root of unknowing—
The longings sprung from the root of unknowing:

Sabbā mayā byantikatā samūlikā.
I’ve eliminated them all down to the root.
All I have demolished along with their root.

Svāhaṁ akaṅkho asito anūpayo,
So I’m wishless, unattached, disengaged;
I am desireless, unattached, disengaged;

Sabbesu dhammesu visuddhadassano;
amongst all things, my vision is clear.
My vision of all things has been purified.

Pappuyya sambodhimanuttaraṁ sivaṁ,
I’ve attained the state of grace, <j>the supreme awakening;
Having attained the auspicious—supreme enlightenment—

Jhāyāmahaṁ brahma raho visārado”ti.
I meditate alone, brahmin, and self-assured.”
Self-confident, brahmin, I meditate alone.

Evaṁ vutte, bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja said to the Buddha,
When this was said, the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan said to the Blessed One:

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…
“Excellent, Mister Gotama! Excellent! …
Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent,

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From this day forth, may Mister Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
Let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.