Saṁyutta Nikāya 7.2

The Related Suttas Collection 7.2

1. Arahantavagga

1. The Perfected Ones

Akkosasutta

The Abuser

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Assosi kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo: “bhāradvājagotto kira brāhmaṇo samaṇassa gotamassa santike agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito”ti kupito anattamano yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati. Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā akkosakabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

The brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude heard a rumor that a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan had gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama. Angry and displeased he went to the Buddha and abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words. When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him:

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, api nu kho te āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti?

“What do you think, brahmin? Do friends and colleagues, relatives and family members, and guests still come to visit you?”

“Appekadā me, bho gotama, āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti.

“Sometimes they do, Master Gotama.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, api nu tesaṁ anuppadesi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti?

“Do you then serve them with fresh and cooked foods and savories?”

“Appekadā nesāhaṁ, bho gotama, anuppademi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti.

“Sometimes I do.”

“Sace kho pana te, brāhmaṇa, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, kassa taṁ hotī”ti?

“But if they don’t accept it, brahmin, who does it belong to?”

“Sace te, bho gotama, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, amhākameva taṁ hotī”ti.

“In that case it still belongs to me.”

“Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, yaṁ tvaṁ amhe anakkosante akkosasi, arosente rosesi, abhaṇḍante bhaṇḍasi, taṁ te mayaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāma. Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti.

“In the same way, brahmin, when you abuse, harass, and attack us who do not abuse, harass, and attack, we don’t accept it. It still belongs to you, brahmin, it still belongs to you!

Yo kho, brāhmaṇa, akkosantaṁ paccakkosati, rosentaṁ paṭiroseti, bhaṇḍantaṁ paṭibhaṇḍati, ayaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, sambhuñjati vītiharatīti. Te mayaṁ tayā neva sambhuñjāma na vītiharāma. Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hotī”ti.

Someone who, when abused, harassed, and attacked, abuses, harasses, and attacks in return is said to eat the food and have a reaction to it. But we neither eat your food nor do we have a reaction to it. It still belongs to you, brahmin, it still belongs to you!”

“Bhavantaṁ kho gotamaṁ sarājikā parisā evaṁ jānāti: ‘arahaṁ samaṇo gotamo’ti. Atha ca pana bhavaṁ gotamo kujjhatī”ti.

“The king and his retinue believe that Master Gotama is a perfected one. And yet he still gets angry.”

“Akkodhassa kuto kodho, dantassa samajīvino; Sammadaññā vimuttassa, upasantassa tādino.

“For one free of anger, tamed, living in balance, freed by right knowledge, a poised one who is at peace: where would anger come from?

Tasseva tena pāpiyo, yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati; Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto, saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ.

When you get angry at an angry person you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win.

Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati, attano ca parassa ca; Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā, yo sato upasammati.

When you know that the other is angry, you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm.

Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ, attano ca parassa ca; Janā maññanti bāloti, ye dhammassa akovidā”ti.

People unfamiliar with the teaching consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.”

Evaṁ vutte, akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja the Rude said to the Buddha, “Excellent, Master Gotama! … I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the teaching, and to the bhikkhu Saṅgha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the ascetic Gotama’s presence?”

Alattha kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno kho panāyasmā akkosakabhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

And the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja the Rude, 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.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.