Monday 10 February 2014

Brahmins of the Bharadvaja clan

Brahmins of the Bharadvaja clan
University of Delhi

By Ven. K. Dhamminda
2013-04-15










The Brahmin Bharadvaja:
Cutting up what, does someone sleep well and cutting up what does one not grieve?
The destruction of what one thing, is Gotama attached to?
The Buddha:
Cutting up anger one sleeps well. Cutting up anger one does not grieve
Brahmin, the noble ones praise the destruction of the poisonous root
And the sweet top of, anger. Cutting that there is no grief.

            Then the Brahmin Akkosa Bharadvaja, angry and displeased approached the Blessed One, and with rude, rough words scolded and reviled the Blessed One.
The Buddha:
To the non-angry, tamed one, living without ups and starts, there's no anger.
He is appeased and released, rightly knowing
So also it is demerit to arouse someone, who has aroused you
He that does not arouse someone in return has won a difficult battle.
He behaves for his own good and the good of the other
Knowing that someone is angry, if you appease yourself mindfully,
You heal both yourself and the other
Those not clever in the Teaching, think they are foolish.

          Then the Brahmin Asurinda Bharadvaja, angry and displeased approached the Blessed One, and with rude, rough words scolded and reviled the Blessed One.
The Buddha:
The foolish think it is victory to talk rough words.
Victory is to him, who heals the mind, knowing it.
So also it is demerit to arouse someone, who has aroused you
He that does not arouse someone in return has won a difficult battle.
He behaves for his own good and the good of the other
Knowing that someone is angry, if you appease yourself mindfully,
You heal both yourself and the other
Those not clever in the Teaching, think they are foolish,

              Then the Brahmin Bilangika Bharadvaja, angry and displeased approached the Blessed One, stood on a side and kept silence

The Buddha:

If someone thinks polluted thoughts
About a pure man without blemish
By that the foolish one cooks evil for himself,
As though throwing, fine dust against the wind.

               The Brahmin Ahinsaka Bharadvaja said to the Blessed One: Good Gotama, I do not hurt anyone.
The Buddha:
As your name is not hurting, live up it. Good that you are not hurtful.
If someone does not hurt by the body, words or the mind,
He is not hurtful. He does not hurt others.

The Brahmin Jaña Bharadvaja said a stanza to the Blessed One:

The internal and the external are entangled, the people are entangled,
I ask Gotama, who will disentangle this knot?

The Buddha:

A wise man established in virtues, develops his mind and wisdom,
If clever and zealous to dispel, he disentangles the knot.
With the fading of greed, anger and ignorance,
The worthy one, destroying desires disentangles the knot.
Whenever name and matter is destroyed and there is nothing,
Of anger and perceptions of matter, then the knot is cut.

           The Brahmin Suddhika Bharadvaja said a stanza in the presence of the Blessed One:

A Brahmin did not get purity in the world in any way,
Not through virtues, doing austerities or with knowledge and conduct.
`He' purifies him, not the rest of the people.

The Buddha:

However much nonsense is muttered, a Brahmin is not by birth,
Internally he is soiled and deceitful. A warrior, Brahmin, a householder,
A slave, an outcaste or working class man, if be with aroused effort to dispel
And be ever zealous to make endeavor, Brahmin, he attains to highest purity.

            The Brahmin Aggika Bharadvaja said this stanza to the Blessed One:

You, endowed with the threefold knowledge, of good birth and much learning
Endowed with knowledge and conduct, is suitable to partake the sacrificial porridge.

The Buddha:

However much nonsense is muttered, a Brahmin is not by birth,
Internally he is soiled and full of deceit.
He knows previous births and sees heaven and hell
The sage has destroyed birth and is versed in knowledge.
With this threefold knowledge a Brahmin is born.
Endowed with knowledge and conduct, he offers me the sacrificial porridge.

Good Gotama, you are a Brahmin. Partake the porridge.

Look bramin, it is not suitable, that I should partake food reciting stanzas.

Enlightened Ones do not push along reciting stanzas.
It is becoming mindful of the right thing.
Offer the eatables and drinks to a perfect sage.
Who has destroyed his desires and appeased his doubts
It will be a field of merit for those who desire merit.

          The Brahmin Sundarika Bharadvaja approached the Blessed One and asked: What is the birth of the good one?

Do not question the birth, question the conduct.
Indeed fire burns sticks. From low clans too there are wise sages
Thoroughbreds are born, restrained by shame.
Tamed by the truth and endowed with the taming,
Attaining knowledge, they live the holy life.
The sacrificial cake was brought, make the offering,
At the right time, there will be someone to accept it.

Sundarika:

Here my good intention becomes complete,
That we see some learned one like you
Not meeting someone like you, we offer the sacrificial cake to others
Good Gotama, you are a Brahmin. Partake the porridge.

The Buddha:

Look, bramin, it is not suitable, that I should partake food reciting stanzas.

Enlightened Ones do not push along reciting stanzas.
It is becoming mindful of the right thing.
Offer the eatables and drinks to a perfect sage.
Who has destroyed desires and appeased doubts
It will be a field of merit for those who desire merit.

             The Brahmin Kasi Bhàradvàja seeing the Blessed One standing for alms said: Recluse, I plough, sow and then partake food. Recluse, you too plough, sow and then partake food.

Brahmin, I too plough, sow and then partake food

We do not see good Gotama's yoke, or plough or ploughshare or goad or buffaloes, yet good Gotama says Brahmin I plough, sow and then partake food.

Then the Brahmin Kasi Bhàradvàja said these stanzas to the Blessed One:

We know the farmer well; we do not see him plough,
Farmer, we ask you, how do you plough?

The Buddha:

Faith the seeds, austerities the rain, wisdom is my yoke and plough,
Shame is the pole, mind is the reins, mindfulness, is my ploughshare and goad
Protected bodily and verbally, I partake, the needful food.
Truthfully I do a mowing, forbearance is my release.
Effort is my bearing the load and I pull the yoke up to appeasement.
I go non-stop, gone there, it's without grief
With this farming the fruits are deathlessness.
Doing this farming, one is released from all unpleasantness.

Kasi:

Good Gotama, partake. Good Gotama is a farmer.
Good Gotama ploughs, to cultivate the fruit of deathlessness.

The Buddha:

Look bramin, it is not suitable, that I should partake food reciting stanzas.
Enlightened Ones do not push along reciting stanzas.
It is becoming mindful of the right thing.
Offer the eatables and drinks to a perfect sage.
Who has destroyed desires and appeased doubts
It will be a field of merit for those who desire merit.

                    The Brahmin Udaya[1] filled the Blessed One's bowl with rice and said: It is annoying the recluse Gotama comes again and again.

The buddha:

Again and again the seeds are sown. Again and again the rain comes down.
Again and again the farmers till the field
Again and again food is provided for the country.
Again and again the benevolent give.
Again and again the benevolent giving gifts,
Again and again they procure a place in heaven.
Again and again the cows are milked.
Again and again the calf goes to its mother.
Again and again one tires and throbs.
Again and again the fool enters the womb.
Again and again someone is born and dies.
Again and again someone is carried to the grave.
Gaining the path some are not born again
The wise are not born again and again.

                               May all beings be happy and helth




[1] This Brahmin Udaya did not belong to the Baradvaja clan

1 comment:

  1. This is one Brahamin clan among the Brahmin clans...........

    ReplyDelete