Collecting FirewoodKaṭṭhahārasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

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 brought to the present. Seeing this, they went up to Bhāradvāja and said to him,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: “Please sir, you should know this.“yagghe bhavaṁ jāneyyāsi. In such-and-such forest grove the ascetic Gotama is sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness brought to the present.”Asukasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe samaṇo nisinno pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā”.

Then Bhāradvāja together with those young students went to that forest groveAtha kho bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo tehi māṇavakehi saddhiṁ yena so vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami. where he saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged, his body set straight, and mindfulness brought to the present.Addasā kho bhagavantaṁ tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

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

“Deep in the jungle so full of terrors,“Gambhīrarūpe bahubherave vane, you’ve plunged into the empty, desolate wilderness.Suññaṁ araññaṁ vijanaṁ vigāhiya; Still, steady, and graceful:Aniñjamānena ṭhitena vaggunā, how beautifully you meditate, mendicant!Sucārurūpaṁ vata bhikkhu jhāyasi.

Where there is no song or music,Na yattha gītaṁ napi yattha vāditaṁ, a lonely sage resorts to the wilderness.Eko araññe vanavassito muni; This strikes me as an amazing thing,Accherarūpaṁ paṭibhāti maṁ idaṁ, that you dwell so joyfully alone in the jungle.Yadekako pītimano vane vase.

I suppose you wish to be reborn in the companyMaññāmahaṁ lokādhipatisahabyataṁ, of the supreme world-sovereign of the Third Heaven.Ākaṅkhamāno tidivaṁ anuttaraṁ; Is that why you resort to the desolate wilderness,Kasmā bhavaṁ vijanamaraññamassito, to practice fervor for attaining divinity?”Tapo idha kubbasi brahmapattiyā”ti.

“Any wishes and hopes that are always attached“Yā kāci kaṅkhā abhinandanā vā, to the many and various realms—Anekadhātūsu puthū sadāsitā; the prayers sprung from the root of unknowing—Aññāṇamūlappabhavā pajappitā, I’ve eliminated them all down to the root.Sabbā mayā byantikatā samūlikā.

So I’m wishless, unattached, uninvolved;Svāhaṁ akaṅkho asito anūpayo, amongst all things, my vision is clear.Sabbesu dhammesu visuddhadassano; I’ve attained the state of grace, <j>the supreme awakening;Pappuyya sambodhimanuttaraṁ sivaṁ, I meditate alone, brahmin, and self-assured.”Jhāyāmahaṁ brahma raho visārado”ti.

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, bhāradvājagotto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.