The WellUdapānasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Mallas together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants when he arrived at a brahmin town of the Mallas named Thūṇa.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena thūṇaṁ nāma mallānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tadavasari. The brahmins and householders of Thūṇa heard:Assosuṁ kho thūṇeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā: “It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—while wandering in the land of the Mallas has arrived at Thūṇa, together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants.”“samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ thūṇaṁ anuppatto”ti. They filled the well with grass and hay right to the top, thinking,(…) Udapānaṁ tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūresuṁ: “Don’t let these shavelings, these fake ascetics drink the water.”“mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū”ti.

And then the Buddha left the road, went to the root of a tree, and sat down on the seat spread out.Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma yena rukkhamūlaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. When he was seated he said to Venerable Ānanda:Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “Go on then, Ānanda, fetch me some water from that well.”“iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti.

When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Just now, sir, the brahmins and householders of Thūṇa filled the well with grass and hay right to the top, thinking,“idāni so, bhante, udapāno thūṇeyyakehi brāhmaṇagahapatikehi tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūrito: ‘Don’t let these shavelings, these fake ascetics drink the water.’”‘mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū’”ti.

For a second time …Dutiyampi kho …pe… For a third time, the Buddha said to Ānanda:tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “Go on then, Ānanda, fetch me some water from that well.”“iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti. “Yes, sir,” replied Ānanda. Taking his bowl he went to the well.“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā pattaṁ gahetvā yena so udapāno tenupasaṅkami. As he approached the well, all the grass and hay erupted out of the well-mouth. The water stood transparent, unclouded, and clear right up to the top, seeming to overflow.Atha kho so udapāno āyasmante ānande upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi.

Then Venerable Ānanda thought,Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi: “Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might!“acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. For when I approached this well, all the grass and hay erupted out of the well-mouth. The water stood transparent, unclouded, and clear right up to the top, seeming to overflow.”Ayañhi so udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe ṭhito”ti. Gathering a bowl of drinking water he went back to the Buddha, and said to him,Pattena pānīyaṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might!“acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. For when I approached that well, all the grass and hay erupted out of the well-mouth. The water stood transparent, unclouded, and clear right up to the top, seeming to overflow.Ayañhi so, bhante, udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi. Drink the water, Blessed One! Drink the water, Holy One!”Pivatu bhagavā pānīyaṁ, pivatu sugato pānīyan”ti.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“What difference would a well make“Kiṁ kayirā udapānena, if water is there all the time?Āpā ce sabbadā siyuṁ; Having cut off craving at the root,Taṇhāya mūlato chetvā, who would go out on a quest?”Kissa pariyesanaṁ care”ti.