When hostile brahmins block a well with chaff to prevent the Saṅgha from drinking, the water miraculously clears for the Buddha.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena thūṇaṁ nāma mallānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tadavasari. Assosuṁ kho thūṇeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā: “samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ thūṇaṁ anuppatto”ti. Udapānaṁ tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūresuṁ: “mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū”ti.
At one time, the Blessed One was on a walking tour, wandering in the lands of the Mallans with a large |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus, and eventually he arrived at a brahmin town of the Mallas named Thūṇa. The brahmin householders of Thūṇa heard: “The ascetic Gotama, the Sakyan son who went forth from a Sakyan clan, has arrived at Thūṇa while wandering among the Mallas with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus.” They filled the well with grass and chaff right up to the brim, thinking: “Don’t let these shavelings, these worthless ascetics drink the water.”
Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma yena rukkhamūlaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti.
Then, the Blessed One stepped off the road and approached the foot of a certain tree. Having drawn near, he sat down on the seat that had been prepared. As he was sitting, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “Go, Ānanda, fetch me drinking water from that well.”
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idāni so, bhante, udapāno thūṇeyyakehi brāhmaṇagahapatikehi tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūrito: ‘mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū’”ti.
When this was said, venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Just now, venerable sir, the brahmin householders of Thūṇa filled that well with grass and chaff right up to the brim, thinking: ‘Don’t let these shavelings, these worthless ascetics drink the water.’”
Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā pattaṁ gahetvā yena so udapāno tenupasaṅkami. Atha kho so udapāno āyasmante ānande upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi.
A second time and a third time the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “Go, Ānanda, fetch me drinking water from that well.” “Yes, venerable sir,” the venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One. Taking his bowl, he went to the well. Then, as the venerable Ānanda was approaching, that well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing.
Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi: “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Ayañhi so udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe ṭhito”ti. Pattena pānīyaṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Ayañhi so, bhante, udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi. Pivatu bhagavā pānīyaṁ, pivatu sugato pānīyan”ti.
Then it occurred to the venerable Ānanda: “Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvelous! The great supernormal power and great might of the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|! For as I was approaching, this well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing.” Taking drinking water in his bowl, he approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he said to the Blessed One: “It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is marvelous, venerable sir! The great supernormal power and great might of the Tathāgata! For as I was approaching, venerable sir, this well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing. Let the Blessed One drink the water, let the Accomplished One drink the water.”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Kiṁ kayirā udapānena,
Āpā ce sabbadā siyuṁ;
Taṇhāya mūlato chetvā,
Kissa pariyesanaṁ care”ti.
“What would one do with a well,
if waters were always there?
Having cut |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| at the root,
why would one wander |seeking::searching for [pariyesanaṁ]| [anything]?”
At one time, the Blessed One was on a walking tour, wandering in the lands of the Mallans with a large |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus, and eventually he arrived at a brahmin town of the Mallas named Thūṇa. The brahmin householders of Thūṇa heard: “The ascetic Gotama, the Sakyan son who went forth from a Sakyan clan, has arrived at Thūṇa while wandering among the Mallas with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus.” They filled the well with grass and chaff right up to the brim, thinking: “Don’t let these shavelings, these worthless ascetics drink the water.”
Then, the Blessed One stepped off the road and approached the foot of a certain tree. Having drawn near, he sat down on the seat that had been prepared. As he was sitting, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “Go, Ānanda, fetch me drinking water from that well.”
When this was said, venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Just now, venerable sir, the brahmin householders of Thūṇa filled that well with grass and chaff right up to the brim, thinking: ‘Don’t let these shavelings, these worthless ascetics drink the water.’”
A second time and a third time the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “Go, Ānanda, fetch me drinking water from that well.” “Yes, venerable sir,” the venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One. Taking his bowl, he went to the well. Then, as the venerable Ānanda was approaching, that well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing.
Then it occurred to the venerable Ānanda: “Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvelous! The great supernormal power and great might of the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|! For as I was approaching, this well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing.” Taking drinking water in his bowl, he approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he said to the Blessed One: “It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is marvelous, venerable sir! The great supernormal power and great might of the Tathāgata! For as I was approaching, venerable sir, this well spewed out all that grass and chaff from its mouth, and stood filled to the brim with clear, undisturbed, pure water, as if overflowing. Let the Blessed One drink the water, let the Accomplished One drink the water.”
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“What would one do with a well,
if waters were always there?
Having cut |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| at the root,
why would one wander |seeking::searching for [pariyesanaṁ]| [anything]?”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena thūṇaṁ nāma mallānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tadavasari. Assosuṁ kho thūṇeyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā: “samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ thūṇaṁ anuppatto”ti. Udapānaṁ tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūresuṁ: “mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma yena rukkhamūlaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idāni so, bhante, udapāno thūṇeyyakehi brāhmaṇagahapatikehi tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato pūrito: ‘mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū’”ti.
Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “iṅgha me tvaṁ, ānanda, etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā pattaṁ gahetvā yena so udapāno tenupasaṅkami. Atha kho so udapāno āyasmante ānande upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi.
Atha kho āyasmato ānandassa etadahosi: “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Ayañhi so udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe ṭhito”ti. Pattena pānīyaṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante, tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Ayañhi so, bhante, udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañca bhusañca mukhato ovamitvā acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa yāva mukhato pūrito vissandanto maññe aṭṭhāsi. Pivatu bhagavā pānīyaṁ, pivatu sugato pānīyan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Kiṁ kayirā udapānena,
Āpā ce sabbadā siyuṁ;
Taṇhāya mūlato chetvā,
Kissa pariyesanaṁ care”ti.