Navakammikasutta
The Builder
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.
Tena kho pana samayena navakammikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe kammantaṁ kārāpeti.
Now at that time the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Builder was doing some building work in that jungle thicket.
Addasā kho navakammikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ sālarukkhamūle nisinnaṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
He saw the Buddha sitting down cross-legged at the root of a certain sal tree, his body set straight, and mindfulness established in his presence.
Disvānassa etadahosi:
Seeing this, it occurred to him,
“ahaṁ kho imasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe kammantaṁ kārāpento ramāmi.
“I enjoy doing this building work here in the jungle.
Ayaṁ samaṇo gotamo kiṁ kārāpento ramatī”ti?
I wonder what the ascetic Gotama enjoys doing?”
Atha kho navakammikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then Bhāradvāja the Builder went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:
“Ke nu kammantā karīyanti, “What kind of work do you do
bhikkhu sālavane tava; as a mendicant in the sal jungle?
Yadekako araññasmiṁ, How do you find enjoyment
ratiṁ vindati gotamo”ti. alone in the wilderness, Gotama?”
“Na me vanasmiṁ karaṇīyamatthi, “There’s nothing I need to do in the jungle;
Ucchinnamūlaṁ me vanaṁ visūkaṁ; my jungle’s cut down at the root, it’s withered away.
Svāhaṁ vane nibbanatho visallo, With jungle cleared and free of thorns,
Eko rame aratiṁ vippahāyā”ti. I enjoy being alone in the jungle,having given up discontent.”
Evaṁ vutte, navakammikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Builder said to the Buddha,
“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…
“Excellent, worthy Gotama …
upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
