When the Buddha was traveling through Saraniya forest in the kingdom of Kasala, there lived a Brahmin nearby who practiced asceticism with his five hundred followers. This Brahmin often thought to himself, “If the Buddha comes to visit here, I shall seek his guidance on the questions I have regarding my practice.”
One day, the Brahmin sent his disciples to gather firewood in preparation for a ritual offering to the fire deity. When they entered the Saraniya forest, they saw the Buddha sitting underneath a tree. He looked serene and shone like a radiant palace built with gold. The ascetics rushed back to tell their teacher: “Master, the World Honored One is sitting nearby! If you would like to pay homage to him, now is the time.” Hearing this, the Brahmin left immediately to seek the Buddha.
The Brahmin asked the Buddha, “The forest is dense and deep. Many people are afraid to enter here. How does the World Honored One meditate alone without experiencing fear? There is no music to enjoy here, why do you prefer to live and practice in solitude? Why not seek to become a benevolent ruler of the world, like the great Brahma King, or the ruler of the celestial realm, like the King of Devas? What exactly are you pursuing?”
The Buddha replied, “Those who have attachments and cravings experience various doubts and confusion in their hearts. They become attached to many things throughout boundless realms. All afflictions are rooted in ignorance. I’ve eradicated the root of ignorance, severed the knots of afflictions, and therefore have neither expectations nor desires, nor do I seek flattery or flatter others. I’ve attained supreme enlightenment and effortlessly practice all good and pure deeds.”
After listening to the Buddha’s talk, the Brahmin said sincerely, “Today, I wholeheartedly pay homage to and take refuge in Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha has attained great effortless freedom in all the meditative states and has realized unsurpassed enlightenment. He is indeed the most revered and esteemed in the heavenly and earthly realms. He is adorned with the thirty-two physical marks and noble, majestic features, like the king of the snowy mountains. The World Honored One has attained liberation in the deep forest, yet remains unattached to this freedom. He abides in the mindfulness of non-arising and non-ceasing and has eradicated all afflictions like extracting a poisonous arrow. The unsurpassed and sublime Dharma proclaimed by the World Honored One is the foremost among all wisdom. Like a lion’s roar, the Four Noble Truths awaken and guide all sentient beings to enlightenment. Not only has he transcended the cyclical suffering of birth and death, but also liberates other sentient beings from suffering, delivering them to pure joy. With this fortunate encounter, I take refuge in the Tathagata. The World Honored One is the only one who can liberate all sentient beings from the cycle of samsara and guide them to the shores of nirvana.”
Having sincerely praised the Buddha, the Brahmin departed with a heart full of joy.
REFLECTION
The Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teaching states: “People with many desires, because they seek personal gain, experience more afflictions. People with few desires, because they have no seeking or craving, do not have such troubles.” If you have desires or cravings in your heart, it is easy to be driven by external situations. Therefore, practitioners should see through their attachments and delusive thoughts with wisdom. By doing so, they can return to their true nature, navigate all situations with ease, and reach a state of clarity and intrinsic freedom.