At one time the Buddha was living in Magadha, just below the hills, near a brahman
village called Ekanala. At that time the brahman Kasibharadvaja had yoked together
a number of plows, for it was planting time.
The Buddha arose in the morning, and having dressed and taken up his bowl he
went up to where the brahman Kasibharadvaja was working. At that time the farmer
was feeding his workers. So the Buddha went up to where that feeding was taking
place and stood to one side.
Seeing the Buddha standing there for alms, the brahman Kasibharadvaja said this
to him: “I, recluse, plow and sow; and only after having plown and sown
do I eat. You too should plow and sow; and only after having plown and sown
should you eat.“
“I do indeed plow and sow, brahman.“ replied the Buddha, “And
only after having plown and sown do I eat.“
“But, Gotama, we do not see your yoke and plough, nor your ploughshare,
oxen or goad. And yet you say you plow and sow, and eat only after having plown
and sown!
And then the brahman Kasibharadvaja addressed the Buddha with this verse:
So you claim to be a farmer…
But we do not see you ploughing!
Tell me, since you’re asked, of ploughing,
So I’ll know what you call “ploughing“.
[The Buddha replies:]
Faith is the seed, practice the rain,
And wisdom is my yoke and plough.
Modesty’s the pole, mind the strap,
Mindfulness my ploughshare and goad.
Body and speech are guarded well,
And food and drink have been restrained.
Truthfulness I use for weeding,
And gentleness urges me on.
Effort is my beast of burden,
Pulling me onward to safety.
On it goes without returning,
Where, having gone, one does not grieve.
This is how I plough my ploughing—
The crop it yields is deathlessness!
And when one has ploughed this plouging,
One is released from all suffering.
Then the brahman Kasibharadvaja filled a large bronze bowl with food and offered
it to the Buddha: “Please eat, Gotama sir, this food! You are indeed a
farmer! Surely you plough the ploughing that yields the crop of deathlessness!”