The Discourse on Abusive Speech At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Ground. The brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja heard, “It seems that a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan has gone forth from home into homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama.” Angry and displeased, he went to where the Blessed One was; having approached, he abused and reviled the Blessed One with harsh, rude words. When this was said, the Blessed One said to the brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja: “What do you think, brahmin, do your friends, companions, relatives, kin, and guests sometimes come to you?” “Sometimes, good Gotama, my friends, companions, relatives, kin, and guests do come to me.” “What do you think, brahmin, do you sometimes provide them with chewable food, edible food, or lickable food?” “Sometimes, good Gotama, I do provide them with chewable food, edible food, or lickable food.” “If, brahmin, they do not accept it, whose does that food become?” “If, good Gotama, they do not accept it, it remains ours.” “Even so, brahmin, what you abuse us with, who do not abuse; what you provoke us with, who do not provoke; what you revile us with, who do not revile—that we do not accept. It remains yours, brahmin; it remains yours, brahmin.” “Indeed, brahmin, one who abuses an abuser, provokes a provoker, reviles a reviler—such a one is said to eat together and share together. We neither eat together nor share together with you. It remains yours, brahmin; it remains yours, brahmin.” “The assembly, together with the king, knows the good Gotama thus: ‘The ascetic Gotama is an Arahant.’ Yet the good Gotama gets angry.” “How can there be anger for one without anger, for one who is restrained, living righteously, released by perfect knowledge, peaceful, steadfast? It is worse for him who retaliates to an angry man; one who does not retaliate to an angry man conquers a battle hard to conquer. He acts for the welfare of both, of himself and of the other, who, knowing the other to be angry, remains mindful and calm. People think them fools who do not understand the Dhamma, those who heal both, himself and the other.” When this was said, the brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, good Gotama… I go for refuge to the good Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. May I receive the going forth in the presence of the good Gotama, may I receive the full ordination.” And the brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One; he received the full ordination. Not long after his full ordination, Venerable Akkosaka Bhāradvāja, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, in no long time, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, here and now entered upon and abode in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness. He directly knew: “Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the Arahants. The Buddha's words
