ud1.8:0.1Heartfelt Sayings 1.8
ud1.8:0.2With Saṅgāmaji
ud1.8:1.1So I have heard.
ud1.8:1.2At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
ud1.8:1.3Now at that time Venerable Saṅgāmaji had arrived at Sāvatthī to see the Buddha.
ud1.8:1.4His former wife heard
ud1.8:1.5that he had arrived,
ud1.8:1.6and went to the Jetavana, taking their boy.
ud1.8:2.1Now at that time Venerable Saṅgāmaji was sitting at the root of a tree for the day’s meditation.
ud1.8:2.2Then his former wife went up to him and said,
ud1.8:2.3“Ascetic, please raise this little boy.”
ud1.8:2.4When she said this, Saṅgāmaji kept silent.
ud1.8:3.1For a second time she said,
ud1.8:3.2“Ascetic, please raise this little boy.”
ud1.8:3.3For a second time, Saṅgāmaji kept silent.
ud1.8:4.1For a third time she said,
ud1.8:4.2“Ascetic, please raise this little boy.”
ud1.8:4.3For a third time, Saṅgāmaji kept silent.
ud1.8:5.1Then she put down the boy in front of Saṅgāmaji, saying,
ud1.8:5.2“This is your child, ascetic. Please raise him.”
ud1.8:6.1But Saṅgāmaji neither looked at the boy nor spoke to him.
ud1.8:6.2Then his former wife went a little distance away. Looking back, she saw Saṅgāmaji ignoring the boy, and thought,
ud1.8:6.3“This ascetic doesn’t even want his child.”
ud1.8:6.4She returned to pick up the boy, then left.
ud1.8:6.5With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, the Buddha saw how Saṅgāmaji’s former wife went back for the child.
ud1.8:7.1Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
ud1.8:8.1“When she came he was not glad,
ud1.8:8.2when she left he did not grieve.
ud1.8:8.3Victorious in battle, freed from chains,
ud1.8:8.4that’s who I declare a brahmin.”