The Discourse about the Cowherd (UD4.3)

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was walking on walking tour amongst the Kosalans, together with a great Community of monks. Then the Gracious One, having gone down from the road, went to the root of a certain tree, and after going, he sat down on the prepared seat.

Then a certain cowherd went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side. While sitting on one side the Gracious One instructed, roused, enthused, and cheered that cowherd with a Dhamma talk.

Then that cowherd, having been instructed, roused, enthused, and cheered by the Gracious One with a Dhamma talk, said to the Gracious One: “May the Gracious One consent, reverend Sir, to me offering him a meal on the morrow, together with the Community of monks.”

The Gracious One consented by maintaining silence. Then that cowherd, having understood the Gracious One’s consent, after rising from his seat, worshipping and circumambulating the Gracious One, went away.

Then with the passing of that night, that cowherd, in his own residence, having had an abundance of rich milk-rice and fresh ghee made ready, announced the time to the Gracious One, saying: “It is time, reverend Sir, the meal is ready.”

Then the Gracious One, having dressed in the morning time, after picking up his bowl and robe, together with the Community of monks, went to that cowherd’s residence, and after going, he sat down on the prepared seat. Then that cowherd with his own hand, served and satisfied the Community of monks with the Buddha at its head with rich milk-rice and fresh ghee.

Then that cowherd, when the Gracious One had eaten and washed his hand and bowl, having taken a low seat, sat down on one side. While sat on one side the Gracious One, after instructing, rousing, enthusing, and cheering that cowherd with a Dhamma talk, having risen from the seat, went away.

Then not long after the Gracious One had gone, while between the boundaries of the villages, a certain man deprived that cowherd of life. Then many monks went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side. While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

“Today, reverend Sir, the Community of monks with the Buddha at its head, was served and satisfied by a cowherd with rich milk-rice and fresh ghee, now it seems that cowherd, reverend Sir, while between the boundaries of the villages, was deprived of life by a certain man.

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy, or a foe to a foe, A wrongly directed mind may do more harm to him than that.”

Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti from the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka text. Version 2.2, revised February 2008.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.