At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

The brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude heard a rumor that Assosi kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo: a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan had gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama. Angry and displeased he went to the Buddha and abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words. When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him: “bhāradvājagotto kira brāhmaṇo samaṇassa gotamassa santike agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito”ti kupito anattamano yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati. Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā akkosakabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:

“What do you think, brahmin? “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, Do friends and colleagues, relatives and kin, and guests still come to visit you?” api nu kho te āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti?

“Sometimes they do, worthy Gotama.” “Appekadā me, bho gotama, āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti.

“Do you then serve them with fresh and cooked foods and savories?” “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, api nu tesaṁ anuppadesi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti?

“Sometimes I do.” “Appekadā nesāhaṁ, bho gotama, anuppademi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti.

“But if they don’t accept it, brahmin, who does it belong to?” “Sace kho pana te, brāhmaṇa, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, kassa taṁ hotī”ti?

“In that case it still belongs to me.” “Sace te, bho gotama, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, amhākameva taṁ hotī”ti.

“In the same way, brahmin, when you abuse, harass, and attack us who do not abuse, harass, and attack, we don’t accept it. “Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, yaṁ tvaṁ amhe anakkosante akkosasi, arosente rosesi, abhaṇḍante bhaṇḍasi, taṁ te mayaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāma. It still belongs to you, brahmin, Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; it still belongs to you! tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti.

Someone who, when abused, harassed, and attacked, abuses, harasses, and attacks in return is said to eat the food and have a reaction to it. Yo kho, brāhmaṇa, akkosantaṁ paccakkosati, rosentaṁ paṭiroseti, bhaṇḍantaṁ paṭibhaṇḍati, ayaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, sambhuñjati vītiharatīti. But we neither eat your food nor do we have a reaction to it. Te mayaṁ tayā neva sambhuñjāma na vītiharāma. It still belongs to you, brahmin, Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; it still belongs to you!” tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hotī”ti.

“The king and his retinue believe of the worthy Gotama, “Bhavantaṁ kho gotamaṁ sarājikā parisā evaṁ jānāti: ‘the ascetic Gotama is a perfected one’. ‘arahaṁ samaṇo gotamo’ti. And yet he still gets angry.” Atha ca pana bhavaṁ gotamo kujjhatī”ti.

“Whence anger for one free of anger, “Akkodhassa kuto kodho, tamed, living justly, dantassa samajīvino; freed by right knowledge, Sammadaññā vimuttassa, peaceful and unaffected? upasantassa tādino.

When you get angry at an angry person Tasseva tena pāpiyo, you just make things worse for yourself. yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati; When you don’t get angry at an angry person Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto, you win a battle hard to win. saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ.

When you know that the other is angry, Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati, you act for the good of both attano ca parassa ca; yourself and the other Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā, if you’re mindful and stay calm. yo sato upasammati.

People unfamiliar with the teaching Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ, consider one who heals both attano ca parassa ca; oneself and the other Janā maññanti bāloti, to be a fool.” ye dhammassa akovidā”ti.

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja the Rude said to the Buddha, Evaṁ vutte, akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Excellent, worthy Gotama! … “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. esāhaṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the worthy Gotama’s presence?” Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.

And the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Alattha kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja the Rude, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. Acirūpasampanno kho panāyasmā akkosakabhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” “Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected. Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.