Paccanīkasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena paccanīkasāto nāma brāhmaṇo sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati. Atha kho paccanīkasātassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi: “yannūnāhaṁ yena samaṇo gotamo tenupasaṅkameyyaṁ. Yaṁ yadeva samaṇo gotamo bhāsissati taṁ tadevassāhaṁ paccanīkāssan”ti. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā abbhokāse caṅkamati. Atha kho paccanīkasāto brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ caṅkamantaṁ etadavoca: “bhaṇa samaṇadhamman”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time a brahmin named Contraphile, who loved contradiction, was residing in Sāvatthī. Then Contraphile thought, “Why don’t I go to the ascetic Gotama and contradict everything he says?” At that time the Buddha was walking mindfully in the open air. Then the brahmin Contraphile went up to the Buddha, and said to him as he was walking, “Ascetic, preach the Dhamma.”

“Na paccanīkasātena, suvijānaṁ subhāsitaṁ; Upakkiliṭṭhacittena, sārambhabahulena ca.

“Fine words aren’t easy to understand by a lover of contradiction, whose mind is tainted and full of aggression.

Yo ca vineyya sārambhaṁ, appasādañca cetaso; Āghātaṁ paṭinissajja, sa ve jaññā subhāsitan”ti.

But when you’ve dispelled aggression, and your suspicious mind, and you’ve got rid of resentment, then you’ll understand fine words.”

Evaṁ vutte, paccanīkasāto brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

When he had spoken, the brahmin Contraphile said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”