Once upon a time when Brahamadatta was reigning in Benares, there was a landowner and he had a son, namely Sujata. The Bodhisatta came to life as the son of Sujata. And they called him young Sujata. When he was grown up, his grand father died. Then his father from the day of the old mans death was filled with sorrow, and taking his bones from the place of cremation he erected an earth-mound in his pleasure-garden, and depositing the remains there, whenever he visited the place, adorned it with flowers and studiously lamented, neither bathing nor eating. Neither did he attend to his business. The Bodhisatta, on observing this, thought, “My father ever since the death of my grandfather goes about overwhelmed with grief. And no one, I am sure, except myself has power to console him. I will find a way to deliver him from his sorrow.”

So seeing a dead ox lying outside the city, he brought grass and water and placing them before it said, “Eat and drink, eat and drink.” All that passed by on seeing this said, “Friend Young Sujata! are you mad? Do you offer grass and water to a dead ox?” But he answered not a word.

So they went to his father and said, “Your son has become mad. He is giving grass and water to a dead ox.” On hearing this Sujata ceased to grieve for his father, and began to grieve for his son. And he went and cried, “My dear young Sujata! are you not in your sober senses? Why do you offer grass and water to the carcase of an ox?” And he spoke to the Bodhisatta:–

Why haste to bring thy new-mown grass so sweet,

And cry to lifeless beast, ‘Arise and eat’?

No food may raise to life an ox that’s dead,

Thy words are idle and of folly bred.

Then the Bodhisatta said:–

Methinks this beast may come to life again,

Both head and tail and its four feet remain.

But of my grandfather head and limbs are gone:

No fool weeps o’er his grave, but thou alone.

On hearing this the father of the Bodhisatta thought: “My son is wise. He knows the right thing to be done both for this world and for the next. He did this to console me.” And he said, “My dear and wise son Sujata! it is known to me that all existing things are impermanent. Hence I will not grieve. Such a son as this must be every one that would remove a father’s grief.” And singing the praises of his son he said:–

As ghee-fed flame that blazes out a main

Is quenched with water, so he quenched my pain.

With sorrow’s shaft my heart was wounded sore,

He healed the wound and did my life restore.

The barb extracted, full of peace and joy.

I cease to grieve and hearken to my boy.

Thus kindly souls wean mortals from their grief,

As wise Sujata brought his sir relief.
The Master having ended his discourse revealed the Truths and identified the Birth: – At the conclusion of the Truths the landowner attained fruition of the First Path: – “At that time I myself was Sujata.”