Kuddālajātaka
“The conquest.”—This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about the Elder named Cittahattha-Sariputta. He is said to have been a youth of a good family in Savatthi; and one day, on his way home from ploughing, he turned in to the monastery. Here he received from the bowl of a certain Elder some dainty fare, rich and sweet, which made him think to himself,—“Day and night I am toiling away with my hands at divers tasks, yet never do I taste food so sweet. I must turn Brother myself!” So he joined the Brotherhood, but after six weeks’ zealous application to high thinking, fell under the dominion of Lusts and off he went. His belly again proving too much for him, back he came to join the Brotherhood once more, and studied the Abhidhamma. In this way, six times he left and came back again; but when for the seventh time he became a Brother, he mastered the whole seven books of the Abhidhamma, and by much chanting of the Doctrine of the Brothers won Discernment and attained to Arahatship. Now his friends among the Brethren scoffed at him, saying—“Can it be, sir, that Lusts have ceased to spring up within your heart?”
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral
1.1PTS 1.313“Na taṁ jitaṁ sādhu jitaṁ,That victory is not a good victory11.2yaṁ jitaṁ avajīyati;which may be undone.21.3Taṁ kho jitaṁ sādhu jitaṁ,That victory is a good victory1.4yaṁ jitaṁ nāvajīyatī”ti.which may not be undone.
2.1Kuddālajātakaṁ dasamaṁ.
2.2Itthivaggo sattamo.
3.1Tassuddānaṁ
4.1Sikhīsabbaghasopi ca vīṇavaro,4.2Pisuṇā mittabhedikā nandī nadī;4.3Mudulakkhaṇa sodariyā ca mano,4.4Visa sādhujitena bhavanti dasāti.
A gardener goes forth as an ascetic, but can’t stop thinking about their favorite spade.
Compare Dhp 179.
