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LESSON 241

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Bahiya Sutta: About Bahiya

I have heard that on one
occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta’s
Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Now at that time Bahiya of the Bark-cloth was living in Supparaka
by the seashore. He was worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage —
a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medical requisites for the sick.
Then, when he was alone in seclusion, this line of thinking arose to his
awareness: “Now, of those who in this world are arahants or have entered
the path of arahantship, am I one?”

Then a devata who had once
been a blood relative of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth — compassionate, desiring his
welfare, knowing with her own awareness the line of thinking that had arisen in
his awareness — went to where he was staying and on arrival said to him:
“You, Bahiya, are neither an arahant nor have you entered the path of arahantship.
You don’t even have the practice whereby you would become an arahant or enter
the path of arahantship.”

“But who, living in this
world with its devas, is an arahant or has entered the path to
arahantship?”

“Bahiya, there is a city
in the northern country named Savatthi. The Blessed One — an arahant, rightly
self-awakened — is living there now. He is truly an arahant and he teaches the
Dhamma that leads to arahantship. “

Then Bahiya, deeply chastened
by the devata, left Supparaka right then and, in the space of one day and
night, went all the way to where the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in
Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. At that time, a large number of monks
were doing walking meditation in the open air. He went to them and, on arrival,
said, “Where, venerable sirs, is the Blessed One staying — the arahant,
right self-awakened? We want to see him.”

“He has gone into the
town for alms.”

Then Bahiya, hurriedly leaving
Jeta’s Grove and entering Savatthi, saw the Blessed One going for alms in
Savatthi — calm, calming, his senses at peace, his mind at peace, tranquil and
poised in the ultimate sense, accomplished, trained, guarded, his senses
restrained, a Great One (naga). Seeing him, he approached the
Blessed One and, on reaching him, threw himself down, with his head at the
Blessed One’s feet, and said, “Teach me the Dhamma, O Blessed One! Teach
me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be for my long-term welfare and
bliss.”

When this was said, the
Blessed One said to him: “This is not the time, Bahiya. We have entered
the town for alms.”

A second time, Bahiya said to
the Blessed One: “But it is hard to know for sure what dangers there may
be for the Blessed One’s life, or what dangers there may be for mine. Teach me
the Dhamma, O Blessed One! Teach me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be
for my long-term welfare and bliss.”

A second time, the Blessed One
said to him: “This is not the time, Bahiya. We have entered the town for
alms.”

A third time, Bahiya said to
the Blessed One: “But it is hard to know for sure what dangers there may
be for the Blessed One’s life, or what dangers there may be for mine. Teach me
the Dhamma, O Blessed One! Teach me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be
for my long-term welfare and bliss.”

“Then, Bahiya, you should
train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In
reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the
sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should
train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the
seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to
the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bahiya, there
is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no
you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor
between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress.”

Through
hearing this
brief explanation of the Dhamma from the Blessed One, the mind of Bahiya of the
Bark-cloth right then and there was released from the effluents through lack of
clinging/sustenance. Having exhorted Bahiya of the Bark-cloth with this brief
explanation of the Dhamma, the Blessed One left.

Now, not long after the Blessed One’s
departure, Bahiya — attacked by a cow with a calf — lost his life. Then the
Blessed One, having gone for alms in Savatthi, after the meal, returning from
his alms round with a large number of monks, saw that Bahiya had died. On seeing
him, he said to the monks, “Take Bahiya’s body and, placing it on a litter
and carrying it away, cremate it and build him a memorial. Your companion in
the holy life has died.”

“As you say, lord,”
the monks replied. After placing Bahiya’s body on a litter, carrying it off,
cremating it, and building him a memorial, they went to the Blessed One and, on
arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there,
they said to him, “Bahiya’s body has been cremated, lord, and his memorial
has been built. What is his destination? What is his future state?”

“Monks, Bahiya of the
Bark-cloth was wise. He practiced the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma and
did not pester me with issues related to the Dhamma. Bahiya of the Bark-cloth,
monks, is totally unbound.”

Then, on realizing the
significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

Where water, earth,
fire, & wind have no footing:

There the stars do not shine, the sun is not visible, the moon
does not appear, darkness is not found. And when a sage, a brahman through
sagacity, has known [this] for himself, then from form & formless, from
bliss & pain, he is freed.

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