8.2 The Story about the Elder Bāhiya Dārucīriya
Bāhiyadāruciriyattheravatthu
Dhp 101
Burlingame: Conversions of Bāhiya Dārucīriya
Compare: Ud 1.10; AN-a 1.14.3.8
Bāhiya Dārucīriya obtained a short teaching from the Buddha, became an Arahat and died straight afterwards; the Buddha appointed him as foremost amongst those who were quick to grasp the teaching, and when the bhikkhus doubted it, he taught them with a verse.
Cast: Bāhiya Dārucīriya, Buddha Kassapa, King Pukkusāti, Elder Kumāra Kassapa, Dabba the Malla, Elder Sabhiya
Keywords: Ascetics, Devatās, Past Lives, Yakkhinīs, Foremost Disciples, Previous Buddhas
“Though there are a thousand verses,” [29.222] this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the Elder Bāhiya Dārucīriya.
For once upon a time a party of men put to sea in a boat. When they were well out to sea, the boat sprang a leak. {2.210} Thereupon all of the men, with a single exception, became food for fishes and tortoises. Only one man, who seized a plank and struggled with all his might, succeeded in reaching land near Suppāraka Port. When he came to land, he lacked both under and upper garments. So for lack of anything better, he wrapped himself with dry twigs and sticks and bark, and obtaining a beggar’s bowl from the royal household, went to Suppāraka Port. All who saw him gave him broth, rice-porridge and other kinds of food, and did reverence to him, saying: “This is an Arahat, this is an Arahat.”
He thought: “If I clothe myself in under and upper garments of fine texture, I shall no longer receive gain and honor.” Therefore he avoided such garments, using only the bark of trees to clothe himself withal. As many persons greeted him with the salutation “Arahat! Arahat!” the following consideration presented itself to his mind: “Am I perhaps one of those who are Arahats in this world, or who have entered the path leading to Arahatship?” Thereupon a certain thought occurred to a Devatā who was a former blood-relative of his.
2a Digression: Story of the Past
By “former blood-relative” is meant one who formerly practiced meditation with him. It appears that in former times, when the religion of Kassapa, the One of Ten Strengths, was disappearing from the earth, seven bhikkhus, observing with regret a change for the worse in the conduct of novices and others, said to themselves: “So long as our religion has not yet disappeared, we will make our own salvation sure.” So after reverencing their golden shrine, they entered the forest, and seeing a certain mountain, {2.211} they said: “Let those who still cherish attachment for the life of this world turn back; let those who have rid themselves of attachment ascend [29.223] this mountain.”
Thereupon they set up a ladder, and all of them ascended the mountain, whereupon they kicked the ladder down and devoted themselves to meditation. After but a single night had passed, one of them, the Saṅgha elder, attained Arahatship. The Saṅgha elder chewed a toothstick of betel at Lake Anotatta, rinsed his mouth, brought food from Uttarakuru and said to those bhikkhus: “Friends, chew this toothstick, rinse your mouths, and then eat this food.” But this they refused to do, saying: “But, venerable Sir, did we make the following agreement: ‘All shall eat the food brought by him who first attains Arahatship’?” – “We made no such agreement, friends.” – “Well then, if, like you, we also develop distinction, we will bring food for ourselves and eat it.”
On the second day the second elder attained the fruition of Non-returning, whereupon he likewise brought food to the bhikkhus and invited them to eat it. But they said: “But, venerable Sir, did we agree not to eat the food brought by the chief elder, but to eat that which should be brought by a subordinate elder?” – “We did not so agree, friends.” – “In that case, if, like you, we also will develop distinction, we shall be able by our own unaided efforts to provide ourselves with food, and we shall so provide ourselves with food.” Thus did they refuse to eat the food he had brought.
Of the seven bhikkhus, the Saṅgha elder who had attained Arahatship passed into Parinibbāna, he who had attained the fruit of Non-returning was reborn in the Brahma world, {2.212} and the remaining five, unable to develop distinction, wasted and withered away, died on the seventh day, and were reborn in the Deva Realm.
In the period of this present Buddha they passed from that state of existence, and were reborn in various households. One of them was King Pukkusāti, one was Kumāra Kassapa, one was Dārucīriya, one was Dabba the Malla, and one was the bhikkhu Sabhiya. The term ‘former blood-relative’ therefore refers to the bhikkhu who was reborn in the Brahma world.
2b Bāhiya Dārucīriya Becomes an Arahat
To this denizen of the Brahma world, then, occurred the following thought: “This man was associated with me in setting up the ladder and in the ascent of the mountain and in the practice of meditation; but now he has adopted wrong views, and by his present course of conduct he will perish; I will stir him up.” Accordingly [29.224] he approached him and spoke thus: “Bāhiya, you are not an Arahat, nor have you entered the path that leads to Arahatship; moreover the course that you have adopted is not such that you will thereby attain Arahatship or enter the path that leads to Arahatship.”
As Mahā Brahma, poised in the air, spoke these words, Bāhiya looked upon him and thought to himself: “Oh, what a plight I am in! I thought to myself: ‘I am an Arahat,’ but this one says to me: ‘You are not an Arahat, nor have you entered the path that leads to Arahatship.’ {2.213} Is there perhaps any other Arahat in the world?”
Accordingly Bāhiya asked the Brahma: “Are there perhaps now in the world with its Devatās, Arahats or those who have entered the path leading to Arahatship?” Then the Devatā informed him as follows: “Bāhiya, there lies to the north a city named Sāvatthī; and there, at the present time, dwells he that is the Fortunate One, the Arahat, the Sambuddha; and he that is the Fortunate One, the Arahat, teaches the truth of Arahatship.”
As Bāhiya listened in the night time to the speech of the Devatā, he became greatly agitated in mind; and instantly departing from Suppāraka, in the space of one night he arrived at Sāvatthī. The entire distance of 120 leagues he traveled in the space of one night; but when he went thus, he went by the supernatural power of the Devatā, or, others would say: by the supernatural power of the Buddha.
At the moment when he arrived, the Teacher had entered the city for alms. When Bāhiya had breakfasted, he observed many bhikkhus taking their exercise in the open air by walking up and down, and he asked them: “Where is the Teacher now?” The bhikkhus said: “He has just entered Sāvatthī for alms.” Then the bhikkhus asked Bāhiya: “But whence have you come?” – “I have come from Suppāraka.” – “When did you leave Suppāraka?” {2.214} – “Yesterday evening.” – “You have come a long way. Just sit down, bathe your feet, anoint them with oil, and rest yourself a while. When the Teacher returns you will see him.” – “Venerable Sir, I know not when the Teacher may die, or when I may die myself. I came here in the space of but a single night, neither stopping nor sitting down anywhere to rest. I have come a journey of 120 leagues. So soon as I have seen the Teacher, I will rest myself.”
When he had thus spoken, his body all of a tremble, he entered Sāvatthī and beheld the Fortunate One making his rounds for alms with the incomparable grace of a Buddha. He said to himself: “It is a long time indeed since I have seen Gotama the Supremely [29.225] Awakened.” And from the point where he had first seen him, he proceeded with his body inclined in an attitude of profound reverence; even as he stood in the street, he worshipped him with the five limbs, and took him firmly by the ankles, and spoke thus to him: “Let the Fortunate One teach me the Dhamma; let the Happy One teach me the Dhamma, that it may avail for a long time to come to my welfare and salvation.”
But the Teacher turned him away, saying: “You come at the wrong time, Bāhiya; I have entered among the houses for alms.” When Bāhiya heard these words, he said: “Venerable Sir, as I have passed through the round of existences, I have not before received material food. I know not the hour when you or I shall die: teach me the Dhamma.” But the Teacher turned him away the second time as before.
This, we are told, was the thought that occurred to him: “From the time this man first saw me, his whole body has been suffused with joy; from the great shock of joy he has received, though he should listen to the Dhamma, he would not be able to comprehend it; {2.215} let him remain for a time in a state of placid equanimity. Moreover, by reason of the fact that he has come a journey of 120 leagues in but a single night, his weariness is great; just let this subside.”
Therefore did the Teacher turn him away twice. When Bāhiya put his request the third time, the Teacher, remaining where he was in the street, said to him: “Therefore, Bāhiya, thus you must learn: In the seen, there must be only what is seen; in the heard, there must be only what is heard; in the thought, there must be only what is thought; in the known, there must be only what is known.
For, Bāhiya, thus you must learn: Since, Bāhiya, for you, in the seen there must be only what is seen, in the heard what is heard, in the thought what is thought, in the known what is known, therefore you, Bāhiya, are not here. Since you, Bāhiya, are not here, therefore you, Bāhiya, are neither in this world, nor in the next world, nor betwixt the two. This alone is the end of suffering.” He taught the Dhamma according to the method.
Even as Bāhiya listened to the Teacher’s discourse, he threw off all the pollutants and obtained Arahatship, together with the analytic knowledges. Straightaway he asked the Teacher to give him the going forth. Upon this the Teacher asked him: “Have you bowl and robe complete?” – “I have not bowl and robe complete,” replied Bāhiya. Then said the Teacher to him: “Well then, seek bowl and robe.” So saying, the Teacher went his way. [29.226]
We are told that during the period of twenty thousand years during which Bāhiya practiced meditation, he never did a single bhikkhu the favor of presenting him with a bowl and robe; but that he used to say: “A bhikkhu ought to provide himself with his own requisites without looking to another; he ought through his own unaided efforts to provide himself with food,” and that the Teacher, knowing this, and knowing that for this reason he would not obtain bowl and robe created by supernatural power, did not give him the going forth with the usual formula: “Come, bhikkhu!”
As Bāhiya was seeking bowl and robe, a certain Yakkhinī in the form of a cow approached, struck him with her left shoulder, and deprived him of life. The Teacher, after making his rounds for alms and after eating his breakfast, came forth with a large company of bhikkhus, {2.216} and saw the body of Bāhiya lying prostrate on the dust-heap. Straightaway he commanded the bhikkhus as follows: “Bhikkhus, bring a litter which stands at the door of a certain house, carry the body of this man out of the city, burn it, and erect a stūpa over the remains.” The bhikkhus did so, and having so done, returned to the monastery, approached the Teacher, told him what they had done, and enquired about his future state.
Thereupon the Teacher announced that he had passed into Parinibbāna, and pronounced him foremost, saying: “Bhikkhus, foremost among my disciples and bhikkhus who are quick to learn the truth is Bāhiya Dārucīriya.” Then the bhikkhus asked him: “Venerable Sir, you say: ‘Bāhiya Dārucīriya has attained Arahatship,’ when did he attain Arahatship?” – “Bhikkhus, it was when he heard me teach the Dhamma.” – “But when did you teach the Dhamma to him?” – “While I was making my rounds for alms, standing in the middle of the street.” – “Was not the discourse you delivered standing in the middle of the street an extremely short one, venerable Sir? How was it that he developed distinction after hearing so very little?”
Then said the Teacher to them: “Bhikkhus, do not measure my Dhamma as being little or much. There is no virtue even in many thousands of verses. A single sentence of a verse, which contains the truth, is better.” And when he had thus spoken, he joined the connection, and teaching the Dhamma, he pronounced the following verse:
101. Sahassam-api ce gāthā anatthapadasaṁhitā,
ekaṁ gāthāpadaṁ seyyo yaṁ sutvā upasammati.
Though there are a thousand verses
consisting of quite useless words,
better is one word of a verse
hearing which one is brought to peace. {2.217}
At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.
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last updated: August 2024
