Bāhiyasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.15

Linked Discourses 47.15

2. Nālandavagga

2. At Nāḷandā

Bāhiyasutta

With Bāhiya

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho āyasmā bāhiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā bāhiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Bāhiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.

“Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”

“Tasmātiha tvaṁ, bāhiya, ādimeva visodhehi kusalesu dhammesu.

“Well then, Bāhiya, you should purify the starting point of skillful qualities.

Ko cādi kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ?

What is the starting point of skillful qualities?

Sīlañca suvisuddhaṁ, diṭṭhi ca ujukā.

Well purified ethics and correct view.

Yato ca kho te, bāhiya, sīlañca suvisuddhaṁ bhavissati, diṭṭhi ca ujukā, tato tvaṁ, bāhiya, sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveyyāsi.

When your ethics are well purified and your view is correct, you should develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, depending on and grounded on ethics.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idha tvaṁ, bāhiya, kāye kāyānupassī viharāhi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;

Meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

vedanāsu …pe…

Meditate observing an aspect of feelings …

citte …pe…

mind …

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāhi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Yato kho tvaṁ, bāhiya, sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya ime cattāro satipaṭṭhāne evaṁ bhāvessasi, tato tuyhaṁ, bāhiya, yā ratti vā divaso vā āgamissati, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihānī”ti.

When you develop these four kinds of mindfulness meditation, depending on and grounded on ethics, you can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.”

Atha kho āyasmā bāhiyo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

And then Venerable Bāhiya approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho āyasmā bāhiyo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

Then Bāhiya, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.”

Aññataro ca panāyasmā bāhiyo arahataṁ ahosīti.

And Venerable Bāhiya became one of the perfected.

Pañcamaṁ.