Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthi, in Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Now, at that time, Bāhiya of the |Bark Cloth::dressed in bark strips [dārucīriya]| was living in |Suppāraka::an ancient western seaport, modern-day Nala Sopara [suppāraka]|, by the seashore. He was honored, respected, revered, worshipped, and esteemed. He was a recipient of the four requisites: robes, alms-food, lodging, and medicines. Then, while Bāhiya was alone in seclusion, the following |train of thought::reflection, contemplation [parivitakka]| arose in his mind: “Whoever in the world are |Arahants::a worthy one, a fully awakened being, epithet of the Buddha [arahant]| or have entered the |path to Arahantship::way of practice to the full awakening [arahattamagga]|, I am one of them.”
Then, a deity, |who was a former blood-relative::who was previously a family member [purāṇasālohita]| of Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth, who was compassionate and |benevolent towards::sympathetic to, desiring good for [atthakāma]| Bāhiya‘s welfare, |perceiving Bāhiya’s train of thought::understanding Bāhiya‘s reflection, reading another’s state of mind [cetoparivitakkamaññāya]| |with mind::with intention [cetasā]|, approached him. Having approached him, the deity said: “Bāhiya, you are neither an Arahant nor have you attained the path to Arahantship. Nor do you even have the |way of practice::path of progress [paṭipada]| by which you could become an Arahant or attain the path of Arahantship.”
“Then who, in the world with its gods, are Arahants or have attained the path to Arahantship?”
“There is, Bāhiya, in the northern country, a city called Sāvatthi. There, at present, dwells the Blessed One, the Arahant, the |perfectly awakened one::fully enlightened being [sammāsambuddha]|. Indeed, Bāhiya, that Blessed One is both an arahant and teaches the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| for the sake of arahantship.”
Then, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth, |stirred::inspired [saṃvejita]| by that deity, immediately departed from Suppāraka. Traveling with a one-night stay in each place, he went to Sāvatthi, to Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. At that time, several bhikkhus were walking back and forth in the open air. Bāhiya approached those bhikkhus, and having approached them, he said: “Venerable sirs, where is the Blessed One, the Arahant, the perfectly awakened one, dwelling at present? We wish to see that Blessed One, the arahant, the perfectly awakened one.”
The bhikkhus replied: “Bāhiya, the Blessed One has gone among the houses |for alms::to collect alms food [piṇḍāya]|.”
Then, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth, hurrying quickly, left Jeta‘s Grove and entered Sāvatthi. There, he saw the Blessed One walking on his alms around, |graceful::pleasing, elegant [pāsādika]| and |inspiring confidence::worthy of faith [pasādanīya]|, |calm::at peace [santindriya]| and with a peaceful mind, having arrived at the highest self-mastery and |tranquility::serenity, equilibrium of mind [samatha]|, |tamed::trained, mastered [danta]|, guarded, |restrained in senses::mentally controlled [yatindriya]| — a |noble person::a great man, epithet of an arahant, epithet of the Buddha [nāga]|. After seeing him, Bāhiya approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near to him, he prostrated with his head at the Blessed One’s feet and said: “Venerable sir, may the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma! May the Well-Gone One teach me the Dhamma so that it would be for my benefit and |happiness::ease, comfort, contentedness [sukhāya]| for a long time.”
When this was said, the Blessed One replied to Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth: “Bāhiya, this is an |inappropriate time::unsuitable time [akāla]|, as we have entered among the houses for alms.”
For a second time, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, it is |difficult to know::not easy to understand [dujjāna]| the danger to the Blessed One‘s life, or to the danger to my life. May the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma! May the Well-Gone One teach me the Dhamma so that it would be for my benefit and happiness for a long time.”
For a second time, the Blessed One replied to Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth: “Bāhiya, this is an inappropriate time, as we have entered among the houses for alms.”
For a third time, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, it is difficult to know the danger to the Blessed One’s life, or to the danger to my life. May the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma! May the Well-Gone One teach me the Dhamma so that it would be for my benefit and happiness for a long time.”
“In that case, Bāhiya, you |should train::should practice [sikkhitabba]| thus:
‘In what is |seen::observed, looked at [diṭṭha]|, there will merely be the seen,
In what is |heard::to be told, to be informed of [suta]|, there will merely be the heard,
In what is |sensed::noticed, smelled, tasted, felt or thought [muta]|, there will merely be the sensed,
In what is |cognized::become aware of, known or understood [viññāta]|, there will merely be the cognized.’
In this way, Bāhiya, you should train. When for you, Bāhiya, in what is seen, there will merely be the seen, in what is heard, there will merely be the heard, in what is sensed, there will merely be the sensed, in what is cognized, there will merely be the cognized, then, Bāhiya, you will not be ‘by that.’ When you are not ‘by that,’ then, Bāhiya, you will not be ‘in that.’ When you are not ‘in that,’ then, Bāhiya, you will be |neither here::without holding on to a frame of reference of ‘here’, of this world [nevidha]|, |nor there::without holding on to a frame of reference of ‘there’, of another world [na + huraṃ]|, |nor in-between the two::without holding on to a frame of reference of progress, of transit, of moving from ‘here’ to ‘there’ [na + ubhayamantarena]|. Just this is the end |of suffering::mild suffering, intense suffering, discomfort, pain, disease, unpleasantness, stress, discontentment, dissatisfaction [dukkhassa]|.”
Then, through the Blessed One‘s concise teaching of the Dhamma, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth’s mind was |immediately::right then, that very day [tāvadeva]| |liberated::released, became free [vimucci]| from the |mental defilements::mental outflows, discharges, taints [āsava]|, |without any clinging remaining::not holding onto anything, not grasping at anything, not taking possession of anything [anupādāya]|.
After giving this concise |advise::instruction, encouragement [ovāda]| to Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth, the Blessed One departed. Soon after the Blessed One had left, a cow with a young calf charged at Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth and killed him.
Then the Blessed One, having walked for alms in Sāvatthi, after the meal, while returning from alms round from the city together with several bhikkhus, saw Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth lying dead. Having seen, he addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, take Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth‘s |dead body::corpse [sarīraka]|, place it on a |cot::small bed, straw mattress [mañcaka]|, carry it away, and |cremate::set fire to [jhāpeti]| it. Then make a |stupa::mound-like structure containing relics, shrine [thūpa]| for him. Bhikkhus, your |spiritual companion::fellow practitioner [sabrahmacārī]| has died.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. Having replied in agreement, they took Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth’s dead body, placed it on a cot, carried it away, cremated it, and made a stupa for him. Then they approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near to the Blessed One, they paid homage to him and sat down to one side. Having sat down to one side, the bhikkhus said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth‘s dead body has been burned, and a stupa has been made for him. What is his |trajectory::going, passing on, path, course, destination [gati]|? What is his |future existence::future destination [abhisamparāya]|?”
The Blessed One replied: “Bhikkhus, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth was |wise::astute, intelligent, learned, skilled [paṇḍita]|. He |practiced::followed [paccapādi]| |in accordance with the teaching::in line with the training guidelines of the Buddha’s teachings that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhammassānudhamma]| and did not |impede::block, hinder [vihesesi]| me with the |technical points of the teaching::reasons or basis of the teaching [dhammādhikaraṇa]|. Bhikkhus, Bāhiya of the Bark Cloth has attained |final Nibbāna::complete cooling, full quenching, total emancipation [parinibbuta]|.”
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Where water, earth,
fire and wind |find no footing::find no support [na + gādhati]|;
Where the stars do not shine,
the sun does not manifest;
The moon does not illuminate,
And yet there, |darkness::ignorance, gloom, turbidity [tamas]| is not found.
When the |sage::seer, hermit, monk [munī]|, the brahmin,
realizes this for himself through |silence::wisdom, sagacity [mona]|;
Then he is freed from both |form::material or fine-material existence [rūpa]| and |formless::immaterial phenomena [arūpa]| [existences],
and from |pleasure and pain::ease and discomfort, happiness and sorrow [sukhadukkha]|.”