Pali Canon Search

Linked Discourses · SN 35.89

  • Linked Discourses 35.89Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.89
  • 9. With Channa9. Channavagga

With BāhiyaBāhiyasutta

Then Venerable Bāhiya went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:Atha kho āyasmā bāhiyo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā bāhiyo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”“sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.

“What do you think, Bāhiya?“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bāhiya, Is the eye permanent or impermanent?”cakkhu niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Impermanent, sir.”“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Suffering, sir.”“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No, sir.”“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Are sights …“Rūpā niccā vā aniccā vā”ti? eye consciousness …cakkhuviññāṇaṁ …pe… eye contact …cakkhusamphasso …pe…

The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact: is that permanent or impermanent?”yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Impermanent, sir.”“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Suffering, sir.”“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No, sir.”“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact. And they grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact.“Evaṁ passaṁ, bāhiya, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati, rūpesupi nibbindati, cakkhuviññāṇepi nibbindati, cakkhusamphassepi nibbindati …pe…

They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact.yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

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 bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

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.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.

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.”“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. And Venerable Bāhiya became one of the perfected.Aññataro ca panāyasmā bāhiyo arahataṁ ahosīti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. SN 35.86 A Teaching In Brief 0.80near 0.1Linked Discourses 35.86 9. With Channa A Teaching In Brief Seated to one side, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, di…
  2. SN 47.15 With Bāhiya 0.71near 15.3Then 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 gentleme…
  3. SN 18.1 The Eye, Etc. 0.68near 15.3Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done…
  4. SN 35.73 Six Fields of Contact (3rd) 0.66near 15.3Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done…
  5. SN 18.11 The Eye, Etc. 0.63near 0.1Linked Discourses 18.11 Chapter Two The Eye, Etc. So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “…
  6. MN 147 The Shorter Advice to Rāhula 0.61near 0.1“Suffering, sir.” “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, sir.” “What do you think, Rāhula? Anything included in feeling, perc…
  7. MN 109 The Longer Discourse on the Full-Moon Night 0.60near 15.3Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they…
  8. SN 35.121 Advice to Rāhula 0.57near 0.1‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?” “No, sir.” “Are sights … eye consciousness … eye contact permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” … “Anything included in feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness…