88. Bāhitika Sutta

1.Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

2.Then, when it was morning, the venerable Ānanda dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, went into Sāvatthī for alms. When he had wandered for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from his almsround, after his meal he went to the Eastern Park, to the Palace of Migāra’s Mother, for the day’s abiding.

3.Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosala had mounted the elephant Ekapuṇḍarīka and was riding out from Sāvatthī at midday. He saw the venerable Ānanda coming in the distance and asked the minister Sirivaḍḍha: “That is the venerable Ānanda, is it not?”—“Yes, sire, that is the venerable Ānanda.”

4.Then King Pasenadi of Kosala told a man: “Come, good man, go to the venerable Ānanda and pay homage in my name with your head at his feet, saying: ‘Venerable sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala pays homage with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet.’ Then say this: ‘Venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, perhaps the venerable Ānanda would wait [113] a moment, out of compassion.’”

5.“Yes, sire,” the man replied, and he went to the venerable Ānanda, and after paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “Venerable sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala pays homage with his head at the venerable Ānanda’s feet and he says this: ‘Venerable sir, if the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, perhaps the venerable Ānanda would wait a moment, out of compassion.’”

6.The venerable Ānanda consented in silence. Then King Pasenadi went by elephant as far as the elephant could go, and then he dismounted and went to the venerable Ānanda on foot. After paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “If, venerable sir, the venerable Ānanda has no urgent business, it would be good if he would go to the bank of the river Aciravatī, out of compassion.”

7.The venerable Ānanda consented in silence. He went to the bank of the river Aciravatī and sat down at the root of a tree on a seat made ready. Then King Pasenadi went by elephant as far as the elephant could go, and then he dismounted and went to the venerable Ānanda on foot. After paying homage to him, he stood at one side and said to the venerable Ānanda: “Here, venerable sir, is an elephant rug. Let the venerable Ānanda be seated on it.”

“There is no need, great king. Sit down. I am sitting on my own mat.”

8.King Pasenadi of Kosala sat down on a seat made ready and said: “Venerable Ānanda, would the Blessed One behave with the body in such a way that he could be censured by recluses and brahmins?”⁸³¹ MA explains that the king asked this question with reference to the case involving the female wanderer Sundarı̄, which was pending investigation at the time. Wishing to discredit the Buddha, some wandering ascetics persuaded Sundarı̄ to visit Jeta’s Grove at night and then let herself be seen returning at dawn, so people would become suspicious. After some time they had her murdered and buried near Jeta’s Grove, and when her body was discovered there, they pointed an accusing finger at the Buddha. After a week the false report was exposed when the king’s spies found out the real story behind the murder. See Ud 4:8/42–45.

I follow here BBS and SBJ, which add the qualification “wise” to the phrase “recluses and brahmins” (samaṇehi brāhmaṇehi viññūhi). Ānanda’s answer thus implies that it is their censure and not that of ordinary ascetics that should be avoided. That this reading is correct is supported by the king’s statement just below that Ānanda has done with his answer what he himself could not do with the question, namely, distinguish between the wise and the foolish.

“Great king, the Blessed One would not behave with the body in such a way that he could be censured by wise recluses and brahmins.” [114]

“Would the Blessed One, venerable Ānanda, behave with speech…behave with the mind in such a way that he could be censured by recluses and brahmins?”

“Great king, the Blessed One would not behave with speech…behave with the mind in such a way that he could be censured by wise recluses and brahmins.”

9.“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous! For what we were unable to accomplish with a question has been accomplished by the venerable Ānanda with the answer to the question. We do not recognise anything of value in the praise and blame of others spoken by foolish ignorant persons, who speak without having investigated and evaluated; but we recognise as valuable the praise and blame of others spoken by wise, intelligent, and sagacious persons who speak after having investigated and evaluated.

10.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is censured by wise recluses and brahmins?”

“Any bodily behaviour that is unwholesome, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is unwholesome?”

“Any bodily behaviour that is blameworthy, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is blameworthy?”

“Any bodily behaviour that brings affliction, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour brings affliction?”

“Any bodily behaviour that has painful results, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour has painful results?”

“Any bodily behaviour, great king, that leads to one’s own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both, and on account of which unwholesome states increase and wholesome states diminish. Such bodily behaviour is censured by wise recluses and brahmins, great king.”⁸³² Briefly, this passage offers five criteria of evil actions: unwholesomeness underscores the psychological quality of the action, its unhealthy effect upon the mind; its being blameworthy underscores its morally detrimental nature; its capacity to produce painful results calls attention to its undesirable kammic potential; and the last statement calls attention to both its evil motivation and the harmful long-range consequences such action entails for both oneself and others. The opposite explanation applies to good action, discussed in §14.

11.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of verbal behaviour is censured by wise recluses and brahmins?” “Any verbal behaviour that is unwholesome...(complete as in §10, substituting “verbal behaviour” for “bodily behaviour”)…”

12.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of mental behaviour is censured by wise recluses and brahmins?”

“Any mental behaviour that is unwholesome...(complete as in §10, substituting “mental behaviour” for “bodily behaviour”) [115]…”

13.“Now, venerable Ānanda, does the Blessed One praise only the abandoning of all unwholesome states?” “The Tathāgata, great king, has abandoned all unwholesome states and he possesses wholesome states.”⁸³³ MA: Ven. Ānanda’s answer goes beyond the question, for he shows not only that the Buddha praises the abandoning of all unwholesome states, but that he acts in accordance with his word by having abandoned all unwholesome states as well.

14.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is uncensured by wise recluses and brahmins?”

“Any bodily behaviour that is wholesome, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is wholesome?”

“Any bodily behaviour that is blameless, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour is blameless?”

“Any bodily behaviour that does not bring affliction, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour does not bring affliction?”

“Any bodily behaviour that has pleasant results, great king.”

“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of bodily behaviour has pleasant results?”

“Any bodily behaviour, great king, that does not lead to one’s own affliction, or to the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both, and on account of which unwholesome states diminish and wholesome states increase. Such bodily behaviour, great king, is uncensured by wise recluses and brahmins.”

15.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of verbal behaviour is uncensured by wise recluses and brahmins?”

“Any verbal behaviour that is wholesome...(complete as in §14, substituting “verbal behaviour” for “bodily behaviour”)…”

16.“Now, venerable Ānanda, what kind of mental behaviour is uncensured by wise recluses and brahmins?” “Any mental behaviour that is wholesome...(complete as in §14, substituting “mental behaviour” for “bodily behaviour”) [116]…”

17.“Now, venerable Ānanda, does the Blessed One praise only the undertaking of all wholesome states?”

“The Tathāgata, great king, has abandoned all unwholesome states and possesses wholesome states.”

18.“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous how well that has been expressed by the venerable Ānanda! And we are satisfied and pleased by what has been so well expressed by him. Venerable sir, we are so satisfied and pleased with what has been so well expressed by the venerable Ānanda that if the elephant-treasure were allowed to him, we would give it to him; if the horse-treasure were allowed to him, we would give it to him; if the boon of a village were allowed to him, we would give it to him. But we know, venerable sir, that these are not allowable for the venerable Ānanda. But there is this cloak of mine,⁸³⁴ MA explains the word bāhitikā, after which the sutta is named, as a cloak produced in a foreign country. venerable sir, which was sent to me packed in a royal umbrella case by King Ajātasattu of Magadha, sixteen hands long and eight hands wide. Let the venerable Ānanda accept it out of compassion.”

“It is not necessary, great king. My triple robe is complete.” [117]

19.“Venerable sir, this river Aciravatī has been seen both by the venerable Ānanda and by ourselves when a great cloud has rained heavily on the mountains; then this river Aciravatī overflows both its banks. So too, venerable sir, the venerable Ānanda can make a triple robe for himself out of this cloak, and he can share out his old triple robe among his companions in the holy life. In this way, our offering will overflow. Venerable sir, let the venerable Ānanda accept the cloak.”

20.The venerable Ānanda accepted the cloak. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said: “And now, venerable sir, we depart. We are busy and have much to do.”

“You may go, great king, at your own convenience.”

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala, having delighted and rejoiced in the venerable Ānanda’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the venerable Ānanda, keeping him on his right, he departed.

21.Then soon after he had left, the venerable Ānanda went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side, related to him his entire conversation with King Pasenadi of Kosala, and presented the cloak to the Blessed One.

22.Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “It is a gain, bhikkhus, for King Pasenadi of Kosala, it is a great gain for King Pasenadi of Kosala that he has had the opportunity of seeing and paying respect to Ānanda.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.