Fast Enlightenment

Dharmachari Seven

In a rush to gain liberation, to see, know, and even touch nirvana, people make spiritual exertions. Sometimes odd, often useless, these practices or delusions are clung to in spite of the Way being laid out. Whatever else one may do, or abstain from doing, the Noble Eightfold Path stands as a reminder that we must take others into consideration.

1. Right View (of the Four Noble Truths)
2. Right Thought (of non-harming, renunciation, and non-cruelty)
3. Right Speech (truthful, non-divisive, pleasant, and useful)
4. Right Action (abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct)
   
5. Right Livelihood (avoiding dealings in flesh, poisons, weapons, slavery, or intoxicants)
6. Right Effort (to prevent, abandon, develop, and strengthen)
7. Right Mindfulness (of body, feelings, mental states, and phenomena)
8. Right concentration (development of serenity and calm in the jhanas)

These are explained in detail by an excellent scholar-monk of American origin. The entire Path is actually explained in thorough (some might say excruciating) detail in what is called the Bodhi-pakkaya-dhamma, the "Requisites of Enlightenment," or 37 Things Pertaining to Enlightenment. These were collated and attributed to Ven. Nagasena centuries ago, in the Malinda-Panha, or the "Questions of [the Greek] King Menander."

This then is sure path, the certain path, the path from scratch. Most bypass ever having to gain this knowledge and information by finding a trustworthy teacher of meditation (bhavana or samadhi), virtue (dana and sila), and wisdom (sati and panna). The fastest, surest path to sudden enlightenment is stilling the mind and HEARING the Dharma. On a foundation of calm, coolness, and collectedness, insight is able to suddenly dawn.

Historically, the person to attain enlightenment the fastest -- that is through the shortest instruction by the Buddha -- was a non-Buddhist ascetic named Bahiya Daruciriya (Bahiya of the Bark Cloth).

"To the wise, a few words are enough"

Instant Enlightenment:
The Story of Bahiya of the Bark cloth
C. de Saram (translator)

Long preparation enabled this enlightened disciple to grasp the Truth in the twinkling of an eye. Like Upatissa (who became the chief disciple better known as Sariputra) who entered the first stage of sainthood (Arhatship) by hearing only one line of a couplet. Bahiya of the Bark cloth on hearing a single stanza uttered by the Buddha became enlightened (an Arhat).

Of course, Bahiya of the Barkcloth had a great store of merit. After all, he was born during the dispensation of the historical Buddha. However, long before that, it is said he had been born during the latter part of the dispensation at the parinirvana (utter passing away) of Kassapa Buddha aeons before. He at that time had failed to get a foothold on sainthood (as recounted in the Life of Mallaputta Dabba, when five ascetics abandoned society to meditate to the end with all but Bahiya of the Bark cloth succeeding).

Ancient Indian ascetic practices including wearing bark cloth, rough animal hides, loin cloths, and even exposing oneself to the elements as goes on today during the self-mortification of Kumbha Mela (adolphus.nl)

He was born in the dispensation of Shakyamuni after aeons of enjoyment of celestial bliss. He was called Bahiya as that was his clan's name. As a trader, he was on a harmless trip to Suvanna-bhumi (modern day Burma). However, his ship was wrecked leaving him the sole survivor.

By clinging to a log, he was able to swim to a place called Supparaka. However, since he had no clothes, he resolved to cover himself with bark and moss. And arming himself with an earthen vessel, he eked out an existence by begging.

In due course, he was idolized by the people there who mistook him for an enlightened ascetic (Arhat). People are frequently misled by appearances. Even when clothes were offered, he refused thinking he would lose his caste status. But this only served to enhance his reputation. His garb consisted of pieces of bark fastened together -- hence the appellation daruciriya ("of the bark cloth").

For a long time passing as a saint, his erstwhile companion (from a past life referred to above as explained in the story of Mallaputta Dabba), who was now abiding in the Suddhavasa Brahma World and who in fact was an Arhat, thought it time to disillusion him. His friend descended from that celestial realm instantaneously and stood before him in all the glory and majesty of a God. Bahiya of the Bark cloth was startled and dazzled and could not believe his eyes as he asked this Brahma who he was.

The Brahma unfolded the story of his past life and succeeded in convincing him that he should right away head to Jetavana monastery to meet the Buddha, learn the Dharma, and have a chance of becoming an actual Arhat. The very name "Buddha" was news to Bahiya of the Bark cloth. But so great was his enthusiasm that, it is said, he traveled day and night without pausing (perhaps utilizing some psychic faculty), covering a distance of 129 leagues (or approximately 400 miles).

Having traveled so far so quickly, he was exhausted and disheartened to find out that the Buddha had already set out on his daily almsround. He was invited to rest and await the Buddha's return from the village but was in no mood to wait. Instead, he went out in search of the Buddha and accosted him on the road. He fell to the Buddha's feet pleading for an audience. The Buddha informed him that he had come most unseasonably since he and the monks had already commenced their almsround.

But Bahiya of the Bark cloth insisted. He reportedly asked:

• How many meals has one missed in the countless round of rebirths and deaths?
• Who can know the day and hour that one might pass away before they would meet again?

The second question turned out to be a prophetic utterance. The Buddha surprised the monks on almsround with him as he had never deviated from his schedule but made a big exception in the case of Bahiya. He looked into Bahiya's past and present and saw that this was to be his last wish. He therefore uttered to him a very concise teaching, the gist of which was to see things as they truly are:

"Ditthe ditthe mattam bhavissati!"

Bahiya asked for ordination. The Buddha, seeing that Bahiya had not practiced sufficient generosity (dana parami) in the past to have gained sufficient merit to be fortunate in receiving robes, asked him if he had any robes rather than pointing and uttering the phrase Eham, bhante ["Come forth, venerable" (the customary way of ordaining someone when performed by the Buddha himself)]. Bahiya, of course, did not. But he went in search of cloth in dust heaps by the roadside.

While engaged in his search, an enemy of his (now reborn as a yakkha, "ogre" or "goblin") took possession of a cow and gored him to death.

On returning from almsround, the monks saw Bahiya of the Bark cloth's lifeless body by the roadside. The Buddha surprised them yet again by requesting that they formally cremate the remains in a manner befitting royalty and Arhats, neither of which they thought applied to Bahiya.

The Buddha explained that, in fact, Bahiya was an Arhat. "When," they asked, "had he become enlightened?" The Buddha replied that Bahiya of the Bark cloth was "foremost in gaining sainthoold by quickly comprehending a single sentence of the Dharma."

Ever toiling, ever hurrying

To attain bliss ever trying

A word or phrase will not miss

To let in undying bliss

Tantamount to "Be Here Now!"
Dharmachari Seven

What, then, did that single sentence mean? Ditthe ditthe matam bhavissati! It is traditionally explained as an exhortation to be perfectly mindful (once your mind is prepared and purified by sufficient focus, calm, and concentration, which generally means jhana). A longer but still concise way to explain it might be:

Do not look long, do not look short.

In the seen, let there be only the seen.

In the heard, only the heard.

In the otherwise sensed, only the otherwise sensed.

When for you there is just this,

there will be neither here, nor there,

nor going from one to the other.

C. de Saram explains in a footnote that the sixth and seventh links in the formula known as Dependent Origination are Impression and Feeling (a.k.a., Contact and Sensation). The Buddha, thus, told Bahiya to stop at Impression (at the contact or impression of the senses with their various stimuli).

In other words, do not linger over what you see -- "Do not look long, do not look short" -- but instead simply be aware of it without judgment, without disturbance. Hence, the eighth (Craving) and ninth (Clinging) links would not come into play. Thus, this whole mass of suffering, this wheel of dependent origination of phenomena, could be circumvented. And one would momentarily glimpse nirvana. That is, there will arise the "Eye of Dharma" or the "Wisdom Eye," which purifies the mind and heart and radically changes the individual by direct knowing and seeing.

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The story of Bahiya Daruciriya was edited from Pen Portraits: 93 Eminent Disciples of the Buddha (1971) by C. de Saram. Published by the Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre. Reprinted for free distribution by the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation (Taiwan, R.O.C.): http://www.budaedu.org/