The Medium Discourses
Chapter 4: Unprecedented Things
| （三四） 中阿含 未曾有法品 薄拘羅經第三 (初一日誦) | 34. Bakula |
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| 我聞如是： 一時，佛般涅槃後不久，尊者薄拘羅遊王舍城，在竹林、加蘭哆園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time not long after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, Venerable Bakula traveled to Rājagṛha and was staying at the Squirrels’ Park in the Bamboo Grove. |
| 爾時，有一異學是尊者薄拘羅未出家時親善朋友。 中後仿佯，往詣尊者薄拘羅所。 共相問訊，却坐一面，異學曰： 「賢者薄拘羅，我欲有所問，為見聽不？」 | 2. At the time, there was a heretic who had been a good friend of Venerable Bakula before the latter had left home.2 He visited Venerable Bakula then while out for a walk in the afternoon. After they had exchanged greetings, that man of another training withdrew to sit at one side and said, “Venerable Bakula, I would like to ask a question if you would permit me.” |
| 尊者薄拘羅答曰： 「異學，隨汝所問。 聞已，當思。」 | Venerable Bakula replied, “Heretic, go ahead and ask your question. I will consider it once I hear it.” |
| 異學問曰： 「賢者薄拘羅，於此正法、律中學道幾時？」 | 3. The heretic asked, “Venerable Bakula, how long have you been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya?” |
| 尊者薄拘羅答曰： 「異學，我於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。」 | Venerable Bakula replied, “Heretic, I have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now.” |
| 異學復問曰： 「賢者薄拘羅，汝於此正法律中學道已來八十年。 頗憶曾行婬欲事耶？」 | 4. The heretic then asked, “Venerable Bakula, you have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. Do you recall having engaged in a sex act?” |
| 尊者薄拘羅語異學曰： 「汝莫作是問。 更問餘事： 『賢者薄拘羅，於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。 頗憶曾起欲想耶？』 異學，汝應作是問。」 | Venerable Bakula said to him, “You shouldn’t ask that. Ask about something else, such as: ‘Venerable Bakula, you have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. Do you recall having had notions of desire occur to you?’ Heretic, this is what you should ask.” |
| 於是，異學便作是語： 「我今更問： 賢者薄拘羅，汝於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。 頗憶曾起欲想耶？」 | 5. That heretic said, “Now, I’ll ask again: Venerable Bakula, you have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. Do you recall having had notions of desire occur to you?” |
| 於是，尊者薄拘羅，因此異學問，便語諸比丘： 「諸賢，我於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。 以此起貢高者，都無是想。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 6. As a result of this heretic’s question, Venerable Bakula then said to the monks, “Gentlemen, I have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. I do not have any notions at all of pride that have arisen because of that.” This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula.3 |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我於此正法、律中學道已來八十年，未曾有欲想。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 7. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, during these eighty years I have been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya, I have yet to have a notion of desire.”4 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我持糞掃衣來八十年。 若因此起貢高者，都無是相。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 8. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ve worn robes made of discarded clothes for eighty years now. I do not have any notions at all of pride that have arisen because of that.” This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我持糞掃衣來八十年。 未曾憶受居士衣⋯未曾割截作衣⋯未曾倩他比丘作衣⋯未曾用針縫衣⋯未曾持針縫囊⋯乃至一縷。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 9. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ve worn robes made of discarded clothes for eighty years now. I don’t recall ever accepting laypeople’s clothes … ever cutting and making robes … ever employing other monks to make robes … ever using a needle to sew robes … ever carrying a sowing kit … even a single thread.”5 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我乞食來八十年。 若因此起貢高者，都無是相。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 10. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ve solicited alms for eighty years now. I do not have any notions at all of pride that have arisen because of that.” This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我乞食來八十年。 未曾憶受居士請⋯未曾超越乞食⋯未曾從大家乞食於中當得淨、好、極妙、豐饒，食噉含消⋯未曾視女人面⋯未曾憶入比丘尼坊中⋯未曾憶與比丘尼共相問訊⋯乃至道路亦不共語。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 11. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ve solicited alms for eighty years now. I don’t recall ever accepting invitations from householders … ever passing on soliciting alms … ever soliciting alms from great households to get food that’s pure, excellent, wonderful, and abundant to eat and digest … ever looking at a woman’s face … ever entering a nun’s quarters … ever exchanging greetings with a nun … even having a conversation with one on the road.”6 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。 未曾憶畜沙彌⋯未曾憶為白衣說法⋯乃至四句頌亦不為說。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 12. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said this, “Gentlemen, I’ve been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. I don’t recall ever taking care of a novice … ever teaching Dharma for laypeople … even reciting a four-line verse for them.”7 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我於此正法、律中學道已來八十年。 未曾有病⋯乃至彈指頃頭痛者。 未曾憶服藥⋯乃至一片訶梨勒。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 13. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ve been training on the path in this correct Dharma and Vinaya for eighty years now. I’ve never had an illness … even a headache that lasted as long as a finger snap. I don’t recall ever taking medicine … even a single piece of yellow myrobalan fruit.”8 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我結加趺坐於八十年，未曾猗壁、猗樹。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 14. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, for eighty years now, I have sat cross-legged without ever leaning against a wall or a tree.”9 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我於三日夜中得三達證。」 若尊者薄拘羅作此說。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 15. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I realized the three masteries in three days and nights.”10 This is what Venerable Bakula said. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 復次，尊者薄拘羅作是說： 「諸賢，我結加趺坐而般涅槃。」 尊者薄拘羅便結加趺坐而般涅槃。 若尊者薄拘羅結加趺坐而般涅槃。 是謂尊者薄拘羅未曾有法。 | 16. Furthermore, Venerable Bakula said, “Gentlemen, I’ll be seated cross-legged when I parinirvāṇa.” Venerable Bakula then entered parinirvāṇa while sitting cross-legged. Venerable Bakula entered parinirvāṇa while sitting cross-legged. This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. |
| 尊者薄拘羅所說如是。 彼時，異學及諸比丘聞所說已，歡喜，奉行。 | 17. This is what Venerable Bakula said. When that heretic and the monks heard what he taught, they rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
For the source text, cf. T26.1.475a11-c15. The only known parallel is MN 124.
While the introduction here indicates that these events occurred shortly after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, MN 124 is silent on this point. Bhikkhu Bodhi reports that the commentary to MN 124 says that it was added to the canon a hundred years after the Buddha. This might explain the interlinear commentary declaring Bākula’s unprecedented qualities. The Buddha wasn’t present to declare it himself, so the compilers added their own declaration. [back]
a heretic who had been a good friend of Venerable Bakula. Bakula’s interlocutor goes nameless throughout this sūtra. He is called “[someone of] another training” or “a heterodox [person]” 異學, which I take to be a translation of S. tīrthika. This was an epithet that seems to usually apply to adherents of other ascetic traditions. In MN 124, he is identified as the naked ascetic Kassapa. [back]
This is called an unprecedented quality of Venerable Bakula. According to the Pali commentary to MN 124, this statement is the voice of the compilers of the canon during the second council a hundred years after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. Here in this version, it’s clear that there is a change in speaker because Bakula is spoken of in the third person. I’ve therefore set it off in italics as a comment by the narrator.
This statement by Bakula that he had no pride about his virtue is repeated twice more below. These additional statements are not found in MN 124. [back]
MN 124 adds the lack of notions of ill-will (P. byāpādasañña), cruelty (vihiṁsāsañña), and thoughts (vitakka) of desire, ill-will, and cruelty after this virtue. [back]
MN 124 begins with the same two items in this section, and then continues with dyeing robes, sewing robes during the robe-making ceremony, and wandering in search of material for another monk making robes. Despite their differences, both versions arrive at six robe-related virtues. [back]
This section combines items regarding soliciting alms and interacting with women. Here, there’s a total of seven items, while in MN 124 these two topics are covered by ten items. Strictly speaking, the two versions only share three items in common: Not accepting invitations, not having looked at a woman, and not having entered a nun’s quarters. [back]
This section of three items corresponds with seven items in MN 124. They only share the one item of not having had a novice. [back]
This version and MN 124 share both of these items, but the illustration for the first differs between them. It should be noted that never being ill is the quality for which Bakula was famous in addition to being an hermit ascetic. See, e.g., passages in the Commentary to the Great Perfection of Wisdom @ 223c27, 238a5, and 271b18.
yellow myrobalan fruit. C. 訶梨勒 (EMC. ha-lɪi-lək = Pr. harilak[i]?), P/S. harītakī. The C. translit. appears to be a Prakrit variant of the well-known S. harītakī, which was the name for the medicinal fruit of the yellow myrobalan tree in India. [back]
MN 124 contains two items that correspond roughly to this section: Not leaning on a board or preparing a cot. [back]
MN 124 has two single-item sections here: One is never having spent a rainy season in a village, and the second is being awakening on the eighth day after leaving home. After those two sections, the ascetic Kassapa receives ordination from Bakula, practices diligently, and becomes an arhat. None of these details are found here in MĀ 34. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 28 March 2025
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