Dhammapada 8.2.p4

8.2.p4

Tassa hi brahmuno etadahosi – ‘‘ayaṃ mayā saddhiṃ nisseṇiṃ bandhitvā pabbataṃ abhiruhitvā samaṇadhammaṃ akāsi, idāni imaṃ laddhiṃ gahetvā vicaranto vinasseyya, saṃvejessāmi na’’nti. Atha naṃ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha – ‘‘neva kho tvaṃ, bāhiya, arahā, napi arahattamaggaṃ vā samāpanno, sāpi te paṭipadā natthi, yāya tvaṃ arahā vā assa arahattamaggaṃ vā samāpanno’’ti. Bāhiyo ākāse ṭhatvā kathentaṃ mahābrahmānaṃ oloketvā cintesi – ‘‘aho bhāriyaṃ kammaṃ kataṃ, ahaṃ ‘arahantomhī’ti cintesiṃ, ayañca maṃ ‘na tvaṃ arahā, napi arahattamaggaṃ vā samāpannosī’ti vadati, atthi nu kho loke añño arahā’’ti. Atha naṃ pucchi – ‘‘atthi nu kho etarahi devate loke arahā vā arahattamaggaṃ vā samāpanno’’ti. Athassa devatā ācikkhi – ‘‘atthi, bāhiya, uttaresu janapadesu sāvatthi nāma nagaraṃ, tattha so bhagavā etarahi viharati arahaṃ sammāsambuddho. So hi, bāhiya, bhagavā arahā ceva arahattatthāya ca dhammaṃ desetī’’ti.

To this denizen of the Brahmā world, then, occurred the following thought, "This man was associated with me in setting up the ladder and in the ascent of the mountain and in the practice of meditation; but now he has adopted false views, and by his present course of conduct he is in danger of perdition; I will stir him up." Accordingly he approached him and spoke thus, “Bāhiya, you are not an Arahat, nor have you entered the Path that leads to Arahatship; moreover the course that you have adopted is not such that you will thereby attain Arahatship or enter the Path that leads to Arahatship.” As Mahā Brahmā, poised in the air, spoke these words, Bāhiya looked upon him and thought to himself, “Oh, what a plight I am in! I thought to myself, ‘I am an Arahat;’ but yonder spirit says to me, ‘You are not an Arahat, nor have you entered the Path that leads to Arahatship.’ Is there perhaps any other Arahat in the world?”

Accordingly Bāhiya asked the spirit, “Deity, are there perhaps now in the world Arahats or those who have entered the Path leading to Arahatship?” Then the deity informed him as follows, “Bāhiya, there lies to the north a city named Sāvatthi; and there, at the present time, dwells he that is the Exalted One, the Arahat of Arahats, the Supremely Enlightened; and he that is the Exalted One, the Arahat of Arahats, preaches the Truth of Arahatship.”