[Buddha-l] Recreational swimming?

[Joy Vriens]

I am following the discussion on the Ariyapariyesanā Sutta between Lance 
and Dan with interest. When I read the sutta, I was struck by the 
passage in which the Buddha is bathing his limbs. It's the first time I 
read something of the sort in suttas or Buddhist texts. Mostly, the 
relation with water is a very utilitarian one. Either one drinks it, one 
washes oneself with it, as a brahman one does one's rituals in it, one 
may cool oneself with water on a hot day, but in this case it seems to 
be nothing utilitarian, at least in the translation. The Buddha doesn't 
say "let's refresh ourselves", or "let's wash ourselves" near the 
Eastern Gate, but "let's bathe our limbs". It seems to be for the sheer 
pleasure of it, for recreational reasons.

It is not that the text is short in details everywhere, so one could 
expect a little utilitarian explanation : it was a hot day, his feet 
were dirty, he wanted to wash his cloths... Because the text does go 
into detail, when the Buddha gets out of the water. "coming out of the 
water, he stood in his lower robe, drying his limbs". I mean mentioning 
the Buddha standing in his underwear and drying his limbs seems quite 
superfluous in a sutta that recounts the whole life story of the Buddha. 
So at least in the translation, there seems to be a genuine effort to 
give the impression the Buddha was bathing his limbs simply out of 
pleasure.

This is even accentuated by Ananda's suggestion to go and see Rammaka 
the Brahman. The visit doesn't seem to have been scheduled, apart from 
the explanation given in the beginning of the sutta. It is written as if 
it is an improvised visit, and it suggests that it was common for the 
Buddha to improvise his afternoons in this way. He could either have 
decided or not to go and see Rammaka the Brahman.

If one thinks back of the Buddha's beginnings, as an ascet, emaciated, 
starving himself to death, this is quite a contrast.

    "So the Blessed One, together with Ven. Ananda, went to the Eastern
    Park, the palace of Migara's mother, for the day's abiding. Then in
    the evening, emerging from seclusion, he said to Ven. Ananda,
    "Ananda, let's go to the Eastern Gatehouse to bathe our limbs."

    "As you say, lord," Ven. Ananda replied to the Blessed One.

    So the Blessed One, together with Ven. Ananda, went to the Eastern
    Gatehouse to bathe his limbs. Having bathed his limbs at the Eastern
    Gatehouse, coming out of the water, he stood in his lower robe,
    drying his limbs. Then Ven. Ananda said to him, "Lord, the hermitage
    of Rammaka the brahman is not far away. Pleasing is the hermitage of
    Rammaka the brahman."

So is it the translation, or does the Pali text really wants to suggest 
a very relaxed afternoon?

Joy


"Swimming is movement through water using one's limbs, and usually 
without artificial apparatus. Swimming is an activity that can be both 
useful and recreational. Its primary uses are bathing, cooling, fishing, 
recreation, exercise, and sport."