- THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
- Ministry of Religious Affairs, Myanmar
- King Bimbisara's
Five Aspirations
According to the promise that the Buddha
made to King Bimbisara in his early days of renunciation, the Buddha, together with one
thousand bhikkhus led by Kassapa brothers, went to Rajagaha on the fullmoon day of Pyaso
(December-January). When they arrived at the large green Palmyra grove near Rajagaha, the
King and one hundred and twenty thousand people welcomed them heartily in great pomp and
ceremony.
When the Buddha narrated the Jataka story of 'Mahanarada - kassapa'
there, King Bimbisara and one hundred and ten thousand people became Stream - winners and
the remaining ten thousand people became established in the three Refuges.
King Bimbisara, who had now become a stream - winner, felt very happy
and said to the Buddha: 'Venerable Sir, I had five kinds of aspirations when I was a young
prince. They all are now fulfilled and so I feel very happy."
The five kinds of aspirations of the King were:
1. the wish to become an anointed king;
2. the wish that the Buddha would visit his country;
3. the wish to revere and attend to the Buddha when the latter visited
his kingdom;
4. the wish that the Buddha would expound the dhamma; and
5. the wish to understand the dhamma taught to him.
The
Great Donation of Veluvana Monastery
Then King Bimbisara became a
lay-disciple of the Buddha and invited the Buddha and his one thousand bhikkhus for
alms-food at his palace the next morning. Then he went back to his palace.
Next morning when the Buddha went to the palace to take alms-food, the
crowd that came to pay homage to the Buddha was so big that Sakka (the king of Devas)
himself had to assume the form of a young man and lead the way as a forerunner singing the
Dhamma songs.
On reaching the palace, the King offered alms-food to the Buddha and
the Order of Sangha. He also donated the great Veluvana Garden as a monastic dwelling. As
he poured donation water the earth quaked as if the main roots of Buddha's Teachings had
been rooted.
Petas,
the old Relatives of King Bimbisara
That very night there were haunting
sounds all over the palace of King Bimbisara and so he could not sleep. Therefore he went
to the Buddha the next morning and told him what had happened.
The Buddha preached thus: 92 world cycles ago, during the time of
Phussa Buddha, Bimbisara and his relatives carried out the duties of offering alms-food to
the Buddha and his Sangha Order. Those who did their duties well reached celestial abodes
when they died. Those who stole and destroyed the properties of the Sangha had gone to
niraya (hell) and became petas during the time of Kassapa Buddha. They saw that other
petas were set free from being petas because they gained merits shared by their relatives
when they had chances to say 'Sadhu". There were none to share merits to the petas
who were the former relatives of Bimbisara. Therefore they supplicated to Kassapa Buddha
that they did not know who would perform meritorious deeds and share merits to them.
Kassapa Buddha told them that during the time of Gotama Buddha, the
supervisor of the old relative petas would become King Bimbisara who would share merits to
them and so they would be free from their woeful lives of petas. And they were very happy
with the anticipation of being set free.
Indeed, when King Bimbisara offered alms-food to the bhikkhus led by
the Buddha and donated the monastery, the petas were expecting anxiously to gain merits
shared by the King. But the king did not know to share merits with the petas of his
relatives; so they did their frightening moaning the whole night.
The Buddha instructed the king to share merits to the dead or previous
relatives when ever he performed meritorious deeds. King Bimbisara then invited the
bhikkhus led by the Buddha to have alms-food at his palace on that day. The Buddha by his
supernormal power showed the king the petas who were waiting in poor dresses with
frightful appearances. After offering alms-food and sharing merits, they all were free
from their peta-existences. On seeing them looking well attired and having ambrosia, he
was very much pleased.
Then he offered robes, beddings and monastic dwellings, and shared
merits again. The petas said 'sadhu' and received celestial clothings, beddings and
celestial mansions. On seeing that, the King became more pleased than before.
With reference to that incident the Buddha preached Tirokutta Sutta and
eighty-four thousand beings attained Ariyahood, realizing the Four Noble Truths.
Upatissa,
Kolita and their Heretic Master
When the Buddha went to Rajagaha,
the heretic master Sanjaya had already established a school with a large number of
followers. He Was one of the six heretic masters who claimed themselves to be Buddhas.
The two close friends, Upatissa and Kolita, were the sons of rich
brahmins. They went to the festival held annually on the top of a mountain together with
their five hundred followers. While watching the performers and the audience, an idea
flashed through their mind thus, "What pleasure is there in the performance? All are
bound to death within one hundred years." They felt so apprehensive of death that
they went to the heretic Sanjaya and became ascetics.
Within a few days, they came to know that there was no essence in the
teachings of their master and his teaching would not lead to the deliverance from
suffering. Therefore they decided to search for the way to deathlessness. They made a
promise that the one who found it first would tell the other.
The
Attraction of the Controlling Faculty
While the Buddha was in Rajagaha.
the Venerable Assaji Thera, one of the five-ascetic group, resided at the Veluvana
monastery. One day as he went into the city of Rajagaha for alms-round, the ascetic
Upatissa noticed his clear complexion and calm controlling faculty. Upatissa could
approximately judge that he might be an arahat or an arahat-to-be who was working hard. He
then followed the Venerable Assaji Thera. After the Thera had alms-food, Upatissa asked
him about his teacher and his practice. Then the Venerable Assaji replied: "Of things
that proceed from a cause, Their cause the Tathagata has told; And also their cessation:
Thus teaches the Great Ascetic."
This verse sums up the profound philosophy of his teacher in the
scientific truth of the law of cause and effect. On hearing the summary of the teachings,
the ascetic Upatissa became a stream - winner. According to his promise the ascetic
Upatissa went to his friend Kolita and explained the discourse that he had heard. The
ascetic Kolita also became a stream winner then and there. The two ascetics decided to go
to the Veluvana monastery and to be ordained as bhikkhus in the presence of the Buddha.
The
Two Chief Disciples of The Buddha
Before going to the Buddha, they
went · to their heretic master and told him to come along with them. But their master
refused. They persuaded him three times to come along with · them, saying "Sir, the
Buddha has appeared in the world. The persons longing for the Buddha will go and pay
homage to the Buddha.
Don't let your life pass in vain." However, the master
replied," My disciples. I don't want to be a pupil after I have been a well-known
teacher; let it be; in this world there are more foolish ones than wise ones; the wise
will go to Gotama; but the foolish will come to me." Saying thus he kept on staying
there.
When the two disciples departed him, their followers followed suit. He
felt great despair for having lost many disciples and vomited blood as he had a broken
heart.
Half of the five hundred disciples that followed Upatissa and Kolita
felt so sad for their master that they came back to him.
When the two ascetics asked for the permission from the Buddha to be
ordained as bhikkhus, the Buddha said, "Come here, bhikkhus" They became
bhikkhus simultaneously. Kolita became an arahat after seven days of his arrival and
Upatissa after fifteen days. Upatissa became the right hand chief disciple under the name
of Sariputta who got the title of 'Etadagga'- "the Best One in Wisdom." Kolita
became the left-hand chief disciple under the name of Maha Moggallana who got the title of
'Etadagga'- the Best One in Supernatural power.
The
Very First Congregation of the Sangha Order
On the fullmoon day of Tapotwe
(about February), 1250 Ehi bhikkhu arahats, who were endowed with the higher psychic
power, gathered together at the Veluvana monastery. That was the very first Congregation
of the Sangha Order. At this congregation the Venerable Sariputta was conferred the
position of the Right-hand Chief Disciple of the Buddha and the Venerable Maha Moggallana,
the Left-hand Chief Disciple of the. Buddha. According to the tradition of the former
Buddhas the Buddha admonished the bhikkhus, reciting the three verses beginning with
"Khanti Paramam tapo titikka. etc." meaning: "The best moral practice is
patience and forbearance," in the assembly of the Sangha Order.
- The Buddha's Journey
To Kapilavatthu
- Sending the Ministers
The Buddha together with a great
many of bhikkhu disciples was residing at the Veluvana Monastery in Rajagaha. As soon as
the King Suddhodhana heard about that he sent a minister together with one thousand
attendants to invite the Buddha to Kapilavatthu.
When the king's heralds arrived there, the Buddha was preaching the
dhamma. They were listening to the dhamma behind the audience. At the end of the
discourse, they all became arahats. Neither did they convey their message to the Buddha
nor did they reply the message to the King as they all were absorbed in the blissful peace
of Nibbana.
Not receiving any reply, the king sent another minister with one
thousand attendants. They also became arahats like previous ones and made no effort to
reply any message to the king. In the same way. nine ministers and their attendants became
arahats. Finally, the king sent the most trustworthy minister, Kaludayi, and one thousand
attendants. He agreed to go on condition that he be allowed to enter the Order of Sangha.
The king gave them his consent.
Inviting
the Buddha
Kaludayi and his followers also
became arahats. He respectfully requested the Buddha to come and gratify his father as
well as his relatives.
It was the pleasant and peaceful month of Tabaung (March): the weather
was neither too cold nor too hot; withered leaves fell from trees and leafy shoots sprang
up, grains and crops had just been harvested; roads were smooth and even and good for
travel. Colourful flowers were also blooming along the roads. Venerable Kaludayi composed
and uttered sixty four lyric verses describing the natural beauty of the surroundings and
requested the Buddha to go to Kapilavatthu.
On the first waning day of Tabaung, the Buddha together with 20
thousand arahats left Rajagaha for Kapilavatthu. The distance between these two countries
was sixty yojanas (480 miles) and they went one yojana a day. So it took them two months
to reach Kapilavatthu. Venerable Kaludayi made his journey in the air by his higher
psychic power and let the king know the Buddha's itinerary. On seeing him, the King was
very pleased and felt delighted.
The king offered alms-food to Venerable Kaludayi. He said to the king:
"The alms-food should be offered not only to me but also to the Buddha." On
hearing that the king felt more pleased and delighted and offered alms food for the
Buddha. Venerable Kaludayi, informing the king where the Buddha and his disciples were,
took the alms-food offered by the king to the Buddha daily. On the first waning day of
Kason (May), the Buddha and his disciples arrived at Kapilavatthu.
Inviting
the Buddha to the Nigrodharama Monastery
King Suddhodhana and his relatives
made discussion to welcome the Buddha and his disciples. They decided that the Prince
Nigrodha's park was suitable for the Buddha and his disciples to reside because it was of
good shade, of enough water, tranquil and neither too near nor too far from the city. The
relatives, being well-dressed and holding fragrant flowers, heartily welcomed the Buddha
and his disciples. They then invited them to the monastery in the Nigrodha park in a grand
ceremony.
Dispelling
the Conceit of the Sakyan Princes
The Sakyan elders were reluctant to
pay homage to the Buddha who was of the age of their nephews and sons. Therefore, they put
the Sakyan children nearer to the Buddha and they themselves sat at the back, without
paying due respect to the Buddha
The Buddha created the great jewelled walk in the sky to dispel the
conceit of the Sakyan relatives and walked to and fro so as to display the miraculous
powers of the Buddhas. The devas and brahmas from the ten thousand worlds came in mass and
paid homage to the Buddha. While walking, the brilliant rays of white colour were emitted
from the body of the Buddha. The rays were so brilliant that the whole universe was
illuminated splendidly. When the audience was beholding the Buddha with great awe and
veneration, the six hues such as the brown hues from such parts of body as hair and
eyebrow. the red hues from the red parts of body such as lips, palms and sole, the yellow
hues from the fair complexion and the white hues from the white parts of body such as
forty teeth including four eyeteeth and so on, were emitted continuously.
While human beings, the devas and brahmas were admiring the six hues in
surprise, the Buddha repeatedly emanated the twin miracles: the flow of water from his
right eye and the blaze of flame from the left. On seeing these miracles, the Sakyan
elders became humble and paid homage heartily to the Buddha Even though they paid homage
again and again, they were not fully satisfied yet.
Then the king Suddhodana told the Buddha thus:
1. "Oh. Venerable Son! When I made you pay homage to my teacher,
Kaladevila recluse, on the very day when you were born, your two feet flew aloft and
rested on the recluse's head. When I saw that I paid homage to you for the first
time."
2. "On the day of the royal ploughing ceremony, you were put to
sleep in the shade of Eugenia. tree. Though the time passed and the sun moved westward,
the shade over you did not move at all. I found you sitting in meditation on breathing and
well absorbed in the first jhanic bliss. When I saw that I paid homage to you for the
second time."
3. "Oh Venerable Son! Now I come to behold your miraculous power
which I have never seen before. And so I pay homage to you for the third time."
Narration
of the Chronicle of the Buddhas
While the Buddha was displaying
various kinds of miracles to his relatives, Venerable Sariputta was residing at Mount
Gijjhakuta near Rajagaha together with his five hundred disciples. Venerable Sariputta
observed, with his divine eye, the miracles displayed by the Buddha.
At that moment a strong desire occurred in his mind to request the
Buddha to narrate his life story so that men, devas and brahmas would understand how hard
it was to become a Buddha, how involved it was to fulfil the ten perfections and how great
the Buddha's power was. Then he went to the Buddha through space together with his five
hundred disciples.
He paid homage to the Buddha and requested him to narrate the chronicle
of the Buddhas. Complying to the request, the Buddha narrated the chronicle of the Buddhas
as he walked up and down in the jewelled passage created in the sky. During the narration
all the twenty-thousand bhikkhus together with Venerable Sariputta and his disciples
remained in the sky near the Buddha listening respectfully to the narration. At the end of
the narration, ten million lakhs of devas and brahmas became Arahats and countless numbers
of people became Stream-winners. Once-returners and No-returners.
After the discourse, the Buddha descended from the jewelled passage and
resided at the holy place of the Buddha among his relatives. At that moment Pokkharavassa
rain fell wetting only those who wanted to be soaked. The audience was surprised and
talked about that amazing rain. In connection to this event, the Buddha narrated the
Jataka story of Vessantara.
Going
Alms-round in Kapilavatthu
All the relatives returned home
after hearing the discourse. Nobody invited the Buddha for alms-food in the next morning.
Although King Suddhodana made a plan to offer the Buddha alms-food in his palace, he did
not invite the Buddha. So in the next morning, the Buddha together with his disciples went
round the city for collecting alms-food in the tradition of the former Buddhas. People
looked in amazement and venerated the Buddha who was surrounded with six kinds of
radiations emanating from his body. Yasodara, Rahula's mother, was watching the Buddha
from her chamber and she saw him begging for food from house to house. So she was
overwhelmed with grief. She also held her son in her arms and pointed to the Buddha
saying. "That is your father!"
Yasodara immediately went to the King and informed him about the Buddha
going on alms-round. The King quickly went to the Buddha and told him that it was not
proper for a royal prince to beg for food from house to house. The Buddha said that it was
the traditional practice of all the former Buddhas to go on alms-round from house to house
for collecting alms-food. On hearing these words, the King became a Stream-winner. Then he
took the alms-bowl from the Buddha and invited the Buddha and his disciples to the palace
for alms-food.
All the royal relatives, except Yasodara, gathered together. The
Buddha, sitting on the well-prepared seat, preached that the practice of collecting
alms-food from house to house was the right livelihood which brought great benefit in the
present as well as in future existences. On hearing this account, the king became a
Sakadagami (Once - returner) and the queen Mahapajapati Gotami became a Stream - winner.
Going
to Yasodara's Chamber
After taking alms-food, the Buddha,
followed by Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Mahamoggallana, went to Yasodara's Chamber.
The king also followed them, carrying the Buddha's alms-bowl. When Yasodara saw the Buddha
coming, she told her attendants to wear brown-coloured dress dyed with the barks of tree
and to welcome and pay homage to the Buddha. The Buddha sat on the well-prepared place and
told the King not to make any disturbance to Yasodara when she came to pay homage to him.
Coming swiftly out of her Chamber, she clasped his feet in her hands, and placed her
forehead on his instep. Then she could not utter a word and paid homage heartily to the
Buddha with tears. When the king saw that scene, he became so emotional that he could not
conceal the virtues of Yasodhara and said to the Buddha:
"My Revered Son, when my daughter heard that you were wearing the
brown-coloured robe, she wore the same dress too. When she heard that you were taking one
meal a day. she also did the same. When she heard that you did not use the luxurious beds,
she slept only on a couch made of flat ropes. When she heard that you avoided garlands and
scents, she did so. When her relatives sent messages to say that they would maintain her,
she did not even look at a single one and she lay all her affection on you".
At the end of the King's words, the Buddha narrated the story of
Candakinnri Jataka in honour of Yasodara's great affection and fidelity.
The
Ordination of Younger Brother and Son
On the third day of Buddha's
arrival at Kapilavatthu, there were three ceremonies in the same day: the wedding ceremony
of Prince Nanda and Janapadakalyani, the consecration ceremony and the house warming
ceremony. It was on the occasion of these three ceremonies that the Buddha visited the
palace and took alms-food. After that the Buddha handed over his alms-bowl to the prince
and gave the words of blessing. Then he went back to the monastery without taking his
alms-bowl. The prince Nanda had to follow him carrying his alms bowl. Janapadakalyani
appealed to the prince:
"Please, come back quickly, my dear!" These words made Prince
Nanda deeply moved. But he dared not return the alms-bowl to the Buddha. So he had to
follow him unwillingly.
When they reached the monastery Prince Nanda was ordained as a bhikkhu
but he found no delight in bhikkhuhood. One day, the Buddha took him to the Tavatimsa
celestial realm. On the way they found a she-monkey in the forest. When they reached the
Tavatimsa celestial realm, the Buddha showed him beautiful angels. Then the Buddha asked
him, "Who is more beautiful, Janapadakalyani or the angels?" He answered,
"My Janapadakalyani is just like the she-monkey which we found on
the way. "Then the Buddha asked whether he wished to get the angels. The prince gave
a reply that he wanted to get them. The Buddha continued saying,"If you wish to get
the angels, you should practise according to the Dhamma." Wishing to get the angels,
Venerable Nanda kept on meditating and at last he became an arahat.
On the seventh day, when the Buddha went to the palace to take
alms-food. Yasodara made her seven-year-old son Rahula well-dressed and sent him to the
Buddha to ask for inheritance. The inheritance she meant was the four pots of gold lost on
the day of the Bodhisatta's renunciation. These four pots of gold were included in the
group of seven which appeared at the same time with the birth of the Bodhisatta (the Group
of seven here means Princess Yosodhaya, Prince Ananda, minister Kaludayi, Channa, the
horse Kantaka, the Bodhi Tree and the four pots of gold. When the Buddha returned to the
Nigrodharama monastery after having alms-food, Rahula followed the Buddha grasping his
robe and asking for the inheritance repeatedly. On reaching the monastery, the Buddha
asked the Venerable Sariputta to novitiate Rahula saying that he should be giving the
spiritual inheritance instead of the material one.
Part I
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