The Illustrated History of Buddhism
(The Great Cronicles of Lord Buddha)
By Ashin Janaka Bhivamsa (Aggamahapandita)
Part Three
(33) King Kosala Asking The Heretical Teachers If Any Of Them Claim To Be The Buddha
Even before the Blessed One had attained the Supreme Enlightenment of a Buddha, there were six heretical teachers who wandered about towns and villages and deceived many people by professing themselves to be Buddhas. When they arrived at Savatthi, the ministers who had faith in these wandering ascetics informed King Kosala that their teachers were all Buddhas. King Kosala said to the ministers, "Please invite your teachers yourselves and bring them to this palace".
When these heretical teachers arrived at the palace, they dared not sit upon the magnificent seat of the king and some of them sat upon the floor, while others sat on the carpets. The King saw how they were seated and guessed that none of them could be the Buddha. He asked them a direct question, "Do you admit that you are the Buddha or deny it?" They frankly admitted, "We are not the Buddha". They were then allowed to leave the palace in peace.
(34) King Kosala Asking The Blessed One Whether He Admit Himself To Be The Buddha
King Kosala then said. "Even elderly teachers of sects such as Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Nigantha Nataputta, Sanjaya Belatthaputta, Pakudha Kaccayana, Ajita Kesakambala, do not admit themselves to be the Buddha. Why should you Venerable Gotama, since you are younger than those teachers, admit that you are the Buddha?" The Buddha said, "A Prince, a fire, a snake and a virtuous monk should not be treated lightly with disrespect though small".
(35) Venerable Moggallana Taming The King Of Dragons, Nandopananda
Nandopananda, king of the dragons, was dwelling on Mount Meru in magnificent splendour and luxury like a god. He was full of anger. One day while he was in the midst of his pleasures surrounded by dancing female dragons, the Buddha, together with a retinue of monks with supernatural powers, traveled by air to Tavatimsa heaven and passed over their heads. This made the king of the dragons very angry, and he coiled his body round Mount Meru and Tavatimsa heaven and covered them.
In the midst of their aerial journey, the holy monks could not see Tavatimsa heaven which was covered by the dragon-king. They knew this and asked the Blessed One to allow them to tame him, but did not get the permission. Only the Venerable Moggallana got the permission when he requested the Buddha. He then turned himself into a dragon, with a body much larger than that of the dragon-king, and coiling himself round the dragon-king's body, began to crush him down. By this and other means he tamed the dragon-king and taught him a good lesson. He then brought him to the Blessed One and made him take refuge in the triple gem, namely, the Buddha, the Doctrine and the Order of Monks.
(36) The Buddha Causing Baka Brahma, A Higher God, To Change His Wrong Views
Baka Brahma was the chief of the first realm of higher gods. He was of the view that his realm was the highest and that he himself and his realm were everlasting, not knowing that there were higher realms above his own. The Blessed One visited the Brahma world and in the midst of an assembly of higher gods pointed out to Baka Brahma, "There are realms of higher gods above yours. The whole Brahma world of higher gods including your realm is not permanent".
Then the Blessed One continued his discourse to Baka Brahma by saying, "I know how you have come into being and what your powers are. But, there are higher gods superior to you in status and power". Finding that all his views were wrong, Baka wished to show his own powers and said. "I will make myself invisible". He made several attempts to become invisible, but without success. The Blessed One then said, "I will now show you that I can make myself invisible", and instantly the Buddha disappeared from view and preached to him a sermon while remaining invisible.
(37) The Buddha And The Venerable Ananda, Washing A Monk Suffering From Dysentery
One monk was suffering from dysentery. As he did not wait upon others, there was no one to wait upon him. The Buddha, accompanied by the Venerable Ananda, went round inspecting the buildings of the monastery and saw the ailing monk sleeping in filth. Immediately the Blessed One sent the Venerable Ananda to fetch water and Himself poured water while the Venerable Ananda scrubbed and cleaned him.
The Buddha and the Venerable Ananda thus did their duty of ministering to the sick. Having washed and cleaned the monk, the Blessed One held him by the head, while the Venerable Ananda took hold of his feet and placed him on a couch. The Buddha had the monks assembled and exhorted them thus:—"You have no parents nearby to wait upon you, and if you do not wait upon one another, who will do so?" And then the Blessed One admonished them as follows:— "Whosoever, Brethren, would wait upon me, he should wait upon the sick".
(38) Conversion By The Buddha Of Angulimala, A Robber Of The Forest
Angulimala was the son of the Kings Chaplain of the Savatthi City, and a student of the Taxila University. The teacher and his wife were very fond of him, as he was a brilliant, clever and faithful pupil. Unfortunately his associated grew jealous of him, made up a false story and succeeded in setting the teacher against him. The enraged teacher, suspecting him to have had an affair with his wife contrived to put an end to his life by ordering him to fetch a thousand fingers as a present in return for the education he received.
In obedience to the teacher, he took to the forest of Savatthi and started killing people to collect fingers for the necessary offering. Later he wore a garland of these fingers to ascertain the number—hence the name Angulimala. When he had collected 999 fingers, and was ready to complete the number he chased his own mother who came out to ask him to desist from killing. The Buddha saw this in advance and appeared on the scene to prevent him from killing his mother. He chased the Buddha to kill Him, but could not overtake Him on account of His supernatural power. He was eventually converted to the noble Doctrine of the Buddha and was admitted into the Order.
(39) Angulimala Reciting A Paritta Blessing For A Woman In The Throes Of Childbirth
Angulimala led a peaceful life after he had become a monk. But most of the people were still scared of him and dared not approach him on his alms-round. He therefore found it difficult to get enough food for his meals. One day as he went on his alms-round, he saw a woman in the throes of childbirth. Moved by compassion, he reported this pathetic case to the Buddha who then taught him the Angulimala Paritta in Pali which means:—" Sister, from the day I was born of the Noble Birth, (i.e., since my Ordination), I have not consciously deprived any living being of life. By this truth may health be to thee and thy unborn child".
He studied this Paritta, and going to the presence of the suffering sister sat on a seat separated from her by a screen and made this asseveration by reciting the Paritta in Pali. Instantly she was delivered of the child with great ease. After that he had enough food on his alms-rounds and was contented and happy.
(40) Cinca-Manavika, A Female Ascetic, Making A False Accusation Against The Buddha
There dwelt in Savatthi city, a female ascetic called Cinca-manavika, who was as pretty as a goddess. The heretical teachers, who did not get enough alms and were envious of the Buddha attempted to destroy His reputation by setting her to make a false accusation against Him. She wrapped a scarlet shawl round her and pretended to pay visits to the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery at nightfall, though, as a matter of fact, she slept at the monastery of the heretical teachers, and at day break she entered the city as if she was coming back from the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery.
In this way she caused doubts to arise in the minds of devotees returning in the evening from the monastery after hearing a sermon from the Buddha, and those who were going there early in the morning to pay their respects to the Buddha. After a period of about nine months she placed a wooden knob against her stomach and tied it with an apron round her body to make it appear that she was big with child. Then she approached the Buddha who was preaching and made a false and wicked accusation thus: "Why have you not prepared my confinement room?" The gods appeared as mice and bit loose the apron round her body, when the knob of wood fell before the audience, and she was given a sound beating and driven away.
(41) The Buddha Preaching To Khema, Queen Of King Bimbisara
The daughter of King Maddaraja of Sagala State, by the name of Khema, was one of the queens of King Bimbisara. She was very pretty and being proud of her own beauty, had no wish to go to the Buddha, who was in the habit of preaching that "beauty is but skin deep". But she heard that Veluvana Park had been greatly improved and was looking so picturesque and pleasant that even gods were attracted by it. She therefore had a strong wish to visit it and went to the park where the Buddha was then in residence.
King Bimbisara had told the attendants to see that the Queen should not come back without paying her respects to the Buddha. She dared not disobey the King and approached the Buddha before she left the Park. The Blessed One, with his superhuman power created a scene in which a woman, more handsome than the queen, was fanning him. The woman then becoming older and older, fell down through infirmity and began to moan. The queen was very much startled by the sight. The Buddha then preached a sermon to her, and she became an Arahant and was admitted into the Holy Order of Nuns.
(42) The Buddha Preaching The Sermon Of Peace From The Air To Prevent War Between Kapila And Koliya
Rohini river lying between Kapilavatthu and Koliya was the main source of water supply for these two cities to irrigate their lands for growing crops. At one time, when the crops became dry, the farmers from both cities went to draw water from the river when there was very little water and just enough left for them to take once only. A quarrel arose over it and there was an exchange of hot words touching the fair name of the Sakya clan. The Ministers including the one in charge of agriculture became so angry that they decided to settle this matter by battle and both sides sallied forth for a fight.
The Buddha saw, with the eye of a Buddha, that there would be much blood-shed if the relatives of both sides engaged in battle. He, therefore, went alone and sat cross-legged in the air midway between the armed forces of both sides. When they saw the Blessed One in the air, the armed forces of both sides, who were all kinsmen, laid down their arms and paid homage to Him. The Buddha then admonished them by preaching a sermon of peace saying, "Are you going to destroy your priceless lives for the sake of a little bit of worthless water?"
(43) The Buddha Preaching To Kisa Gotami Asking For Medicine For Her Dead Son
Kisa Gotami was the wife of a wealthy man of Savatthi worth 40 crores. She had an only son who died when he was just able to run about. She had never seen any death and, thinking that her son was only ill, did not cremate him. In her distress she took him in her arms and went about asking for medicine.
One wise man thought that no one but the Buddha would know of any, and sent her to Him. Kisa Gotami showed her dead son and asked the Buddha to give the medicine that would cure her boy. The Buddha answered: " I shall cure your boy if you get some mustard seeds from a house where no one has died". Carrying her dead son, she wondered from door to door. But she could not find any house where no death had occurred. At last she began to learn the truth, "No house is free from death". She went to a wood, laid her child there and returned to the Buddha, who comforted her by preaching to her the truth. She was established in the first holy stage of the Aryan Path, and was admitted into the Order of Nuns. She eventually became an Arahant.
(44) The Buddha Taming Ala Vaka, The Demon-God, With A Sermon On Loving-Kindness
There stood a giant banyan tree at a distance of a little more than three miles from Alavi city. Alavaka, the demon-god had his dwelling in that tree. One night Alavaka was attending a meeting of gods at the Himalayas, when the Buddha entered his dwelling in order to tame this cruel monster. The door-keeper of the dwelling, a deity, paying homage to the Buddha, said, "May I go and seek permission from Alavaka for you to enter his dwelling?" So saying, he went to the meeting of gods to get the permission.
At that moment, Alavaka who had to keep his anger in check became furious when he heard from other gods about the arrival of the Buddha at his dwelling. He left the meeting at once and jumped on to the dizzy heights of Kelasa Mountain, and shouted out this challenge:
"Alavaka am I!" Then throughout the night he flung all sorts of weapons at the Blessed One who was not hurt at all because of his infinite power of loving-kindness. Then Alavaka approached the Buddha who tamed him peacefully with a sermon on Loving-Kindness.
(45) A General, A Fresh Convert To Buddhism, Offering Meals To The Buddha
A General called "Siha" of Vesali was an important lay devotee of the teacher known as Nigantha Nataputta. He heard of the virtues of the three gems namely, the Buddha, the Doctrine and the Order from a gathering of Licchavi princes. Accordingly he asked his teacher to allow him to go to the Buddha, but was not allowed to go. He asked for permission for the second time but it was again refused. On the third occasion, however, without asking for permission he proceeded to where the Buddha was, with many followers in five hundred chariots.
When he came to where the Buddha was he asked the Buddha several questions on points which were not clear to him and was thoroughly satisfied with the answers given. He then said, "I take my refuge, Lord, in the Buddha, the Doctrine and the Order. May the Lord receive me as a disciple who, from this day forth while his life lasts, has taken his refuge in them?". After that the General requested the Buddha to visit his house on the morrow together with his retinue of monks to partake of food. He then, out of a very generous heart, served them with an excellent meal the next morning at his house.
(46) Devadatta's Plan To Get More Alms By Winning Over Ajatasattu
(46) Devadatta's Plan To Get More Alms By Winning Over Ajatasattu
Soon after he had ordained as a monk, Venerable Devadatta practised meditation and attained superhuman power and even the six higher psychic powers. Because he possessed those powers he wanted to become a rival and take the Buddha's place as the leader. Being eager for gain and honour he thought he would achieve his purpose by winning over Prince Ajatasattu, still a youth but with sure prospects of accession to the throne.
Devadatta assumed the form of a lad with a girdle of snakes, and terrified Ajatasattu by appearing in his lap. He then comforted the Prince saying, "Oh, Prince, don't get alarmed. I am the person known as Venerable Devadatta." He then assumed his proper form as a monk with the bowl and robes, and stood in front of the prince. Ajatasattu marveling at the wonder paid him great honour, and sent him 500 dishes daily. Devadatta secured more than enough alms according to his original plan.
(47) Prince Ajatasattu Ordering That The Soles Of His Father's Feet Be Cut Open With A Knife
Venerable Devadatta instigated Prince Ajatasattu to kill his father King Bimbisara as he thought that, if the Prince became King in succession to his father, he would be able to take the place of the Buddha. The Prince was of the view that whatever his teacher Devadatta said was good, and was on his way to carry out his plan to murder his father. His father questioned him and the Prince admitted that he plotted to kill him because he wanted to become King. King Bimbisara gave up the throne in his favour.
After that, Venerable Devadatta told him that he would be able to rule without any risk of losing the throne only if his father was no longer alive. Prince Ajatasattu was impressed with this suggestion. But he did nor wish to kill his father straightway. So he caused his father to be cast in prison. At first, the Princes mother, the Queen was permitted to visit the King in person and he could lake his meals. But, finally, the Queen was not permitted to visit the King any more, and the King kept himself fit by walking up and down inside the prison. Ajatasattu, however, ordered that the soles of the King's feet be cut open with a knife so that he could not walk.
(48) King Ajatasattu Asking His Mother Whether His Father Loved Him
King Bimbisara died soon after the soles of his feet had been cut open with a knife. At the same time a son had been born to King Ajatasattu. The courtiers brought two messages: one, about the death of his father and the other about the birth of his son. They first presented him the message about the birth of his son. Love sprang in his heart upon his new-born son, right from the very marrow of his bones. He then began to have sympathy for his father, placing himself in the position of his father with regard to himself when he was a baby.
He, therefore, gave the order :- "Set free my father at once". But the courtiers presented to him the message of his father's death, and he regretted very much for his hasty action. He, therefore, went to his mother and asked her, "Mother, did my father love me when I was a baby?" The Queen Mother then said, "What a question you have asked'?" When you were young and had a sore called willow in your finger, your father kept it inside his mouth. The sore burst inside his mouth and pus came out ; even then instead of spitting the matter out he swallowed it lest it would cause you pain by taking the finger out". When she said this, both the mother and the son wept together.
To be continued in Part 4