The Buddha's Visit to Rajagaha

From "The Teachings of the Buddha"

Ministry of Religious Affairs, Myanmar

1998

The Buddha's Visit to Rajagaha

         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.

Suddhodana's Worries about the Sakyan Dynasty

          On hearing of the novitiation of his grand son, King Suddhodana became worried and went to the Buddha hastily. He said to the Buddha thus: "My Revered Son, according to the Brahmins' prophesy, I wished to see you as the Universal Monarch. However, when you gave up the throne and renounced the world. I felt deeply distressed."

          When Prince Nanda was born, the Brahmins predicted about him just as they did about you. So I was relieved and expected him to succeed me. But when you ordained him, I was down-hearted and terribly sorry again."

         'Now, you have novitiated my dearest grandson, Rahula, who will become the future Universal Monarch Therefore I cannot see my grandson enjoying the wealth of a Universal Monarch. The Sakyan Dynasty will be ruined, said the King in despair.

         On the eighth day the King told the Buddha, 'When one deva told me that you died while practising meditation, I did not believe his words". The Buddha replied. "You did not accept the words concerning my death not only in the present time but also in some past existence". Emphasizing this fact, the Buddha narrated the story of Mahadhammapala Jataka. On hearing that, the king became a Non-returner. After that over one thousand Sakyan princes such as Bhaddiya, Anuruddha, Ananda, Bhagu, Kimila, Devadatta and the barber Upali, etc., entered the order of bhikkhus, one group after another.

          In the fifth year of his Enlightenment. five hundred Sakyan princesses led by Mahapajapati Gotami entered the order of bhikkhunis. After that the other Sakyan princesses such as Yasodara, Janapadakalyani, Kisagotami, etc., followed suit. In this way, the Buddha's teaching flourished more and more with great momentum.

Anathapindika and Visakha

          During the life time of the Buddha. the population of Savatthi, Kosala Country, was about seventy millions. Of these, fifty millions were Ariyas and the remaining twenty millions were worldlings. Anathapindika and Visakha were the two well-known upholders of the Buddha's Teaching.

Anathapindika, the Donor of Jetavana Monastery

          Anathapindika's family-name was Sudatta. He married Punna Lakkhana, the younger sister of Visala a wealthy man of Rajagaha. They had one son, Kala. and three daughters: Maha Subhadda, Culasubhadda and Sumana. While the Buddha was spending the second rainy season at Rajagaha, Anathapindika met the Buddha on his visit to Rajagaha. There he became a Stream-winner, He invited the Buddha to come and reside at Savatthi.

         Anathapindika bought Prince Jeta's garden which cost eighteen crores. There he built a great monastery known as Jetavana. The construction of many buildings including the fragrant Chamber (gandhakuti) was carried out by one thousand workers in six months. He spent eighteen crores to construct that monastery. After the monastery had been constructed, he invited the Buddha and held the splendid ceremony of pouring donation water. That ceremony also cost eighteen crores. He offered alms-food to two thousand bhikkhus daily.

         On every sabbath day, all his servants had to observe eight moral precepts. Even the sucklings were not allowed to suckle in the afternoon. Their mouths were sponged and they were given only electuary instead of milk. He donated altogether fifty-four crores for the welfare of the Buddha's Sasana (Buddha's Teaching).

          At the houses of Anathapindika and Visakha accommodation for one thousand bhikkhus each and four kinds of material requisites were always kept ready to be offered to bhikkhus whenever necessary.

Visakha, the Donor of the Pubbarama

         Visakha was the daughter of Dhananjaya. the wealthy man from Saketa, and the grandaughter of Mendaka. She attained Sotapatti Fruition at the age of seven. She was married to Punnavaddhana ,the son of wealthy Migara. Her father gave her an immensely valuable gem-encrusted cloak as a wedding present. That cloak was made of pure gold weighing one thousand nikkhas and it cost nine crores. When it was put on, it reached down to her instep. Her father gave her jewels and other properties. After giving admonition to her, he let her follow her husband to Savatthi.

          Although her father-in-law formerly was a firm follower of the Nigantha ascetic, her effort led him to take refuge in the Buddha. Therefore, she came to be known as Migaramata, mother of Migara. She lived up to a hundred and twenty years; hut nobody could find any sign of ageing in her, and she looked young for ever.

          One day when Visakha went to the Jetavana Monastery to listen to the discourse of the Buddha, she took her cloak off at the entrance of the monastery and gave it to the maid to keep it. When they returned home alter hearing the discourse, the maid left it at the monastery. The Venerable Ananda found it and kept it. Visakha thought that her cloak should be donated to the bhikkhus. Although she decided to sell the bejeweled cloak, there war no one who could afford to buy it. So, she assessed the value of the cloak at nine crores. Then she had the Pubbrama monastery built just as Anathapindika built the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi. It was on the eastern side of the city and had an area of fourteen acres. She paid nine crores for that patch of land. It took nine months to finish the construction which cost nine crores. She spent nine crores for the donation ceremony. Therefore, she donated altogether twenty-seven crores for the Buddha's Sasana. On account of supporting Four Requisites to the Sasana, Anathapindika was conferred the position of "Etadagga", the most Generous Male-lay-devotees in charity, and Visakha, the position of "Etadagga", the Most Generous Female-lay-devotees in Charity.

          The Buddha resided at the Jetavana monastery for nineteen years out of his forty-five years of Buddhahood. Therefore, most of his discourses were expounded at Jetavana. The Buddha resided at the Pubbrama monastery for six years.

          At whichever place he resided, the Buddha performed his daily routine-duties in five portions.