Buddha's Life # 5 - Explosion of Enlightenment

A series of teachings given on Pilgrimage in India, #5 covers the rapid growth in the order as 1000 ascetics become Enlightened listening to the Fire Sermon.

Transcript

So here we are,

Last full day in Bodhgaya.

I often hear among Thai people who come to Bodhgaya,

They often say they understand why Lord Buddha had to be enlightened in India.

Because there's so much dukkha,

So easy to see dukkha.

It's very often said by Thai people.

And I believe this is a misunderstanding because India,

2500 years ago,

Was a very,

Very different place.

And what I'll read to you now from the life of the Buddha will give us some sense for what an extraordinary place.

This place that we're in now was called Uruvela,

And where we're going tomorrow was the seat of the kingdom,

Magadha.

King Vimrissara was a very spiritual person,

A very pure-hearted,

Sincere leader,

And so was his following.

And in this area,

Just a couple of days ago,

You remember we were at the place where Sujata offered the milk rice to the Bodhisattva.

That was also the place near the Goats Herd Banyan Tree,

Not far from there on the banks of the Niranjana River in Gaya in those days,

Which was in the Uruvela district.

The fire-worshipping,

Matted hair ascetics.

So there were three groups of them,

One group of 200,

One group of 300,

Another group of 500.

And with one teaching by the Lord Buddha,

All thousand of those summoners became Arahants.

So just to remind ourselves that the spiritual calibre,

The Barami,

The level of refinement and sophistication of the people in this very part of India 2,

500 years ago is extraordinary.

And then when the Buddha went to Rajgir after he taught those summoners who became Bhikkhus after becoming Arahants,

The king met the Buddha when he came into the kingdom,

And 120,

000 Brahmins personally came to greet the Lord Buddha as he walked into Rajgir city.

So just to have a sense of how amazing that is,

120,

000 of the leaders of a city coming personally to meet the Buddha and then the king served the monks with his own hands.

So I imagine it as being a time of incredible refinement and sophistication.

And also in terms of nature,

There would have been many less people.

So I imagine that the Bodhi tree would have been,

There would have been streams and deer and a very quiet grove probably.

Now when you drive around Gaya and Rajgir,

It's very dusty,

There's not many trees left.

When I think there was once the Buddha was leaving Rajgir with Ananda and they looked back on the beautiful rice fields and forest groves and the Buddha commented on how beautiful it was.

So it's a reflection on impermanence,

Just how much things can change.

In 2,

500 years is a long time.

But it was,

Still is an extraordinary place,

But very extraordinary things happened here.

And I'll read a little bit about it now.

At this point in the Buddha's life story,

He's attained enlightenment,

He's thought about how to formulate teachings,

He's walked to Isipatana,

Nisana,

Near Varanasi,

He's taught those five ascetics in a deer park.

They all became Arhants.

Then he taught Yasa,

The merchant's son,

And then Yasa's friends,

And then he comes back to the Gaya area,

Intending to teach the matted hair ascetics.

The Blessed One journeyed on by stages till he at length arrived at Uruvela.

Now at that time,

Three matted hair ascetics were living at Uruvela called Kasapa of Uruvela,

Kasapa of the River,

And Kasapa of Gaya.

Kasapa of Uruvela was the leader,

Guide,

Chief,

Head,

And principal of 500 matted hair ascetics.

Kasapa of the River of 300,

And Kasapa of Gaya of 200.

The Blessed One went to the hermitage of Kasapa of Uruvela and he said,

Kasapa,

If you have no objection,

I should like to spend one night in your fire chamber.

I have no objection,

Great monk,

But there is a savage royal naga,

Serpent,

There.

He has supernormal powers.

He is a venomous,

Fearfully poisonous,

And capable of killing you.

The Blessed One asked a second time and a third time and received the same reply.

He said,

Perhaps he will not destroy me,

Kasapa,

So grant me the fire chamber.

Then stay there as long as you like,

Great monk.

So in general,

The Buddha would not show his psychic powers in front of lay people,

But sometimes in front of other summoners.

If it was appropriate,

He was less reluctant,

As you are about to see.

So the Blessed One went into the fire chamber.

He spread out a rush mat and sat down,

Folding his legs crosswise,

Setting his body erect,

And establishing mindfulness in front of him.

When the naga saw the Blessed One come in,

He was angry,

And he produced smoke.

Then the Blessed One thought,

Suppose I counter his fire by fire without injuring his outer skin or inner skin or flesh or sinews or bones or marrow,

And he did so,

And he produced smoke.

Then the naga,

No longer restraining his fury,

Produced flames.

The Blessed One entered upon the fire element and produced flames too.

The fire chamber seemed to burn and blaze and glow with their flames.

The matted hair ascetics gathered around and they said,

The great monk who is beautiful is being destroyed by the naga.

When the night was over,

The Blessed One had countered the naga's fire by fire without injuring him.

He put him into his bowl and showed him to Uruvela Kasapa.

This is your naga,

Kasapa.

His fire has been countered by fire.

And Uruvela Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since he is able to counter by fire the fire of the savage royal naga,

Serpent with supernormal powers who is venomous,

Fearfully poisonous.

But he is not an arahant like me.

The Blessed One then went to live in a wood not far from Kasapa's hermitage.

When the night was well advanced,

The four divine kings,

Marvelous to see and illuminating the whole wood,

Went to the Blessed One and after paying homage to him they stood at the four quarters like pillars of fire.

When the night was over,

The matted hair ascetic Uruvela Kasapa went to the Blessed One and said,

It is time,

Great monk,

The meal is ready.

Who were those that came to you in the night?

They were the divine kings of the four quarters,

Kasapa.

They came to me to hear the Dhamma.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since the divine kings come to him to hear him teach Dhamma,

But he is not an arahant like me.

On subsequent nights,

Saka,

Ruler of the gods,

And Brahma Sahamputi came to the Blessed One.

They were seen by Kasapa and the sequel was the same.

It was at this time that Uruvela Kasapa's great sacrificial ceremony fell due and people from all Anga and Magadha came eagerly bringing large quantities of various kinds of food.

Then Kasapa thought,

Now my great sacrificial ceremony falls due and people from all Anga and Magadha are coming eagerly bringing large quantities of various kinds of food.

If the great monk works a marvel before all these people,

His gain and renown will increase and mine will diminish.

If only the great monk were not to come tomorrow.

The Blessed One became aware in his mind of the thought in Kasapa's mind,

So he went to the northern continent of Uttarakuru and gathered alms food there.

Then he took the alms food to the Himalayan lake of Anottata where he ate it and passed the day.

When the night was over,

Kasapa went to the Blessed One and said,

It is time great monk,

The meal is ready.

Why did the great monk not come yesterday?

We wondered why you did not come.

What portion of food was laid out?

The Blessed One told him,

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since he was aware in his mind of the thought in my mind.

But he is not an Arahant like me.

When the Blessed One had eaten Uribella Kasapa's meal,

He went back to live in the same wood.

Now at that time a refuse rag came into the Blessed One's possession and he thought,

What shall I wash the refuse rag on?

Then Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Became aware in his mind of the thought in the Blessed One's mind.

He scooped out a pond with his hand and he told the Blessed One,

Lord,

Let the Blessed One wash the refuse rag here.

Next the Blessed One thought,

What shall I beat the refuse rag on?

Then Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Aware in his mind of the thought in the Blessed One's mind,

Set down a large stone.

Let the Blessed One beat the refuse rag here.

Next the Blessed One thought,

What shall I hang the refuse rag on?

Then a deity living in a Kakuta tree bent down a branch.

Lord let the Blessed One hang the refuse rag here.

Next the Blessed One thought,

What shall I smooth the refuse rag on?

Then Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Set down a large stone.

Lord let the Blessed One smooth the refuse rag here.

When the night was over,

Kasapa went to the Blessed One and said,

It is time great monk,

The meal is ready.

The Blessed One dismissed the great monk,

How does this pond come to be here?

That was not here before.

Who set down this stone that was not here before?

How is this Kakuta branch bent down that was not here before?

That was not bent down before.

The Blessed One told him what had occurred.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful.

Since Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Waits on him,

But he's not an Arahant like me.

Again when the night was over,

Kasapa went to the Blessed One and told him,

It is time great monk,

The meal is ready.

The Blessed One dismissed him saying,

Go Kasapa,

I shall follow you.

He went to the rose apple tree after which the rose apple continent of India is called and he secured a fruit.

Then he arrived first and sat down in the fire chamber.

Kasapa saw him sitting there and he asked,

Great monk,

What road did you come by?

I left before you,

But you have arrived before me and are here sitting in the fire chamber.

The Blessed One told him where he had been and he added,

Here is a rose apple,

It is coloured and has scent and taste.

Eat it if you like.

No great monk,

You bought it,

You should eat it.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful,

Etc.

Again on like occasions,

The Blessed One went to the rose apple tree and secured a mango from a tree nearby,

Secured a gold nut,

Secured a yellow gold nut,

Went to the heaven of the thirty-three and secured a flower from the parichataka tree.

Each time Kasapa had the same thoughts as before,

It was at this time that the maddha heresetics,

Wanting to maintain their fires,

Found themselves unable to split logs.

Then they thought,

It must be because of the great monk's super normal power that we cannot split the logs.

The Blessed One asked Kasapa,

Should the logs be split Kasapa?

They should be split great monk.

At once the five hundred logs were split.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since the logs could not be split but he's not an Arahant.

And again on like occasions,

The maddha heresetics,

Wanting to maintain their fire,

Could likewise not light their fires,

Could likewise not put out their fires.

And each time Kasapa had the same thoughts as before.

At that time too,

On those cold,

Wintry nights during the eight days of frost,

The maddha heresetics were immersing themselves in the river Niranjara and emerging from it,

Constantly immersing and emerging.

Then the Blessed One created five hundred braziers for the maddha heresetics to warm themselves at when they came up out of the water.

They thought these braziers must have been created by the great monk's super normal power.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since he has created so many braziers but he is not an Arahant like me.

At the same time too,

A great rainstorm burst out of season and produced a huge inundation.

The place where the Blessed One was living was all under water.

Then he thought,

Suppose I made the water stand back all around so that I could walk between on dry ground and he did so.

Kasapa thought,

I hope the great monk has not been carried away by water.

When he went by boat with a number of maddha heresetics to the place where the Blessed One was living,

He saw that the Blessed One had made the water stand back all around and was walking in between on dry ground.

When he saw he said,

Is that you great monk?

It is I Kasapa.

The Blessed One rose up into the air and came to rest on the boat.

Then Kasapa thought,

The great monk is very mighty and powerful since the water has not overcome him but he is not an Arahant like me.

Then the Blessed One thought,

This misguided man will go on forever thinking but he is not an Arahant like me.

Suppose I give him a shock.

He told Uruvela Kasapa,

Kasapa,

You are neither an Arahant nor are you on the way to becoming one.

There is nothing that you do by which you might become an Arahant or enter into the way to becoming one.

Thereupon the maddha heresetic prostrated himself with his head at the Blessed One's feet and he said to him,

Lord,

I wish to receive the going forth and the admission from the Blessed One.

But Kasapa,

You are the leader,

Guide,

Chief,

Head and principal of five hundred maddha heresetics.

You must consult them first so that they may do as they think fit.

So Uruvela Kasapa went to the other maddha heresetics and told them,

I want to lead the holy life under the great monk.

You may do as you think fit.

They answered,

We have long had faith in the great monk.

If you lead the holy life under him,

All of us will do likewise.

Then the maddha heresetics took their hair,

Their matted locks and their belongings and the furniture of the fire sacrifice and they dropped them into the water to be carried away.

They then went to the Blessed One and prostrating themselves with their heads at his feet,

They said,

Lord,

We wish to receive the going forth and the admission from the Blessed One.

Ambikus,

The Blessed One said,

The dharma is proclaimed,

Lead the holy life for the complete ending of suffering.

And that was those venerable ones full admission.

The matted heresetic Kasapa of the river saw their hair,

The matted locks and the belongings and the furniture of the fire sacrifice being carried along by the water,

He thought,

I hope no disaster has befallen my brother.

He sent matted heresetics go and find out about my brother and he went himself with his three hundred matted heresetics to the venerable Uruvela Kasapa and he asked him,

Is this better Kasapa?

Yes friend,

This is better.

Then those matted heresetics took their hair,

Their matted locks and their belongings and the furniture of the fire sacrifice and they dropped them into the water to be carried away.

Then they went to the Blessed One and prostrating themselves with their heads at his feet,

They asked for and received the going forth and the admission.

And the matted heresetic Kasapa of Gaya with his two hundred matted heresetics did just as Kasapa of the river had done.

So here you see what a being can do when they have been cultivating Samadhi for thousands or millions of lifetimes.

One of the results if a person is adept in Arupajanas is mastery over the elements.

So what the Buddha was doing,

Entering the fire element,

Fighting fire with fire with the naga without hurting him,

This very amazing adeptness,

Flying up in the sky onto the boat after holding the sea back,

Walking on dry land,

Being able to travel great distances,

Reading others thoughts,

All of those things.

But the Buddha himself said that he didn't actually like psychic powers.

He said that people who are suspicious might not respect them.

People who have faith develop more faith if monks display psychic powers but those who are suspicious develop more suspicion.

And so he said the best miracle of all is the miracle of teaching.

So of course people need to be ready to be taught.

And so in performing all of these miracles,

All of these monks,

I would assume many of these people had Jhana already with their fire.

They probably had fire casinos,

I would assume.

Many of those fire worshippers had a certain amount of Samadhi and one of the reasons their faculties are so ripe.

But there's another psychic power called the analytical knowledges.

And if a practitioner develops those over thousands of lifetimes,

They know a person's character,

They know a person's past life and they know how to communicate to them in a way that will reduce their delusion and ignorance and actually enlighten them.

And they can also talk mind to mind with animals and they can talk other languages without having to study.

So this was the psychic power that Lord Buddha respected most and what I'm about to read now,

An abbreviated version of the fire sermon is where Lord Buddha demonstrates his capacity to teach in a way which is appropriate with very good effect.

So he spoke to those ex-1000 fire worshippers who now all had great faith because all is burning.

And what is all that is burning?

The eye is burning,

Visible forms are burning,

Eye consciousness is burning,

Eye contact is burning,

Also feeling,

Whether pleasant or painful or neither painful nor pleasant,

That arises with eye contact as it's conditioned that to is burning.

Burning with what?

Burning with the fire of lust,

With the fire of hate,

With the fire of delusion.

It is burning with birth,

Aging and death,

With sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair,

I say.

Similarly,

The ear is burning,

Sounds are burning,

The nose is burning,

Odours are burning,

The tongue is burning,

Flavours are burning,

The body is burning,

Tangibles are burning,

The mind is burning,

Mental objects are burning,

Mind consciousness is burning,

Mind contact is burning,

Also the feeling,

Whether pleasant,

Painful or neither painful nor pleasant,

That arises with mind contact as it's conditioned that to is burning.

Burning with what?

Burning with the fire of lust,

With the fire of hate,

With the fire of delusion.

It is burning with birth,

Aging and death,

With sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair.

Seeing thus,

Because the wise noble disciple becomes dispassionate towards the eye,

Towards the visible forms,

Towards eye consciousness,

Towards eye contact,

And he becomes dispassionate towards the feeling,

Whether pleasant,

Painful or neither painful nor pleasant,

That arises with eye contact as it's conditioned.

Similarly,

He becomes dispassionate towards the ear and towards sounds.

He becomes dispassionate towards the nose,

Towards odours.

He becomes dispassionate towards the tongue,

Towards flavours.

He becomes dispassionate towards the body,

Towards tangibles.

He becomes dispassionate towards the mind,

Towards mental objects,

Towards mind consciousness,

Towards mind contact.

Also he becomes dispassionate towards the feeling,

Whether pleasant,

Painful or neither painful nor pleasant,

That arises with mind contact as it's conditioned.

Becoming dispassionate,

His lust fades away.

With the fading of lust,

His heart is liberated.

When his heart is liberated,

There comes the knowledge it is liberated,

He understands,

Birth is exhausted,

The holy life has been lived out,

What was to be done is done,

There is no more of this to come.

And while this discourse was being delivered,

The hearts of the thousand bhikkhus were delivered from taints through not clinging,

And there were one thousand more Arahants in the world.

Some modern Buddhists tend to be suspicious about references to other realms and the psychic powers,

And they have faith in the logical teachings of the Buddha,

But they tend to be suspicious about the miracles and all those things.

And I think it's important to understand that the same source that gives the fire sermon,

And the same source that gives most of the suttas that start with,

Thus have I heard,

Is the very same source that is relaying these same stories.

So I'm just double checking this about the voices,

Second voice.

Second voice is the voice of the Elder Upali,

Disciple of the Buddha who recited the Vinya to the first council.

So if it's the first voice,

It's the voice of Ananda,

If it's the second voice,

It's the voice of Upali,

Foremost in the Vinya.

So I think it's important to.

.

.

Sometimes people don't like things that they can't understand or things that they can't yet do,

They find that threatening.

But I don't think people need to give it a lot of attention.

They don't need to make it the basis of their faith.

But I think it's important not to reject it,

And I think it's important to understand that for the very same reason that the Buddha had all the amazing wisdom,

The millions of lives that went into preparation to have that kind of wisdom,

It's the same reason that he has the kind of samadhi that could develop those psychic powers.

It all goes together.

So I personally don't doubt.

And also having had the benefit of having lived quite closely with some of the current contemporary masters of Thailand,

I can't say too much because they don't like it,

But suffice to say they also talk about conversations they have with devas.

They also refer to things they've seen in people's past lives.

It's obvious that they can read minds,

Very obvious at times.

So if the current arahants can read minds,

Can recollect past lives,

Can have conversations with devas,

Then how much more so the arahants who were very close disciples of Lord Buddha?

I'm just saying that much about my faith anyway,

My confidence.

Now when the Blessed One had lived in Gayasisa as long as he chose,

He set out to wander by stages to Rajagaha with a large following of bhikkhus,

With a thousand bhikkhus,

With all the former matted heresetics.

Wandering by stages,

He at length reached Rajagaha,

And there he stayed in the sapling grove at the Supatitta Shrine.

Senniya Bimbisara,

King of Magadha Herd,

It seems that the monk Gotama,

The son of the Sakyans who went forth into homelessness from the Sakyan clan,

Has come to Rajagaha and is living in the sapling grove of the Supatitta Shrine.

Now the good name of Master Gotama has spread thus,

That Blessed One is such since he is accomplished,

Fully enlightened,

Perfect in knowledge and conduct,

Sublime,

The knower of the worlds,

Incomparable leader of men to be tamed,

The teacher of gods and men,

Enlightened and blessed.

So just to bring your attention to the fact,

That phrase,

The Blessed One is such he is accomplished and fully enlightened.

Ittibiso Bhagawa,

Perfect in knowledge and conduct,

Vijja Charana Sampano,

Sublime,

The knower of the worlds,

Sugato Alokavidhu,

Sata Deva Manusanam.

So that's what we chant when we do the morning and evening chanting when we chant Ittibiso.

Here we have the King praising these qualities.

He makes known this world with its deities,

Its Maras and its divinities,

This generation with its monks and Brahmins,

With its princes and men,

Which he has himself realized through direct knowledge.

He teaches the Dharma that is good in the beginning,

Good in the middle and good in the end,

With the meaning and the letter,

And he explains a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure.

It is good to go and see such accomplished ones.

Then accompanied by 12 hosts,

By 120,

000 of Magadha and Brahman householders,

Selya Bimbisara,

King of Magadha,

Went to the Blessed One and after paying homage to him,

He sat down at one side.

But of the 12 hosts of Brahman householders,

Some paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side,

Some exchanged greetings with him,

And when this courteous and formal talk was finished,

Sat down at one side,

Some raised their hands,

Palms together in salutation to the Blessed One and sat down at one side,

Some pronounced their name and clan in the Blessed One's presence and sat down at one side,

Some kept silence and sat down at one side.

They wondered,

Does the great monk lead the holy life under Uruvilla Kasapa,

Or does Uruvilla Kasapa lead the holy life under the great monk,

Remembering that the Magadhan's bought all these offerings for the great sacrifice ceremony on the day that the Buddha went to the Himalayas for his lunch.

But the Blessed One became aware in his mind of the thought in their minds and he addressed the Lord,

And he said,

I ask you this question,

Kasapa,

How did you come to leave fire worshipping?

Sights and sounds and tastes and concubines are the rewards promised for sacrifice.

Of worldly things I saw they are a stain.

Then worship and sacrifice gave joy no more.

But if your heart finds no delight in these,

Kasapa said the Blessed One,

Insights and sounds even in tastes as well,

What then delights your heart here in this world of gods and men,

Kasapa,

Tell me that.

I saw the state of peace,

Not of this world,

Where is no owning and no sensual being,

No otherness,

No being led by others.

Then worship and sacrifice gave no more joy.

When the Venerable Uruvala Kasapa rose from his seat and arranging his robe on one's shoulder,

He prostrated himself with his head at the Blessed One's feet,

Saying,

Lord,

The Blessed One is my guide.

I am a disciple.

The Blessed One is my guide.

I am a disciple.

Then the twelve hosts of Magadhan Brahman householders thought,

Uruvala Kasapa lives the holy life under the Blessed One.

The Blessed One,

Aware in his mind of the thought in their minds,

Then gave them progressive instruction.

At length,

The spotless,

Immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose then and there in eleven of the twelve hosts of the Magadhan Brahman householders.

All that is subject to arising is subject to cessation,

And one host became adherent.

So that means that eleven of the twelve leaders of the 120,

000 Brahmans became stream-enterers.

Then Sr.

Bimbisara,

King of Magadha,

Saw and reached and found and penetrated the Dhamma.

He left uncertainty behind him.

His doubts vanished.

He acquired perfect confidence and he became independent of others in the teacher's dispensation.

So now the King is also a stream-enterer.

The King then says,

Lord,

Once when I was a boy I made five aspirations and now they are fulfilled.

Once when I was a boy I thought if only I might be anointed on a throne.

That was the first aspiration I made and it has been fulfilled.

The second was,

If only I might encounter during my life a fully enlightened Arahant and that has been fulfilled.

The third was,

If only I might be able to do honor to that Blessed One and that has been fulfilled.

The fourth was,

If only the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma and that has been fulfilled.

The fifth was,

If only I might understand the Blessed One's Dhamma and that too has been fulfilled.

The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways.

Lord let the Blessed One receive me as his follower who has gone to him for refuge for as long as breath lasts.

Now Lord let the Blessed One together with the Sangha of Bhikkhus accept tomorrow's meal from me.

The Blessed One accepted in silence.

When the King saw that he had consented he rose from his seat and after paying homage to him he departed,

Keeping him on his right.

And when the night was ended he had good food of various kinds prepared and he had the time announced.

It is time Lord,

The meal is ready.

Since it was now morning the Blessed One dressed and taking his bowl and outer robe he went into Rajgaha with a large following of Bhikkhus,

With a thousand Bhikkhus,

With all the former matted hair ascetics.

So remembering that every single one of these Bhikkhus is an Arahant.

Now as they went Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Thais understand Saka to be Indra,

Pra-in.

Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

Assumed the form of a Brahmin youth and he stood before the Blessed One with his hands raised,

Palms together,

Facing the Sangha,

Headed by the Blessed One and he sang these stanzas.

To Rajgaha he came,

Controlled and free,

And with his former matted hair ascetics,

Controlled and free.

Bright as a golden jewel the Blessed One went into Rajgaha.

To Rajgaha he came,

Quieted and free.

To Rajgaha he came,

Released and free.

To Rajgaha he came,

Attained and free.

When people saw Saka,

Ruler of Gods,

They said,

The young Brahmin is handsome,

Beautiful,

Graceful,

Who is he?

When this was said he addressed them in stanzas.

He is a saint,

Controlled always,

And purified without a peer,

In all the world,

Sublime,

Accomplished,

And I am one that follows him.

Then the Blessed One went to King Bimbisara's dwelling and he sat down on a seat made ready,

Surrounded by the Sangha of Bhikkhus.

With his own hand the King served and satisfied the Sangha,

Headed by the Buddha.

When the Blessed One had eaten and no longer had the bowl in his hand,

The King sat down at one side.

When he had done so he thought,

Where could the Blessed One live that is neither too far from the town nor too near?

With a way in and a way out,

Accessible to people who seek him,

Unfrequented by day and quiet by night,

Undisturbed by voices with an atmosphere of aloofness,

Where one can lie hidden from people,

Favorable for retreat.

And then he thought,

This park of ours,

The Bamboo Grove,

Has all these qualities.

Suppose I present the Bamboo Grove to the Sangha,

Headed by the Buddha.

Then he took a gold jug and he dedicated the Bamboo Grove to the Blessed One with the washing of hands,

Saying,

Lord,

I give this Bamboo Grove to the Sangha of Bhikkhus,

Headed by the Buddha.

The Blessed One accepted the park.

Then when he had instructed,

Incited,

Aroused,

And encouraged Sainyabimbisara,

King of Magadha,

To talk on the Dhamma,

He rose from his seat and departed.

So I just thought it might be nice to recollect some of the things that happened in this very area.

We were standing on the banks of the Naranjara River ourselves the other day,

You might recall,

And at Sujata's village,

Not far from where the fire sermon was taught.

So in that area,

At least a thousand people became Arahants.

And modern day Rajgir,

Where we're going tomorrow,

It has seen better days.

It is a bit rough.

And so I just thought it would be helpful for our perspective to recollect what occurred there and what a magnificent place it was,

Not just physically,

In terms of the accumulated merits that the people there had.

Can you imagine how much merit would you have to have to live in a kingdom where a thousand Arahants came to stay,

With the Buddha as their head,

And with Indra,

Sinha,

Deva,

In Dvātimsa heaven,

Manifesting to sing verses as he entered the town.

It's quite extraordinary.

Ajanananda frequently says in his Thai discourses,

I'm assuming that he has access to special information that I don't have,

But he says often,

75% of the laity in the kingdom of Rajgir were stream-enterers,

Were Sotapanna stream-enterers.

75% attained the first level of enlightenment during the time of the Buddha.

So just to give people a bit of a sense of what an extraordinary place Rajgir was.

And when we meditate in these places,

Because the Jhanas have amazing,

The Jhanas give people power,

Certain powers,

Which are imponderable.

You can't quite understand how it works,

But when the mind is potently concentrated,

It develops certain powers.

Then the Jhana of enlightened beings is even more,

What those beings can do with their Jhana is remarkable.

So the reason I mention that is,

I've always found,

When I meditate on Vultures Peak,

That within not very long,

Which is in Rajgir,

Just a few kilometers from the Vipa-Bellavana,

That's where the Buddha spent his retreat periods,

And also where he taught devas.

And one of those watches of the evening is that,

You know,

There's all these beggars on the way up,

On the way down,

And monkeys,

And the police people,

And the guy that watches over the shrine.

It's pretty uninspiring.

But I've always found that the mind somehow touches some special quality of peace and silence,

And Vultures Peak feels close to heaven,

And this,

It's almost like you can touch the great emptiness,

Or you can smell it,

Or you can feel it.

It's the great emptiness that all these Arahants realized.

Can you imagine the psychic impression that the place where Buddha taught thousands of beings and they attained Arahantship?

I was reading a sutta just this morning,

Thinking about what to read about,

And there's one occasion,

The occasion where Indra had been looking for an occasion to approach the Buddha and approach the Buddha and ask him some questions,

And when,

This was also in Rajgir,

And when the Buddha answered his questions,

Indra became a stream-enterer also.

So that phrase,

In the Sathadeva Manusana,

In the Ittipi Sochanda,

We all do,

Teacher of gods and humans,

That's real.

The Buddha taught Indra and he attained to stream-entry.

The next line in that sutta is,

As did 80,

000 devas who came with him.

So just keeping in mind,

As we have to look past literally lepers,

Beggars,

Dogs with mange,

Frightening-looking monkeys,

People who want to sell you malas,

And just kind of keeping in mind that this was a place where probably tens of thousands of human beings attained Arahantship,

Hundreds of thousands attained to stream-entry,

And in the sky,

In the space,

In that area,

I would assume millions of devas.

So just giving a bit of a preface of where we're going,

What happened there.

I think our first stop tomorrow is actually the Velavana,

So we go into what was the first monastery.

And I believe Anata Pindaka,

Who then later bought Jetavana,

Met the Buddha in the bamboo grove.

So it's a special place.

It's also where Sariputta and Moggallana first met the Buddha,

So it's a very special.

I hope some of that was helpful.

Reviews

I wish for you to become an Arhant in this life time.
💜🩷💗❤️

These stories explain beautifully how things that happend 2500y ago still effects so many of us today. I can feel why so many people entered the stream after hearing these teachings. Thanks Ajahn Achallo for sharing this 🙏

Phenomenal teachings, well told. Ever an inspiration.

Beautiful and inspiring.

Interesting talk much to contemplate thank you

Yes, very helpful Ajahn Achalo. Thanks again

Interesting teaching.

Many thanks Ajahn!

Thank you, excellent as always. Multitude of blessings .

I feel grateful to hear the readings and commentary offered by Tan Ajahn to his close students on sacred Pilgrimage. Thx so much for sharing /\

Listening to Ajahn read and describe the events that occurred shortly after the Lord Buddha's Enlightenment, the truly awesome events... and of how many fortunate beings realised their true and deepest spiritual potential during that time... touches my heart very deeply. How wonderful the Buddha was! How wonderful that so many others came to know and realise the most sublime and deep peace that Buddha had!