Gautama Buddha

by Rohini Chowdhury

  Vajji

  This was a confederation of several tribes of which the Licchavis and the Videha were the most important. Vesali was the capital of the Licchavis and Mithila of the Videhas. In Gotama’s time, the Licchavis had become the most important tribe in the confederation, so that ‘Licchavi’ and ‘Vajji’ were used synonymously. The republic of Vajji lay north of the Ganga, east of Kosala and north of Magadha.

  The strength of the Licchavis was their unity; they would stand by each other in both good times and bad. They are described as beautiful people, very wealthy and fond of bright clothes and riding in painted carriages, but also diligent and hard-working. They were also skilful archers. Many of the Licchavis were devout followers of Gotama’s teachings.

  The Ganga formed the boundary between the kingdom of Magadha and territory of the Licchavis; both states had equal rights over the river.

  When Gotama visited Vesali, Bimbisara made a road five leagues long from Rajagaha to the river and the Licchavis did the same on the other side.

  Vesali was one of Gotama’s favourite destinations. His friend Mahali was from Vesali.

  * * *

  6

  Spreading the Word: 528–508 BCE

  Gotama remained deep in thought for several weeks after his enlightenment—the older scriptures say this period of contemplation lasted for four weeks, while the Jataka extends this to seven weeks. The scriptures recount how, as Gotama sat deep in meditation, two brothers called Tapussa and Bhalluka, happened to pass by; they were merchants, on their way to Rajagaha for trade. They saw Gotama sitting in meditation, and stopping, offered him some rice cakes and honey in a bowl to break his fast. Gotama accepted their offering, and though he did not preach to them, they became his first lay followers.

  Gotama wondered what he should do with his new-found insights. Should he tell others of what he had discovered? Would they understand? What he had to say was so different, so new, and so completely against the beliefs of the day. Gotama then thought of his teachers, Alara and Uddaka. They were wise men, surely they would understand? But he learnt that they had died, Alara only seven days earlier. He then thought of his five friends, the Panchavaggiya monks; he knew they were staying at Isipatana near Varanasi and he set out to find them.

  On his way to Isipatana, he met Upaka, an old acquaintance. Upaka noticed the change in Gotama, and asked what had happened to him. Gotama told of his awakening, but Upaka, incredulous and sceptical, refused to believe him, and turned away down a side road.

  The five monks, who were living in a grove in Isipatana known as the Deer Park, were also slow in welcoming their friend and companion. After all, he had let them down by giving up the austere life. But, as Gotama drew near, they too became aware of a change in him, and despite themselves, sat down to listen to what he had to say. So, there in the Deer Park at Isipatana, Gotama explained for the first time the insights that had led to his enlightenment. It was the full moon day of the lunar month of asalha, the eighth month in the Indian calendar, which usually coincides with the modern month of July.

  Gotama advised the five monks to follow the Middle Way, and to avoid the two extremes of self torture and self indulgence, for neither led to wisdom. He then explained the Four Noble Truths which, he said, were the following: the truth of suffering; its cause; its end; and the way to its end. The world, explained Gotama, was full of suffering; its cause was craving or desire; the end of suffering was the end of desire which came with Nibbana; the way to Nibbana was the Middle Way, or the practice of the Holy Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path, continued Gotama, was made up of eight parts. These were: Right Understanding, Right Attitude, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Means of Livelihood, Right Endeavour, Right Mindfulness and Right Meditation. Only when he had realized these Four Noble Truths and understood the practice of the Eightfold Path, said Gotama, did he attain enlightenment.

  This discourse came to be known as the Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta, or the ‘Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion’ sermon. It gives the essence of Gotama’s ‘dhamma’ (the Pali term used by Buddhists to describe the teachings of Gotama). Gotama’s teachings were not about blind faith, or worshipping any god; the way to Nibbana, believed Gotama, was through action. The practice of the Eightfold Path was fundamental to Gotama’s teachings; he mentioned it in his first sermon, and it was also the last thing he spoke of as he lay dying in Kusinara forty-five years later. The world, said Gotama, was in a state of constant change; having once found the Middle Way, there was no guarantee that one would not lose it again. One had to strive for it constantly, and know that it was as unpredictable as life itself. Nibbana could not be reached through passive belief or worship; one had to work for it, and work for it constantly.

  As the five monks listened to Gotama’s sermon, there arose in Kondanna a joyful realization that Gotama’s words made complete sense to him. His doubts disappeared and he became ready to follow Gotama’s methods to Nibbana. He thus became Gotama’s first disciple. By the end of his discourse, the other four monks were also convinced, and joined Gotama. This was the beginning of Gotama’s Sangha, the Order of monks that he established.

  A fully ordained follower of Gotama was called a bhikku. Though the literal meaning of the Pali word is ‘one who begs’, a bhikku did not beg, not in the manner in which we use the term today. Gotama’s monks lived on the alms they were given, for which they would wait silently at the doors of their supporters. The bhikkus were not priests or mediators between men and gods. They lived a life of poverty and celibacy, but could leave the life any time they chose.

  From this point on, Gotama’s followers increased rapidly. He was joined first by Yasa, the son of a rich merchant of Varanasi, who became a monk. Yasa’s father, who came searching for his son, also became a follower as did several members of Yasa’s family. Four of Yasa’s close friends, hearing that Yasa had become a monk, were so impressed that they came to listen to Gotama preach and stayed to join the Order. As the news spread, fifty more of Yasa’s friends and acquaintances joined Gotama as monks.

  Soon Gotama had sixty bhikkus in his Sangha. It was now time to spread the dhamma. Gotama told his sixty monks to travel and to teach the dhamma for the welfare of gods and men. The monks left, no two travelling in the same direction, and returned with many others wishing to join the Order. With the number of his followers growing, Gotama began to think of practical issues—how would he protect his Order and make sure that his dhamma would continue to spread? He realized that he would need powerful and wealthy supporters.

  Gotama remembered the promise that he had made to Bimbisara, king of Magadha. He spent the three months of the rainy season at Isipatana, but as soon as the rains were over he set off for Rajagaha, the capital of Magadha. On the way he stopped at Uruvela where, along the banks of the Neranjara river lived the three ascetic brothers Uruvela-Kassapa, Nadi-Kassapa and Gaya-Kassapa (known as the Tebhatika Jatila), and their thousand followers. The brothers, at first sceptical, were finally convinced by Gotama’s teachings, and joined his Order, as did their thousand followers.

  Gotama finally reached Rajagaha with his large following of monks. Here Bimbisara, who was still king, came to meet him. Hearing him preach, Bimbisara became a follower of Gotama. He wanted Gotama and his monks to stay in Rajagaha, and so gifted to them the garden of Veluvana. Veluvana was ideal for the Order—it was a little way away from the town, yet not so far that it was not accessible to people; it was clean and free of the pollution of the city, and its quiet seclusion was perfect for Gotama and his monks. Gotama accepted the king’s gift, and it is said that Bimbisara had a large house built there for the monks to live in. From that time on till his death thirty-seven years later, Bimbisara did all he could to help Gotama spread his dhamma, even setting a practical example to his subjects by observing the fasts recommended by Gotama.

  Gotama stayed in Rajagaha for two months. It was during this period that he was joined by Sariputta and Moggallana, who went on to becom
e two of his most trusted and important disciples. Both men were older than Gotama. They had been born on the same day in neighbouring villages close to Rajagaha, and having grown up together, they were close friends. While still teenagers, they had decided to renounce the world and had become followers of a well-known teacher called Sanjaya Belatthiputta. But they were not content with what they had learnt from Sanjaya. One day, Sariputta ran into Assaji, one of the Panchavaggiya monks, and was converted by him to Gotama’s teachings. He repeated to Moggallana what he had learnt from Assaji, and Moggallana too became a follower. The two men left Sanjaya and joined Gotama, taking with them the five hundred other followers of Sanjaya.

  Sariputta was wise and quick, and was soon able to explain Gotama’s teachings as well as Gotama himself. Moggallana, through meditation, developed extraordinary psychic and mental powers. Moggallana used his powers only for good. It is said that once, when some monks were disturbing Gotama by their loud and frivolous chatter, Gotama asked Moggallana to give them ‘a good stir’. Moggallana, by the power of his mind, managed to make the house shake, and the monks ran out in fear. Gotama then explained to them that they should spend their time in meditation as Moggallana had done, and develop the power of their minds. Both Moggallana and Sariputta died before Gotama. Sariputta, realizing that his health was failing and that he did not have long to live, returned home to his mother and died in peace. Moggallana was attacked and murdered by some thugs; wounded and hurt he managed to find his way to Gotama, and died at his feet.

  Gotama was now firmly established at Rajagaha—he had the favour and protection of the king; his followers included young men like Yasa who belonged to some of the wealthiest families of the region; and even men from traditional Brahmin backgrounds like the Panchavaggiya monks, and established teachers such as the three Kassapa brothers, had willingly given up the old ways to be with him.

  Of course, Gotama had his critics too. The people of Rajagaha, watching the number of his followers grow, became worried: if all the young men of Rajagaha became monks, what would become of the women? Who would their daughters marry? How would their families grow? But Gotama reassured the people, and gradually the protests died out.

  Soon Gotama’s fame spread to the neighbouring lands. The Licchavis sent his friend Mahali to invite him to Vesali, their capital. Vesali was in the grip of famine, and its citizens were dying of starvation and disease. It is said that after Gotama’s visit and the sermon he preached there, the city became free of pestilence.

  Meanwhile, Suddhodana, Gotama’s father, heard that his son had fulfilled the prophecy and become a Buddha. He sent Kaludayi, Gotama’s childhood friend and playmate, to invite him to Kapilavatthu. Gotama accepted his father’s invitation and left for Kapilavatthu together with several hundred of his monks. This was his first visit home after his renunciation. Seven years had passed since he had stolen out of the palace that night, leaving behind his sleeping wife and their newborn son, Rahula. It was time for him to return and make his peace with them. His parents too, waited for him, still not completely accepting the path that he had chosen.

  As he entered the city, members of his large and powerful family gathered to greet him. Gotama realized that they still looked upon him as their relative, and had not understood the change in him. It is said that he then performed a miracle to convince them of his powers, after which they acknowledged that he had indeed become a Buddha.

  On the second day of his visit, Gotama picked up his bowl and went begging for food in the streets of Kapilavatthu. Suddhodana was deeply unhappy to see this, and protested that Gotama should not so demean himself and his family. But when Gotama explained that this was the custom of all Buddhas, Suddhodana accepted it. Listening to his son preach, he finally understood why Gotama had chosen to become a Buddha rather than a king, and became a convert to his ideas. Suddhodana died four years after Gotama’s first visit to Kapilavatthu. As his father lay upon his deathbed, Gotama hurried to be with him; Suddhodana died in peace with his beloved son by his side.

  Gotama’s wife Bimba also saw him begging on the streets of Kapilavatthu. Unlike Suddhodana, she was neither angry nor unhappy at this; instead, she was overwhelmed by the grace and serenity on his face. But when he was invited to the palace for a meal, she refused to go with the other women to pay her respects to him. ‘If I have any virtue in me,’ she declared, ‘let him come to me.’ When Gotama heard this, he went to see her. ‘Say nothing. Let her greet me as she wishes,’ he ordered. Bimba fell at Gotama’s feet, and holding them in her hands, put her head on them. Suddhodana, deeply moved by his daughter-in-law’s reaction, told Gotama how she had lived like an ascetic since he had left. It is said that Gotama, touched, acknowledged her loyalty to him.

  On the seventh day of his visit, as Gotama was leaving the palace after a meal, Bimba sent their son Rahula after him. ‘That is your father,’ she told him. ‘Go and ask him for your inheritance.’ This is probably the only passage in the Pali Canon where Gotama’s wife is mentioned by name.

  Rahula followed Gotama as he left the palace and did as his mother had said. He pulled on Gotama’s robe and said, ‘Give me my inheritance.’ Then, looking up into Gotama’s face, he added, ‘Father, even your shadow is pleasing to me.’ Gotama looked at his son and thought—my son is asking me for his worldly inheritance, but that is full of sorrow; better than that would be to give him what I have learnt. And Gotama asked Sariputta to take Rahula into the Order of monks.

  Gotama’s half brother Nanda, the son of Suddhodana and Pajapati, had also joined Gotama as a monk a few days earlier. Suddhodana had accepted it in silence. But he could not take Rahula’s ordination so calmly, and made Gotama promise that never again would he take children into the order without their parents’ permission.

  Many other Sakyans asked to join the Order. The most important of these were his Gotama’s cousins Devadatta, Ananda and Anuruddha. Devadatta rose to great importance in the Order, but later questioned Gotama’s authority and even plotted to kill him. Ananda and Anuruddha were the sons of Amitodana, Suddhodana’s brother. Ananda was devoted to Gotama, and for the last twenty-five years of Gotama’s life, he was his personal attendant and right-hand man. Anuruddha, Ananda’s brother, was also deeply attached to Gotama. He was present at Gotama’s death at Kusinara, and noted the exact moment of his passing. He was the one who kept order amongst the monks in the immediate moments after Gotama’s death, and played an important part in preserving his teachings when the First Buddhist Council was called.

  Gotama’s stepmother, Pajapati, had become a follower of Gotama upon his first visit to Kapilavatthu. After Suddhodana’s death, she asked Gotama to accept her into his Order as a nun. At first Gotama refused, but when Ananda pleaded her cause, he gave in and agreed to establish an Order of nuns, or bhikkunis. This was a landmark decision and one which set Gotama apart from other religious and spiritual teachers of the time—never before had women been accepted as the spiritual equals of men. It was a brave step, for by accepting Pajapati and the hundreds of other women who soon joined her, Gotama had challenged the established social and religious norms of his times. Later, Gotama’s wife Bimba also became a nun under Pajapati.

  Gotama returned to Rajagaha with his new converts from Sakya. During this second visit to Rajagaha, it happened that Anathapindika, a wealthy setthi (banker) from Savatthi, had come to Rajagaha on a business visit. His real name was Sudatta, but, because of his generosity towards the poor and hungry, he was called ‘Anathapindika’, or ‘one who feeds the destitute’. His wife was the sister of the setthi of Rajagaha, and when he arrived at his brother-in-law’s house he found him preparing a meal for Gotama and his monks. The setthi’s preparations were so lavish that Anathapindika thought that the king had been invited. No, said his brother-in-law; the feast was for an ascetic called Gotama and his monks. Surprised by the honour in which he seemed to be held, Anathapindika decided to visit Gotama.

  Gotama welcomed Anathapindika cour
teously, and spoke to him about his teachings. Anathapindika, deeply impressed, became a follower. He invited Gotama and his monks to spend the rainy season at Savatthi. Gotama accepted his invitation, but said that he and his monks would need solitude. ‘I understand, O Blessed One,’ replied Anathapindika, acknowledging Gotama’s implicit request for a place for his monks to stay at Savatthi. Anathapindika’s invitation and Gotama’s acceptance paved the way for Gotama to return to his own country of Kosala and set up a base in Savatthi.

  His business at Rajagaha satisfactorily concluded, Anathapindika left for Savatthi, giving orders along the way for rest-houses, gardens and parks to be built in anticipation of Gotama’s coming. He had rest-houses built every few miles all along the road from Rajagaha to Savatthi, and bore all the expenses himself.

  In Savatthi, remembering Gotama’s request for solitude, he looked for a suitable place near the city, and found the grove owned by Jetakumara. According to some accounts Jeta was the son of Pasenadi, king of Kosala; other accounts say that he was Pasenadi’s brother or cousin. Anathapindika bought the grove from him for the exorbitant sum of eighteen crores, and spent a similar sum on constructing within it the famous complex known as the Jetavanarama. The complex consisted of cloisters for the monks, meeting halls heated against the winter cold, indoor spaces for exercise, toilets, bathrooms, storerooms and sheds. Leafy trees and well-tended lawns surrounded the living areas, wells and ponds were dug in the surrounding gardens, and walking areas were laid out. Prince Jeta gave all the timber required for the buildings, and spent the eighteen crores he had received from Anathapindika on building a fabulous multi-storeyed gateway to the grove. A mango grove lay on the outskirts of the park, and just outside was a playground for children who were always welcome into Jetavana for a drink of water. The main road to Savatthi ran past the complex, and tired travellers could enter to rest and recover.