22nd March 23, 2021

Lecturer: Professor Basanta Bidari

Topic: Introductory talk on Kapilavastu, Lumbini and Ramagram.
Organised by Bhot Buddhist Studies [BBBS]
The following are the summary of the talk.
1. The Buddha visited Kapilavastu four time after he attained enlightenment at
Bodhgaya.
2. Tilaurakot, which literally means ‘between three pillars’ was known as Kapilavastu in
ancient time.
3. Kanthaka [the horse of the Buddha] literally means ‘as white as snow’.
4. Sidhartha Gautama [the historical Buddha] was born in Lumbini, while Kanaka
Buddha and Karkuchanda Buddhas [previous Buddhas] were in Kapilvastu. [it is not
clear where the Buddha Kashyapa was born]
5. The Ashoka pillar at Gothihawa was 30 feet in height according to the Chinese
Buddhist traveler Hiuen-Tsang [602-664]. Gothihawa [so close to Kapilavastu] was
the birth place of Kurkuchanda Buddha, according to the inscription of the Ashoka
pillar. Araurakot was the natal town of Kurkuchanda Buddha.
6. The river Bhagirathi that runs so close to Kapilavasthu was used as moat filled with
dangerous against enemies in ancient time.
7. The walls at Kapilavastu were dated back in 1st century and around 136 different
ancient/ archaeological sites were discovered in Kapilavastu alone. However,
scientific research has yet to be done there. Those remaining of brick walls were built
later.
8. Kudan was the place where the Buddha and his father met for the first time after the
Buddha returned back from India. He visited Kudan three times. The ‘Samayasutra’
was taught by the Buddha there. He returned to Kapilavastu after seven years and he
stayed 40 days at Kudan. [Pitaputrasamaghamsutra must be taught here too]
9. Once the Buddha met his father and when his father returned back to the palace, the
Buddha set out for alms. An old and poor woman offered him a few pieces of potato
[probably, sweet potato since, potato is said to be entered into Nepal during the
British rule in India, anyway, this seems to be another topic of discussion]
10. At the place called ‘Sagrahawa’ more than sixty thousand sakyas were massacred.
11. There is another place called ‘Sishania’ near the Indo-Nepal border where
archaeological survey discovered ancient fortified settlement.
12. Hiuen-Tsang saw around 30 Buddhist monks belong to Mahasanghika sect at
Kapilavastu when he visited there.
13. Sidhartha left from the eastern gate [there were four gates/exits of the high wall of
Kapilavastu] As he left his lavish royal life from the gate, the Buddha never entered
into the Kapilavastu palace from the same gate and this is called
Mahabhinishkarmana, i.e., great renunciation.
14. Nigliwaya was the birthplace of kanakamuni Buddha. The inscription on the Ashoka
pillar suggests that. King Ashoka enlarged the stupa containing the relics of
Kanakamuni Buddha.
15. During the Buddha’s time, eating twice was prohibited because monks and nuns had
to collect their alms everywhere and most of the common people were poor who did
not have enough to feed themselves. Therefore, monks and nuns were suggested to
take food just to survive not to become fat or not to eat for enjoyment. “eat not to
taste, eat to survive for tomorrow” [Prof. quoted the line]
16. Sariputra was with the Buddha when he came to Kapilavastu. Rahula [the son of the
Buddha] came along the Buddha asking his inheritance, the Buddha then told
Sariputra to grant him whatever the Buddha had so far taught. Then Sariputra,
counseling with the Buddha made Rahula a monk at the age of seven. While at the
palace, everyone was looking for Rahula as nobody knew where he had gone. Later, a
rule was reinforced not to make any children monk without the consent of their
parents.
17. Ashoka ordered to prepare stone pillars and thos stone pillars were said to be prepared
at Chunar in the Mirzapur distract in Uttarapradesh, in India. How those extremely
heavy and huge pillars were mobilized to different places was another question.
18. The Ashoka pillar now in Lumbini is about 15 feet underground while King Ashoka
was said to have put only five feet underground.
19. Virudhaka [a king of Kosala, was the son of sakyan maid] felt insulted when his seat
was washed by milk by Shakya in order to purify it. He was told that his sitting place
was being washed for he belonged to lower class [of maid]. This insult was said to be
the cause of devastating massacre of shakya at Sagarhawa.
20. Dispute occurred on account of dividing the relics of the Buddha and finally a
Brahmin named Drona skillfully divided the relics into eight. Two of them were
brought now in Nepal and while the rest were in India from modern perspective.
21. In Ramagrama, [about 40 miles from Lumbini] there is a stupa containing the relic of
the Buddha [the speaker believes that the relic must be one of the four teeth left after
the Buddha was cremated. One of the teeth is believed to be in Sri Lanka, while one
was taken to 33 heaven and one is now in Pakistan and it is expected one of them is
within the Ramagram stupa]
22. King Ashoka wanted to dig the stupa in order to divide the relic but Naga-tribes [a
tribe who worship Naga] did not allow Ashoka to take away the relic. Hence, the
stupa still in extant in Ramagram must be the most sacred stupa on earth. [the above
statements is the opinion of the speaker. In other documents, we find that it was real
Naga who banned Ashoka taking the relic away, and finally Ashoka was invited in to
the Naga realm and assured him that they, i.e., would protect the stupa for future]
23. Ashoka installed pillars only to those important places which were directed related to
the Buddha. Hence, we don’t find any clue of pillar in Ramagrama and Devdaha [the
Buddha’s maternal town] Pillars were kept in border and in important places.

Note prepared by Dr. Nyima Sherpa

The organizer of the talk