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The Biography of The Lord Buddha
The Biography of The Lord Buddha
The Biography of The Lord Buddha
The Biography of the Lord Buddha
To fully understand and appreciate the spiritual life of the Lord Buddha is a difficult task. In His
grace, the Lord Buddha left us with the knowledge of how to conquer the cycle of suffering in
life, including old age, sickness and death. For western readers or non‐Buddhists, it is necessary
to add some explanation in case certain aspects of Buddhist culture and knowledge may be
confusing or vague.
Although the whole of the Lord Buddha’s life has been fully explained in the Buddhist scriptures,
Thais and/or other Buddhists seldom study it. Some of the following background information,
then, will include answers to questions such as: How is it that Prince Siddhattha was able to
walk for seven steps immediately after being born, or, How is it that at the age of seven he
could complete the highest knowledge of liberal arts within seven days? It can be simply
answered if you study his countless former lives where he pursued perfection as a Bothisattava
(a Pali word meaning a man who seeks Buddhahood and fully cultivates the 30 branches of
perfection) for more than 20 X 10140 kappas (one kappa is equated to the time from the
origination to the extinction of the earth). Additionally, Prince Siddhattha was familiar with all
knowledge ARTS (does this mean Performing Arts or Liberal Arts?) from his countless lives. The
length of time taken in cultivating the perfection and self development in his former lives made
him become the greatest of his time.
The reader should remember that the Lord Buddha himself had the most luxurious life before
his renunciation: He was the Crown Prince ready to be the King of his country, Sakka. How is it
possible, then, for such a man, who seemingly had everything that he could desire, to leave it
all behind? Even the thought of this seems alien to the normal person who feels that only
those things that are luxurious are worthy of pursuit. Therefore, because of this dissatisfaction
that he felt with his life, it makes an interesting, valuable, and beneficial study.
Prince Siddhattha Gotama’s Conception
To begin, it is important to understand that the majority of people live in a world of
impermanence. We all have to face instability in our lives and this instability makes our
existence difficult because we seek perfection with our senses: In essence, we seek and
question the source of our (perfect) eternal existence. From his birth, Prince Siddhattha
Gotama questioned this himself.
He was born more than 500 years before the Anno Domini Era. One full moon night, sleeping in
the palace, the Queen Maha Maya, his mother, had a vivid dream. She felt herself being carried
away by four devas (spirits) to the Anatatta Lake in the Himalaya Forest. After bathing her in
the lake, the devas dressed her in celestial clothes, anointed with perfumes and bedecked with
divine flowers. Soon after, a white elephant holding a white lotus flower in its trunk, appeared,
circled around her three times, and entered her womb through the right side. Once the
elephant disappeared, the Queen awoke, knowing that she had been delivered an important
message because the elephant is a symbol of greatness in ancient times. Early the next day, the
Queen told her husband, Kind Suddhodana, about the dream. The kind was puzzled and sent
for some wise men to discover the meaning of the dream. The wise men said, “Your Majesty,
you have great fortune. The devas have chosen our Queen as the mother of the Purest One
and the child will become a very great being.” The King and Queen were so pleased that they
invited many of the noblemen in the country to a feast in the palace and told them the good
news. In order to celebrate, King Suddhodana and his wife donated food, clothing, and other
supplies to the poor, and this became a yearly royal tradition. The whole kingdom eagerly
awaited the birth of the new prince. Queen Maya was joyful because of the health and
happiness brought on by her pregnancy and she lived a life of purity for herself and her unborn
child.
It was the ancient tradition of the royal lineage for the wife to return to her father’s kingdom
when she was experiencing childbirth. On the way from Kapilavastua, the city where she lived
with King Suddhodana, Queen Maya gave birth in Lumpini Forest Garden beneath the Sala Tree.
On the day of his birth, many miracles were reported to occur – the deaf could hear, and the
blind could see. On the seventh day of his birth, his mother died: The Buddhist scholars state
in the scriptures that she died because she had accumulated all perfections in becoming the
mother of a person who was to be the enlightened Buddha and, therefore, her body was no
longer suitable to birth any other children. Her life, however, did not simply end because she
was then reappeared as a male angel in the Tusitta Heaven Realm and waited there for
Siddhattha’s enlightenment and his sermons. King Suddhodana then married Maha Pajapati,
who was Maha Maya’s younger sister, and she raised his son. Queen Maha Pajapati also had
two children with the King, Prince Nanada and Princess Rupananda, but her love for Siddhattha
was equal to that of her own natural children.
Siddhattha was given his name during the birthing celebrations and it means “he who achieves
his aim”. At the beginning of these celebrations, the hermit seer Asita journeyed from his
mountain home in order to attend. When Asita saw the child he laughed and he cried. King
Suddhodana questioned these two opposing reactions that Asita had and the seer said that he
laughed because the child would certainly become a great holy man, but he cried because his
own life would be too short to see that day. This made Siddhattha rise up in the air, and the
child placed his feet in Asita’s hair while Asita examined the birthmarks. After seeing this
extraordinary event, King Suddhodana praised his son by placing his two hands into the middle
of his chest. This was the highest form of worship that the King could give. Soon after the
naming ceremony which was held on the fifth day, the King invited eight Brahmin scholars to
read his son’s future. All of them except one gave a dual prediction by showing two fingers,
which meant that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man. The one
exception, the holy man Kondanna who was the youngest and who later became the first
arahant, showed only his index finger and unequivocally predicted that Siddhattha would
become the Lord Buddha.
Early Life and Marriage
Siddhattha was destined to lead a luxurious life as a prince and had three palaces, for three
different seasonal occupations, especially built for him. King Suddhodana’s wish for Siddhattha
was to become a great king and so he shielded him from religious teachings or any knowledge
of human suffering. When he was seven, the Prince began to receive scholarly instruction from
the Institute of Vissavamitr, which was the best education a Prince could receive. But on the
seventh day of his study he had graduated and become an expert in all forms of knowledge:
Within the span of seven days, Siddhattha knew as much as his teachers did.
As it is in all families, the King only thought about the best and most appropriate path for his
child’s life and, so, he placed a red carpet down for his son to walk on since he expected
Siddhattha to become a great King himself one day. But Siddhattha’s subconscious mind
wanted him to choose his own way and that way was to eventually lead people to become free
from life burdens. One example of his exceptional gifts took place during the Yearly Royal
Ploughing Ceremony. Siddhattha was sitting under the Wha Tree not far from the center of the
ceremony in the heat of the middle of the day. While he was attaining the first absorption of
happiness from meditation an extraordinary event happened: the tree continued to cast its
shadow over the prince’s body in order to protect him from the sun’s heat – just as it had done
in the early morning. While the King was searching for his son, he found him under the Wha
Tree and saw the tree continuing to protect Siddhattha from the noon day sun. The King went
down on his knees and praised his son by saluting him in the same was as he had done during
his naming ceremony.
When the Prince reached the age of sixteen, the King arranged his marriage to Princess
Yasodhara, his mother’s niece who was born on the same day as Siddhattha. And, although she
was beautiful and he was continually surrounded by beautiful female servants and slaves,
Prince Siddhattha was not satisfied simply with this beauty and felt that there was more to a
person’s life than wealth and beauty. Although the King ensured that Siddhattha would be
provided with everything he could want or need, Siddhattha felt that material wealth was not
the ultimate goal in life. He looked around his palace and he found nothing to satisfy his quest
to seek out the answers to his questions. One day he was traveling out of the palace walls with
his charioteer, Channa, who was also born on the same day as Siddhattha. In the city, he found
living beings: a new born child, a diseased man, an old and decaying corpse, and finally an
ascetic. On that day, after returning to his palace, his son, Prince Rahula, was born. Siddhattha
felt that he, his wife, his new born son, and all people would be living under the same cycle of
beings that he had seen that day. All would undergo the suffering from sickness, old age, the
unexpected loss of belongings and – sooner or later – death. He considered his own
predicament, thought about his talents and potential, and became determined to set himself,
and all others around the world, free from this cycle of suffering. He, alone, would find the
answer.
The Great Renunciation
At the age of 29, Siddhattha left his palace in order to meet his subjects. Neither through his
father, nor anyone else, could remove the sick, aging, or suffering from public view. Deeply
depressed by these sights, Siddhattha sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living
the life of an ascetic. Siddhattha escaped from his palace, accompanied by Channa, aboard his
horse Kanthaka. He left his royal life to become a mendicant. It is stated in the scriptures that,
“…the horse’s hooves were muffled by the angels in order to prevent guards from knowing that
the Bodhisattava had departed.” Actually, everyone in the kingdom had been under a sleeping
spell by the power of the guardian angels of the city. This event is known as “The Great
Departure”. Before his departure, however, Mara (evil) appeared to him to try and stop him
from leaving. Mara said that if Siddhattha would stay that He would receive great wealth by
becoming the emperor. Mara asked him to stay until that day arrived. But Siddhattha replied
to Mara: “You are a wicked tempter. I will cross endless oceans to pursue my path. I will cross
countless pits of fire regardless of their size. Neither great evil nor great goodness (wealth) will
prohibit me from going.”
Siddhattha left Kapilavastu that night and on the banks of the Anoma River cut his hair and took
on the life of an ascetic. After becoming ordained, Siddhattha told Channa to return to the
palace, but Kanthaka, the horse, did not. Kanthaka eventually died at Siddhattha’s feet and
reappeared in the Tavatimsa Heaven Realm. Siddhattha then practiced a way of liberation
under the institutes of two hermit teachers. After mastering the teachings of Alara Kalama, he
was asked by Kalama to be a mater in his level, but Siddhattha moved on after becoming
dissatisfied with this practice. He then became a student of Udaka Ramaputta, but, although he
achieved higher levels of meditative consciousness and was asked to be the successor of
Ramaputta, he was still not satisfied with his path. And, so, he moved on.
Siddhattha then went on to Rajagaha, the capital of Magadha, and began his ascetic life by
begging for alms in the streets. Some officers of King Bimbisara recognized him as the Prince,
and, after hearing of Siddhattha’s quest, King Bimbisara offered him the throne. Siddhattha
rejected the offer, but promised to visit the King’s kingdom of Magadha first after attaining
enlightenment. In Rajagaha, Siddhattha joined five companions headed by Kondanna who was
the Brahmin who had stated that Siddhattha would become a great holy man but not a King.
Kondanna was waiting for Siddhattha’s renunciation of his kingship, so that when he
encountered Siddhattha, they all set out to become incredibly austere in their asceticism. They
tried to find enlightenment through near total deprivation of worldly goods – including food
and practicing self‐mortification. After nearly starving himself to death by restricting his food
(sometimes consuming a single leaf or nut per day, or even eating his feces) he began to look
like a skeleton. Eventually, he found that this was not a way of liberation. He collapsed in a
river while bathing and almost drowned and it was at this point that he began to reconsider his
path. As he lay there, a boat passed him and he overheard the conversation that two musicians
were having aboard: “If you tighten the string too tight it will snap, but if you loosen it, it will
not play.” And from this, he realized that he would have to take a “Middle Way” to reach
enlightenment: True enlightenment could not be reached by going to either extreme. At this
point, he remembered the moment in his childhood in which he had been watching his father
starting the season’s ploughing ceremony, and he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and
focused state at the center of his body that was blissful and refreshing. On that day, he had
attained a bright clear insight Dhamma sphere, the Jhana.
After many days, Siddhattha started to have some food as it was needed by his body. (Because
Kondhanna and the other four companions of Brahmin who had attended the great ascetic, saw
his renunciation through self‐mortification, they regretted his deteriorated state and left him
behind to practice on their own in Deer Park ‐ Itsipattana Middhataya.) On that day after
having a nice bath in the Neranjara river, his body was as bright as the full moon. He realized
that beside him stood a village woman name Sujata who was thinking of fulfilling a vow of
having a son and she had a golden tray of rice porridge in her hands. She had wrongly believed
Siddhattha was to be the spirit who had granted her wish of a son because of his lighted,
emaciated appearance.
The Great Enlightenment
After six years of asceticism and concentrating on mortification, the great ascetic, Siddhattha,
had discovered the path of adequacy called the Middle Way – a path of moderation away from
the extremes of self‐indulgence and self‐mortification. He accepted the rice porridge tray from
Sujata, the village girl. After this meal, his mind was free and fresh – nothing is this world was a
worry to him. He turned to the golden tray he had left and made up his mind to focus on all the
well‐cultivated perfections from his countless lives. He placed the tray into the tide of
Neranjara and made a wish that if he could become enlightened, the tray would float upstream.
Once the tray slipped out of his hands, it floated upstream and sunk, superimposed, right to the
bottom of the Neranjara River where the other three trays from the three previous Buddhas
had also made their wish. Naga, the big serpent, was wakened from the sound of its splash,
and said “Goodness, one more Buddha has come for enlightenment” and returned to sleep. At
that point, Siddhattha turned to sit under a papal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree, and
vowed to sit under the tree until either one of two things happened: his body would be
decayed, dried or left only to tendons like a skeleton, or he would arise as an enlightened being
having found the Truth.
That evening, once he had completed his vow, the Mara who had appeared to him when he
had left his palace home, reappeared with countless other evil beings to prevent him from
reaching enlightenment. But the great ascetic was determined to defeat Mara by his own
endurance and past perfections. That night, in the deepest of meditations and motionless, he
placed his mind consciously, calmly and relaxingly without any association and attachment at
the 7th base – two finger breadths above the cross section of the navel. He started to attain
deeper insight from the Dhamma Sphere to the Dhammakaya. The body of enlightenment
appeared brightly as if the midday sun at the 7th base was physically the same as his body.
From the Dhammakaya, he could attain the Pupenivasanusati Jhana, the insight wisdom that
enabled him to recall his countless former incarnations, during the first level of meditation. At
the second level, he could attain the Jutupapati Jhana, or the insight wisdom that enabled him
to recall all living creature’s origin and destiny. At the latter level of meditation, he could attain
the Asavagaya Jhana, which was the insight wisdom that enabled him to eradicate the seeds of
suffering and passion. He attained complete enlightenment with the Dhammakaya Arahant of
Buddhahood and became the Lord Buddha while sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree on the full
moon night of Vesak Day, the sixth lunar month on the same day as his birth, at the age of 35.
From that day on, he was known as the Buddha, “The Awakened One”, or “The Enlightened
One”. Often, he is referred in Buddhism as Shakyamuni Buddha or “The Awakened One of the
Shakya Clan”.
At this point, He realized complete awakening and insight into the nature and cause of human
suffering (ignorance) along with the steps necessary to eliminate it. These truths were
categorized into the Four Noble Truths and the state of supreme liberation that is possible for
any being was called Nirvana. According to one of the stories in the Ayacana Sutta (Samyutta
Nikaya), all of the Buddha lineages attained Dhamma by means of meditation within 49 days of
the initial insight.
When the Lord Buddha was alone at the foot of the Banyan tree, he wondered whether or not
He should teach the Dhamma to human beings. He was concerned because human beings
were overpowered by greed, hatred, and delusion and that would make them unable to see the
true Dhamma which was subtle, deep, and difficult to understand. However, Brahma
Sahampati, a divine spirit from the Rupabrahma Realm, entreated Him and begged: “My Lord
Sir, rising up to become the victor in a battle against Samsara is not easy. Those who have
enough wisdom (including the Brahma) are waiting for the door of deathlessness, which free us
from the sorrow of birth and aging. O Teacher, please teach the Dhamma because there will be
those who can understand.” With His great compassion to all beings in the universe, the
Buddha searched the world through his Jhana to understand the request, and then agreed to
become a teacher. “Having seen what I just saw,” He answered Brahma Sahampat, “sublime
Dhamma are the doors to the deathlessness for those who have the eyes to see it and the ears
to hear it. If they show their conviction, Brahma, I will teach them: I will set the wheel of
Dhamma into motion.” Once the Blessed One had His consent to teach Dhamma, the Brahma
bowed his head three times to show his respect at the Lord Buddha’s feet. He circled around
him three times to the right and then disappeared into the Rupabrahma Realm.
Formation of the First Sangha Community
After becoming enlightened, The Lord Buddha met two merchants named Tapussa and Bhallika
when they passed Him by and offered Him the bunch of hay they had as His seat. They took the
Lord Buddha and the Dhamma, the Double Gem, as a refuge and then became the first lay
disciples. They were given hair from the Buddha’s head, and these are now believed to be
enshrined in the Great Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, Burma. The Buddha then intended to
instruct his former teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, but He knew by His insight
knowledge that they had already died.
The Buddha then journeyed to Deer Park near Benares City in northern India where He set into
motion the Wheel of Dhamma by delivering His first sermon to a group of five companions with
whom He had previously sought enlightenment. They, together with the Lord Buddha, formed
the first Sangha or a company of Buddhist monks. Hence, the first formation of the Triple Gem
(Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha) was completed with Kondanna becoming the first stream‐
enterer, Sotapanna. All five monks became Arahants when the Lord Buddha told them to
further announce that Dhamma to the world. Then, the Lord Buddha conversed with Yasa, the
son of Sujata who was the woman who had offered the meal to the great ascetic on His day of
enlightenment. Yasa and fifty four of his friends took refuge in the Triple Gem so the number of
Arahants swelled to 60 within the first two months. The conversion of the Jatila, three Kassapa
brothers, and their disciples of 200, 300, and 500 respectively, swelled the Sanghas to over
1000 monks and they were dispatched throughout the region to explain the Dhamma to the
general population.
Settlement of Buddhism
For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Lord Buddha is said to have traveled all of the regions
in and around India – Bangladesh, Bihar, Pakistan, and Nepal – to teach His doctrine and
discipline to extremely diverse groups of people; from nobles to outcast street sweepers, from
mass murderers such as Angulimala to cannibal ogres such as Alavaka. He also reached out to
teach many adherents of rival philosophies and religions. The Lord Buddha founded the
community of Buddhist monks and female monks to continue the dissemination of the
Dhamma to the millions of people who lived in this area even after his Parinirvana (Pali:
Parinibbana) or “complete Nirvana”. His religion was opened to all races and classes, and it
contained no caste structure. During this time, the Lord Buddha was subjected to attacks from
opposition leaders from other religious groups – including attempts to murder him, and
accusations to “frame” him for actions he did not do.
The Sanghas traveled from place to place in India, proclaiming the Dhamma. This occurred
throughout the year except during the three months of the vassa, or rain retreat. Due to the
heavy flooding, travel was difficult and ascetics of all religions during those three months did
not travel since it was more difficult to do so without stepping on submerged animal life.
Because they were averse to unwittingly killing the animals, the monks would retreat to a
monastery, public park or forest, and the general population would seek out the monks where
they lived at the time of the retreat.
The first vassa was spent in Benares when the Sanghas were first formed. After this, the Lord
Buddha traveled to Tajagaha, the capital city of Magadha to visit King Bimbisara, in accordance
with His promise before the enlightenment. It was during this visit that Sariputta and
Mahamoggallana were converted by Venerable Assaji, one of the first five disciples. They, and
500 followers were to become Arahants, and later they both became two of the Lord Buddha’s
foremost disciples. The Lord Buddha then spent the next three seasons at Veluvana Bamboo
Grove monastery in Rajagaha, the capital of Magadha. This monastery, which was a modest
distance from the center of the city, was donated by King Bimbisara.
Upon hearing of the enlightenment, Suddhodana dispatched a royal delegation to ask the Lord
Buddha to return to Kapilavastu. Nine delegations were sent, but the delegates were so
impressed by his teachings that they ordained and became Arahants. But, because they
neglected worldly matters, they did not convey their message from the King. When the tenth
delegation was sent it was lead by Kaludayi, a childhood friend who was born on the same day
as the Lord Buddha. This resulted in the King’s message being successfully conveyed as well as
Kaludayi becoming an Arahant. Since it was not the vassa, the Lord Buddha agreed to return
and assembled 20,000 monks for the two month journey to Kapilavastu by foot, preaching the
Dhamma along the way. His return pleased all of the royal kinfolk but still some of them did
not respect the Lord Buddha. But He knew what they thought and so, sent the Pokhapatta Rain
that poured red spray on everyone. The people who did not believe in the Dhamma did not get
wet, but the ones who did believe, got wet. This miraculous phenomenon made all of the
people praise the Lord Buddha’s power. But the Lord Buddha said that this spiritual power
came from his former power when he was a Bodhisattva. Hence, the Lord Buddha announced a
sermon about Vessandara Jataka, or about his previous life of ultimately performing extreme
perfections of generosity. At the end of the sermons, hundred of thousands of the populace
became the first stream‐enterers, except for the father, King Suddhodana. Because the King
was reported to be under the influence of “too much pleasure”, he was imbalanced and was
unable to receive the sermon. But when he did receive understanding, the King offered
Nicrotharam, the royal park, as the temple for the monk’s community.
The following day, the royal palace prepared the midday meal, but since no specific invitation
went to the Lord Buddha and all of the monks, they went for an alms round in Kapilavastu.
Upon hearing this, King Suddhodana hastened to approach the Lord Buddha, saying, “Ours is
the warrior lineage of Mahamassata, and not a single warrior has gone seeking alms”, to which
the Buddha replied, “Please understand your majesty that that may be the custom of your royal
lineage. But it is the custom of my Buddha lineage to seek alms. Countless numbers of
enlightened Buddhas in the past have gone on alms rounds.” Then, King Suddhodana offered
the Lord Buddha and all of the monks to return to the palace for a mean, followed by a
Dhamma talk. After this sermon, the Kind became a stream enterer, or a sotapanna. During
this visit, many members of the royal family joined the Sanghas. The Lord Buddha’s cousins,
Ananda, Anuruddha, Kimpila, Baku and Upali, his barber, had become five of eighty chief
Arahant disciples. His son, Rahula, also joined the Sanghas at the age of seven and was,
therefore, the first novice of the world. His half‐brother Nanda also joined the Sanghas and
became and Arahant. Another cousin, Devadatta, also became a monk but he later became an
enemy, trying to kill the Lord Buddha on multiple occasions.
In the fifth vassa, the Buddha was staying at Mahavana near Vesali. Upon hearing of the
impending death of King Suddhodana, the Lord Buddha went with Venerable Sapriputta, the
foremost disciple to his father, and he preached the Dhamma to King Suddhodana who became
an Arahant prior to his death. The death and cremation of the King led to the creation of the
order of female monks. In Vinaiya Culavakka, the Buddhist texts of Discipline, it is recorded
that the Lord Buddha was reluctant to ordain women as monks. His foster mother, Maha
Pajapati, approached him asking to join the Sanghas, but the Buddha refused, and so she began
the journey from Kapilavastu back to Rajagaha. Maha Pajapati was so intent on renouncing the
world that she led a group of royal Sakyan and Koliyan ladies, and followed the Sangha by
barefoot to Rajagaha. The Buddha eventually accepted them and five years after the formation
of the female monks on the grounds that their capacity for enlightenment was equal to that of
men, but the Lord Buddha gave them certain additional rules (Vinaiya) to follow. This all
occurred after the Venerable Ananda interceded on their behalf. Yasodhara also became a
female monk, and both she and Maha Pajapati became Arahants.
During the Lord Buddha’s ministry, Devadatta, a wicked monk, frequently tried to undermine
the Lord Buddha’s work. At one point Devadatta asked the Lord Buddha to stand aside and let
him lead the Sanghas. But the Lord Buddha declined, and told Devadatta that his actions did
not reflect the Triple Gem. Devadatta then conspired with Prince Ajatasattu, the son of King
Bimbisara, in order to usurp the authority of the Lord Buddha and Bimbisara, and eventually to
kill them. Devadatta attempted to kill the Lord Buddha many times. The first attempt involved
the hiring of a group of 31 archers, who, upon meeting the Lord Buddha, became Arahants. A
second attempt followed when Devadatta attempted to roll a large boulder down a hill. The
boulder hit another rock and splintered, only grazing the Lord Buddha on the foot. The final
attempt happened when they gave Nalakiri, a rut elephant, alcohol and set it loose, hoping it
would kill the Lord Buddha. When this failed, Devadatta attempted to cause a schism in the
Sangha by proposing extra restrictions on the Vinaiya. When the Buddha declined to do this,
Devadatta stated a breakaway order, criticizing the Lord Buddha’s lax ways. At first, he
managed to convert some of the monks, but Sariputta and Mahamoggaliana taught them the
Dhamma and succeeded in winning them back. Later, the earth consumed Devadatta. dragging
him to the deepest hell, Aveji Mahanaraka.
The Loyal Attendant: Venerable Ananda, the Buddha’s brother
The Lord Buddha had no specific attendant during the first twenty years of his ministry. Several
monks, such as the Venerable Nagasamala, the Venerable Magiya, the Venerable Sunakahtta,
or sometimes the Novice Cunda (the Venerable Sariputta’s younger brother) used to attend the
Lord Buddha for his personal activities. They also attended Him to help with the Sangha’s
activities. The personal attendants would have to make decisions when the Lord Buddha
needed to participate in ceremonies or activities such as alms rounds or giving sermons.
These particular monks did not know the exact day or time(s) to serve the Lord Buddha.
Sometimes, they ignored the time and, thus, the Lord Buddha found himself alone in places.
Because the Lord Buddha himself had the mission of being a prophet, he occasionally had to go
to places where he was invited by laywomen, in which he needed an attendant to accompany
him. One day, the Lord Buddha was on his way to the village of Jantu and he Venerable
Meghiya, his attendant, wanted to stop by a mango grove and practice asceticism. Three times
the Lord Buddha advised him against this idea. But, Heghiva ignored him and went his own way.
Eventually, he returned to the Lord Buddha and confessed that he had failed in his practice
because of three kinds of evil thought – sensual desires, ill‐will, and cruelty – disturbed his
meditation.
When the Lord Buddha came to the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, He said, “Now that I am
old, I need someone to accompany me (in an ordinary manner) because I have no one right
now. Some of the monks have decided to be on their own, but I shall find someone to be my
attendant. Look, Bhikkhus, wise men that you are, please help me find the person who will
attend me.”
The Venerable Sariputta and Moggallana both volunteered their services, but the Lord Buddha
did not accept their offer because they had other valuable services to perform for the world.
The offers of other disciples were also turned down. As Venerable Ananda was silent, waiting
to be nominated by the Lord Buddha himself, other monks advised him to offer his services.
But the Lord Buddha said, “It is not necessary for Ananda to be coerced to serve me as my
assistant. He will serve me on his own accord.”
When the Venerable Ananda agreed to serve the Lord Buddha regularly, he was subjected to
eight precepts, or conditions:
1. He should not be given the robes that were given to the Blessed One.
2. He should not be given the food that was given to the Blessed One.
3. He should not sleep in the Fragrant Chamber of the Blessed One.
4. He should not be asked to go with the Lord Buddha to accept alms that the Lord
Buddha was invited to accept.
(These first four were given to avoid negative criticism of the Venerable Ananda that inferred
he volunteered his service to the Lord Buddha for his personal profit.)
5. The Lord Buddha should consent to invitations received by the Venerable Ananda.
6. The Lord Buddha should give him permission to introduce visitors who came from
afar.
7. The Venerable Ananda should be allowed to consult the Lord Buddha whenever he
needed clarification of the Dhamma.
8. The Lord Buddha should repeat the sermons that He preached when the Venerable
Ananda was absent.
(These last four were given to avoid the negative criticism that the Venerable Ananda did not
develop himself even though he was close to the Lord Buddha.)
After the Lord Buddha consented to these eight conditions, the Venerable Ananda became His
regular attendant in the 20th year of the Lord Buddha’s enlightenment, or the 19th year after His
ordination. He remained with the Lord Buddha for 25 years.
The Venerable Ananda was the son of King Suddhodana’s younger brother; therefore, he was a
cousin of the Lord Buddha and part of His family (the bloodline of the Lord Buddha). He
entered the order of monks during the second year of the Lord Buddha’s ministry but did not
attain the first stage of sotapanna (stream‐entering) until he heard the sermon given by the
Venerable Punna Mantaniputta on the date of his ordination. The Venerable Ananda served
the Lord Buddha with devotion and care, from the moment he became his attendant until the
last moments of the Lord Buddha’s life before attaining Nirvana. Day and night, he served the
Lord Buddha with faith and dedication and would even patrol the Lord Buddha sleeping
quarters at night to prevent His sleep from being interrupted by people or insects.
When the Lord Buddha acknowledged the qualities of His disciples, He said that the Venerable
Ananda was first among all of the scholars in “causes and effects”, mindfulness, good behavior
and determination. The Venerable Ananda was deeply involved in the establishment of the
order of female monks, or bhikkhunis. By copying the form of paddy in Magadha, he designed
the monastic rope to be a uniform pattern which is still used today.
Although the Venerable Ananda had the rare privilege of listening to every discourse or sermon
of the Lord Buddha, he did not attain Arahantship until the Lord Buddha had passed away. The
Venerable Ananda is said to have lived 40 years longer after the Lord Buddha reached Nirvana.
The Foremost Layman, the millionaire Anathapindika
After the community of Sangha had been settled in Sakka, the Lord Buddha’s country of birth,
He left Kapilavastu to travel in order to teach the Dhamma. He went to Rajagaha, the capital cit
of Magadha where the King Bimbisara offered the Bamboo Grove and the Veluvana Temple, as
a center to propagate Buddhism. There, He met a great layman who was to become the chief
donor to the Lord Buddha.
In Rajagaha, there were two millionaires who were friends to one another. One lived in
Rajagaha and the other lived in Savatthi, the capital city of Kosala Country. One day, Sudhatta
(also known as Anathapindika because through his generous deeds, he was given the name
meaning feeding of the helpless), went to have a business meeting in Pajagaha. There, he met
his friend but he was not welcomed as usual and he wondered why. Apparently, his friend had
invited the Lord Buddha and the Sanghas for alms for the next day because he was so awe
struck with the news of the Triple Gem. When Anathapindika tried to share in the cost of the
next day’s meal, his friend refused. Anathapindika was uneasy for living in such ignorance and
he could not sleep that night, but was awakened three times during the night. Early the next
morning, before dawn, he left the city alone in order to meet the Lord Buddha in person.
Anathapindika first met the Lord Buddha in the Sitavana forest near Rajagaha. On hearing of
the Dhamma, in which he came to understand the benefits of faith in the Triple Gem, the
perceptions and the hereafter life of people who perform perfect precepts, Anathhapindika
could attain the first stream‐enterer. Anathapindika then decided to build a temple that was to
eventually become a center for the Buddhist community in Savatthi.
As Anathapindika was returning to Savatthi, along the route he encouraged people to receive
the Buddha in a respectful manner. And, because he did this, he prepared the way along the
Rajagaha‐Savatthi Road for the Buddha’s journey. Once he had arrived in Savatthi, he
immediately began his searched for an appropriate location for the monastery. It could not be
too close nor too far from the city because the site should not be overrun by people in the
daytime, nor could there be any noise at night. The land should be suitable for access by
devoted visitors and also fit for those who want seclusion. After searching in the chain of hills
surrounding the city, he found a beautiful forest glade, ideal for the purpose. The area
belonged to Prince Jeta, and extremely frugal Prince who was the son of King Pasenadi.
Although Anathapindika wanted to purchase this magnificent land, Prince Jeta was reluctant to
part with a single square inch of it. He agreed to see it only if the millionaire could cover the
grounds of the park with silver coins. Believe or not, Anathapindika had many carts filled with
silver coins, and had them spread out upon the site. Finally, only one small patch of ground at
the entrance remained bare. He gave the instructions that more coins be brought, but Prince
Jeta announced that he was prepared to build a mighty gate tower on that particular spot at his
own expense. At last, the coins were fully spread over the land and Prince Jeta decided that he
wanted the temple to be named in his honor. Eventually, the largest monastic temple was built
named Jetavanaram where the Lord Buddha spent many vassas.
An imposing bastion and gate protected the monastery from the outside world, shielding it
from the noises of the road, and emphasizing the dividing line between the realms of the
sacred and those of the world. Anathapindika spent one hundred and eighty million Kahapanas
(the currency at the time) for building and furnishings. He built individual cells, a meeting hall,
a dining hall, storerooms, walkways, latrines, wells, and lotus ponds for bathing as well as a
large surrounding wall. Thus, the forest glade was transformed into a monastery and stood
apart as a religious sanctuary. Anathapindika spent more than four hundred and fifty‐four
million Kahapanas for the temple’s building and ceremonial expenses. The Lord Buddha spent
the major part of his life in these quiet surroundings and the majority of his sermons were
delivered there. In total, the Lord Buddha spent eighteen vassas at the Jetavanaram Monastery.
Anathapindika continued to feel responsible for the monastery which he had established. He
supplied the monks who lived there with all necessitieis. Each morning he sent rice gruel to the
monastery, and each evening he supplied all the requirements of clothing, alms bowls, and
medicines and all repairs and upkeep in the Jeta’s Grove were undertaken by his servants. In
addition to all of this, several thousand monks came daily to his home, a seven‐story palace, to
receive the noon meal. Every day during meal time, his home was filled with saffron‐colored
robes and the feeling of saintliness. Yet, even so, the wealth of Anathapindika was not endless.
One day his buried treasure, valued at one hundred and eighty million, was swept away by a
flash flood and washed into the sea. Moreover, he had loaned about the same amount of
money to business friends who had not repaid him. He was reluctant, however, to ask that the
money be repaid. Since his fortune amounted to approximately five times one hundred and
eighty million, he had already spent three‐fifths of this for the forest monastery. His money
was now running out: Anathapindika, once a millionaire, had become poor. Nevertheless, he
still continued to provide some food for the monks, even though it was only a modest serving of
thin rice gruel.
At this time, a spirit lived in the palace, above the gate tower. Whenever the Lord Buddha or
holy disciples entered the house, the spirit, following the laws of his realm, was obliged to step
down from his place in order to honor the Great Ones. However, the spirit thought that this
was quite inconvenient, so he tried to think of a way to keep the Holy Ones out of the house, he
appeared to a servant and suggested that they stop giving alms. But the servant paid no
attention to these urgings. Then the spirit tried to turn the son of the house against the monks,
but this also failed. Finally, the spirit appeared in his supernatural aura to the householder
himself and tried to persuade him to stop giving alms since he was now impoverished.
Anathapindika, who had faith in the Triple Gem, explained that he knew of only three treasures:
the Buddha, the Enlightened One; the Dhamma, the Teaching; and the Sangha, the Order of
Noble Disciples. He was only looking after these treasures, and told the spirit to leave his house
as there was no place in it for enemies of the Triple Gem. Thereupon, the spirit, again following
the laws of his realm, had to abandon the palace. He took himself to the deity who was the
divine protector of the city of Savatthi and requested an assignment to a new shelter, but was
referred to a higher court, that of the Four Great Kings in Jatumaharajika Heaven Realm. These
four did not feel qualified to make a decision where Holy Ones were concerned and sent the
homeless spirit to Sakka, the king of the gods.
In the meantime, however, the spirit became aware of his wrong conduct and asked Sakka to
seek forgiveness on his behalf. The king of the gods required that, as penance, the spirit help
Anathapindika regain his fortune. First, the spirit had to retrieve the sunken gold; secondly, he
had to procure unclaimed buried treasure; and thirdly, he had to persuade Anathapindika’s
debtors to repay their debts. With a great deal of effort, the spirit fulfilled these tasks by
appearing to the debtors in dreams and demanding repayment. And so, Anathapindika
regained his wealth and was able to be as generous as he once had been.
The great foremost Laywoman, Lady Visakha Maha Upasika
In the city of Bhaddiya, in the kingdom of Magadha, there lived a wealthy merchant named
Mendaka. His son, Dhananjaya, and daughter‐in‐law, Sumanadevi, had an exquisitely beautiful
named Visakha. They lived in extreme wealth and comfort and were well‐known for their
generosity, which they practices with everyone. One day, in Visakha’s seventh year, the Lord
Buddha visited Bhaddiya with a large retinue of monks. She paid homage to the Lord Buddha
and listened to his teaching. At the end of the sermon, she could attain the first stream‐enterer,
Sotapanna. The kingdom of Magadha was ruled by the righteous King Bimbisara. King Pasenadi
Kosala, his friend and brother‐in‐law, felt that such a generous and well‐respected family would
be an asset to his own kingdom and so he asked King Bimbisara if Dhananjaya and his family
could move to Kosala where they could be an example to his own subjects. King Bimbisara
complied with his friend’s request. Dhananjaya and his family moved to Kosala where they
lived an exemplary life while practicing the Dhamma. Visakha grew up in luxury with the
opportunity to practice generosity and the Dhamma, to which she frequently listened.
At this time there lived in Savatthi a rich merchant named Migara who had a son named
Punnavaddhana. Despite his parent’s pleas, Punnavaddhana refused to marry, insisting that his
bride should be an exquisite beauty who possessed the five maidenly attributes: beauty of hair,
teeth skin, youth, and form. Her hair had to be glossy and thick, reaching down her back; her
teeth had to be white and even, like a row of pearls; her skin had to be golden, soft and flawless;
she had to be in the peak of her youth, about sixteen years of age; and, she had to have a
beautiful, feminine figure, not too fat and not too thin. Migara, in desperation, sent a team of
Brahmins to search throughout the kingdom for one who possessed all of his son’s
requirements.
One day, the exquisitely beautiful Visakha, accompanied by her maidservants, was on her way
to the river to bath, when an unexpected storm came. The maids ran for shelter while Visakha
walked calmly and gracefully to where they all ran. Migara’s Brahmins, seeing the graceful
Visakha, questioned her as to why she had not un to avoid getting wet. Visakha informed
Migara’s men that it was not appropriate for a maiden in her fine clothes to run, just as it was
not appropriate for a king in royal attire, a royal elephant dressed for the parade, or a serene
monk in robes, to run. Pleased with her reply and her exquisite beauty, they went back and
informed Migara that a suitable bride had been found for Punnavaddhana.
Both families were happy with the arrangement. And so it was that Visakha, with great
ceremony, was given in marriage by her father to Punnavaddhana. Her father, who was
devoted to her, provided Visakha with many wedding gifts and an exquisite jeweled headdress
that reached all the way down her long hair to her feet. He also advised her on the appropriate
conduct for a married woman. The advice he gave his daughter was as follows:
1. As along as you live with your in‐laws you shouldnot tell the faults of your husband
and your in‐laws to outsiders.
2. If any of your neighbors speak ill of your husband or in‐laws, it should not be
encouraged or repeated to them.
3. Lend money and articles only to those who will return them.
4. Do not lend anything to those who will not return them.
5. When a relative or friend is in need, you should help them without seeking
repayment.
6. When you see your husband or in‐laws approach you, you should stand up as a sign
of respect.
7. You should not eat before your husband or in‐laws eat.
8. You should not go to bed before your husband or your in‐laws.
9. You should regard your husband and your in‐laws as a flame; carefully and
respectfully.
10. You should look up to, and respect, your husband and your in‐laws as divinities.
As Visakha’s beauty and generosity were well‐known, many well wishers came to honor the
beautiful bride and shower her with wedding gifts. As was the custom at that time, Visakha
lived with her husband’s family. Visakha’s father‐in‐law, Migara, was a devotee of a clan of
naked ascetics. Even though the Lord Buddha and His desciples lived in a monastery close to
their home, they were not invited to Migara’s house. One day, Migara invited the naked
ascetics and asked Visakha to attend to their needs. Visakha was horrified at their lack of
modesty and refused to attend to them. This cased great anger among the naked ascetics, who
condemned Migara for bringing a female devotee of the Ascetic Gotama into his house.
Shortly after this incidence, when Migara was eating rich rice pudding in a golden bowl, a
Buddhist monk came for alms. Even though Migara could see the monk, he ignored him and
continued with his meal. Visakha, who was fanning her father‐in‐law, requested the monk to
leave by saying: Pass on, Venerable Sir, my father‐in‐law is eating stale food.
Migara was furious at these words, which he felt were an insult. He commanded Visakha to
leave his house and go back to her parents. Instead, she called in an independent mediator to
judge her conduct. She explained to the advisor that the rich food her father‐in‐law was eating
was the benefits resulting from his past good deeds. As such, instead of performing wholesome
deeds, which would ensure continued prosperity, he was “eating stale fare”.
When Migara understood the meaning of Visakha’s words, he asked her forgiveness. Visakha,
however, decided that she no longer wished to live with her husband’s family. This was not the
first time that she had been wrongly accused by Migara. She decided to go back to her parents.
Migara, who had finally realized the noble qualities of his daughter‐in‐law, was horrified. He
begged her to remain. Visakha agreed to remain if she was allowed to invite the Lord Buddha
and his retinue to their home for alms. When Migara agreed, Visakha invited the Lord Buddha
and his assembly for their meal and made arrangements for the preparation of superior food.
After the meal, the Lord Buddha dispensed the Dhamma. Migara and his wife, who were both
spiritually developed as a result of past meritorious efforts, both attained the first stream‐
enterer, Sotapanna. After this, Migara, who was deeply grateful to Visakha, called her Migara
Mata, or mother of Migara, and respected her as he would his own mother. He became a
devotee of the Lord Buddha.
In great joy, Visakha continued to perform generosity to the Lord Buddha and His retinue of
monks. She had ten sons and ten daughters who were brought up in the Dhamma by the Lord
Buddha. Even though she was only a first stream‐enterer, the deep passion for the work of the
Lord Buddha could not be eradicated. Visakha had indulged herself with beautiful clothes and
ornaments and always dressed in her finest, most exquisite garments called Maharadaprasat.
These dresses were priceless and worn only by noble women; in her time only three women
had such clothing. One day, Visakha accidently left her valuable jeweled peacock crown and
dress at the Jetavana, the monastery in which the Lord Buddha was now residing. Venerable
Ananda kept them, waiting for her to return to take them back. But, feeling that an item left in
a monastery should not be taken back, she offered it to the Lord Buddha and Venerable Ananda.
On being told that priceless treasures were of no value to His retinue of monks, the Lord
Buddha kindly refused to keep it: treasures such as this were useless for a monk’s life. Visakha
then tried to sell the jeweled peacock crown and dress with the hope that the money she raised
by selling it would be enough to build a monastery and provide the necessary requirements for
the monks. When she was unable to find a buyer who could afford the jeweled crown and
dress, she bought it herself for ninety million Kahapanas and used the money to build the
Pubbarama Monastery (also known as the Mansion of Migara’s Mother) to support the Lord
Buddha, all of the monks – both male and female. In total, she spent ninety million for the land,
ninety million for the buildings and construction, and ninety million for the ceremony: Two
hundred and seventy million Kahapanas in total was spent on the Pubbarama Monastery.
Visakha was overjoyed with her gift to the Lord Buddha. On the day the she donated the
monastery to the Buddha and the Sanghas, she sang songs of joy and walked around the
Pubbarama together with her children and grandchildren. The Lord Buddha informed people
that Visakha was singing songs of joy because she had just fulfilled her ambition to be the chief
female lay disciple of the Lord Buddha. This aspiration had been accumulated over many life
times. The Lord Buddha spent nine rainy seasons at the Pubbarama Monastery, during which
time He dispensed many Suttas and helped people ease the suffering from the unknown
qualities and conditions of their lives.
The Nirvana
During the last year of the Lord Buddha’s life, the Sanghas ministry had been settled. The Lord
Buddha told the Venerable Ananda to assemble the Sanghas. He then left Rajagaha, the capital
of Magadha, where he had given a discourse to Ajatasattu, the ungrateful son of King
Bimbasara who was now the new King of Magadha. The discourse He gave was about how to
rule the kingdom free from destructive forces. As He left the city, He stopped fully and turned
himself around to see the city for the last time. After leaving Rajagaha, He passed Ambapali’s
grove and entered the small village called Beluvakama: here, the Lord Buddha spent his last
vassa. According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of Digha Nikaya Pali canon, the Lord Buddha, at
the age of 80, spent his last rain retreat in Beluvakama and it was here that he suffered a severe
sickness that had sharp and deadly symptoms. But the Lord Buddha endured them mindfully,
clearly comprehending his condition and unperturbed by them. He told himself that He had
come to the last sign of vitality but He would not leave all Sanghas without giving one last
sermon. He then suppressed His illness by His strength of will, and resolved to live. Once He
recovered from His illness, He arose and sat down under the shadow of His dwelling.
Venerable Ananda, the Lord Buddha’s loyal assistant, saw Him and said: “Fortunate it is for me,
O Lord, to see the Blessed One at ease again! Truly, Lord, when I saw the Blessed One’s
sickness it was as though my own body became weak as a creeper, everything around me
became dim, and my senses failed me. Yet, Lord, I still had some little comfort in the thought
that the Blessed One would not come to His final passing away until He had given some last
instructions respecting the community of Bhikkhus (Sanghas).” The Lord Buddha listen to
Venerable Ananda, and then He replied:
“Now I am frail, Ananda; old, aged, far gone in years. This is my eightieth year, and my life is
spent. Even as an old cart, Ananda is held together with much difficulty. It is, Ananda, only
when the Tathagata disregards external objects, along with the cessation of certain feelings,
attaining to and abiding in the concentration of the mind, that the body is more comfortable.
Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external
refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seek no other refuge.
And how, Ananda, is a bhikkhu an island unto himself, a refuge unto himself, seeking no
external refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, seeking no other
refuge?
“When he dwells contemplating the body in the body, earnestly, clearly comprehending and
mindful, after having overcome desire and sorrow in regard to the world; when he dwells
contemplating feelings in feelings, the mind in the mind, and the inner Dhamma in inner
Dhamma. Then, truly, he is an island unto himself, a refuge unto himself, seeking no external
refuge; having the Dhamma as his island, the Dhamma as his refuge, seeking no other refuge.”
The next day, the Lord Buddha and the Venerable Ananda went to Capala Shrine. The Lord
Buddha said to Ananda: “Whoever, Ananda, has developed, practiced, employed, strengthened,
maintained, scrutinized, and brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power,
could, if he so desired remain throughout a world‐period or until the end of it. The Tathagata,
Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could.” But the Venerable Ananda was unable
what the Lord Buddha was saying, even given significant prompting by the Blessed One. It was
as though his mind was being influenced by Mara. Even though the Lord Buddha repeated the
same saying twice and three times, Ananda was silent and did not ask the Lord Buddha to
remain or repeat the same saying again.
On that day, Mara reappeared to request that the Lord Buddha enter Nirvana. So, at the foot
of Capala Shrine, the Lord Buddha renounced his will to live. Once he renounced his life, there
was a tremendous earthquake from the earth to the heavens. Once the Venerable Ananda
knew the reason for the earthquake, he spoke to the Blessed One and beseeched Him to
remain. But it was too late; His renunciation to the world had been complete. The Lord
Buddha entered Nirvana because He did not really become ill or old, but because He taught
that all appearances have common characteristics of disintegration. Those who are born in
this physical world are immersed in the three common defilements: greed, anger and
obsession – the impermanence and pain of defiled worlds. Striving for Nirvana is the way to
seeking the eternal life.
In the Agganna Sutta, the Buddha told the Venerable Vasettha that his material body was not
really who He was, but He and all human beings have the body of the Dhamma or Dhammakaya,
and this body is not sustained by material food. It is not possible to injure the body of a
Tathagata as it does not have any defilements. The body of a Tathagata is “uncompounded” or
unified and free of all formative activity.
On the same day, the Blessed One told the Venerable Ananda to assemble the monks from all
over Vesali, the last city in which the Buddha spoke. Thereupon, the Venerable Ananda
assembled all of the monks at the hall of Dhamma. The Lord Buddha then entered the hall,
took his seat, and said:
“Now, O bhikkhus. I say to you that these teachings of which I have direct knowledge and which
I have made known to you – these you should thoroughly learn, cultivate, develop, and
frequently practice, that the life of purity may be established and may long endure, for the
welfare and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, well
being, and happiness of gods and men.
“And, Bhikkhus, what are these teachings? They are the four foundations of mindfulness, the
four right efforts, the four constituents of psychic powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the
seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path. Bhikkhus, these are the teachings
of which I have direct knowledge, which I have made known to you, and which you should
thoroughly learn, cultivate, develop, and frequently practice, that the life of purity may be
established and may long endure, for the welfare and happiness of the multitude, out of
compassion for the world, for the benefit, well being, and happiness of gods and men.
(Is this a repeat of the two?)
“So, Bhikkhus, I exhort(urge) you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with
earnestness. The time of the Tathagata’s Parinibbana is near. Hence the Tathagata will utterly
pass away.”
Then, the Blessed One told all Sanghas that He would soon enter Parinirvana or the final
deathless state abandoning the earthly body in next three months at the night of Vesak – the
sixth lunar month.
The Last Meal
Almost three months after that, the Lord Buddha left Vesali to Kusinara. From the many cities
that He passed, He sermonized to countless numbers of humans and devas where they attained
the inner Triple Gem as their final refuge. Just before entering Kusinara, He stayed in the
Mango’s Groove of Cunda, a blacksmith. The Blessed One ate his last meal cooked from
Sukaramadava which was, according to different translations either a mushroom delicacy
(perhaps truffles) or soft pork that he had received as an alms offering from Cunda. After
leaving the Mango’s Groove, falling violently ill, the Lord Buddha instructed Ananda to convince
Cunda that his offering had nothing to do with the Lord Buddha’s passing and that His meal
would be a source of the greatest merit because it provided the last meal for a Buddha. There
are two offering of food that are of equal grandeur: The one partaken before becoming fully
enlightened in unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment; and the one partaken before passing into
the state of Nirvana in which no element of clinging remains.
At first, Venerable Ananda protested the Buddha’s decision to enter Parinirvana in the
abandoned junles of Kusinara. The Lord Buddha, however, reminded the Venerable Ananda
how Kushinara was a land once ruled by a righteous wheel‐turning king that resounded with joy
in the past.
“Look, Ananda, Kushinara resounded unceasingly day and night with ten sounds – the
trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of horses, the rattling of chariots, the beating of drums
and tabours, music and song, cheers, the clapping of hands, and cries of ‘Eat, drink, and be
merry’”.
At that time, in the Sala Flowers Garden, in the jungle of Kusinara, the Lord Budha himself lay
down on his right side on the alter bed amidst the community of Sanghas. He pointed his index
finger for all Sanghas to see the unseasonal flowers in the Sala Gardens. All of the flowers on
both sides of the Sala tree at the holy bed were balling as if they were a heavenly rain. Then,
the Venerable Ananda went into the teaching hall, leaned against the doorpost and wept: “I am
stillbut a learner, and still have to strive for my own perfection. But, alas, my Master, who was
so compassionate towards me, is about to pass away!”
Although the Lord Buddha did not see His loyal attendant, once He knew what the Venerable
Ananda was thinking, He called Ananda and praised him among the community.
“Capable and judicious is Ananda, Bhikkhus, for he knows the proper time for bhikkhus,
bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, kings and ministers of state, the teachers of other sects and
their followers to have audience with the Tathagata.
“In Ananda, Bhikkhus, are to be found four rare and superlative qualities. What are the four? If
a company of Bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, laymen or laywomen should go to see Ananda, they become
joyful on seeing him: and if he then speaks to them of the Dhamma, they are made joyful by his
discourse; and when he becomes silent, they are disappointed.”
At that time, a wandering ascetic named Subhadda was dwelling at Kusinara with his own
doubts in the Triple Gem. He entered into the center of the community and met the Venerable
Ananda, asking him to see the Lord Buddha. But he was refused and abandoned. The Lord
Buddha, who had the great generosity for all beings, heard the sound of boisterousness, and
then told the Venerable Ananda to allow Subhadda to enter. Once Subhadda entered into the
center, he questioned the Lord Buddha about the matters of an existing or non‐existing world.
But the Lord Buddha said it was not a present benefit for him to know, but he told the
Venerable Ananda to allow him to become ordained. From the time of his ordination, the
Venerable Subhadda remained alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute. He dwelt
therein and knew the way to destroy birth and eradicated the seeds of burden in mundane life,
becoming the last Arahants in the Buddha’s lifetime.
Then the Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus, saying: “It may be that one of you is in doubt or
perplexed as to the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the path or the practice. Then question
it now, Bhikkhus! Do not be given to remorse later on with the thinking: ‘The Master was with
us face to face, yet face to face we failed to ask him’.”
But when this was said, the Sanghas were silent. And yet a second and a third time, the Blessed
One stopped and waited.
Lastly, and finally, the Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus by saying: “All composite things
have itself a natural passing away. Strive for your own benefit to be liberated with
improvidence.” Then He entered the completed Nirvana. At the funeral, the Lord Buddha’s
body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas, some of which are
believed to have survived until the present. For example, at the Temple of the Crystal Tooth of
the Lord Buddha or “Dalada Maligawa” in Sri Lanka there is a relic of the right crystal tooth of
Buddha kept in the current pagoda.
At his death, the Lord Buddha told his disciples to follow no leader, but to follow His teachings
and disciplines (Dhamma and Vinaiya). However, at the First Buddhist Council, the Venerable
Mahakassapa was elected by the Sanghas to be their leader, because the two foremost
disciples Mahamoggallana and Sariputta had died before the Lord Buddha.