Rajgir valley developed as the perfect calm and serene place where the Monks can meditate away from the busyness of everyday life. The hills hid in them unique caves and rock shelters which provided shelter from the harsh weather and the dense vegetation limited the human activity within the valley to a minimum. The solitude in which these monks reached within themselves and chants that must have iterated still lingers in the atmosphere here. For the many centuries that followed the Buddha, his disciples continued to visit these caves which marks the presence of the Buddha and his eminent followers of the time.
Pipphali Guha is the place where Maha Kassapa found shelter in one of the stone cells for his intense meditation. There is another stone structure close to it which had the honor of the Buddha’s presence. He often occupied this space for mediations after meals. The Buddha stayed at Veluvana during his Rajgir visits and after his one meal for the day he would to pace the path up to Pipphali Guha; on one such visit he found Maha Kassapa in disease and terrible pain. The Buddha found this time perfect to teach him the seven factors of Awakening, in the following words (Gilana Sutta)
"Mindfulness as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
"Analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening,
"Persistence as a factor for Awakening...
"Rapture as a factor for Awakening...
"Serenity as a factor for Awakening...
"Concentration as a factor for Awakening...
"Equanimity as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
Maha Kassapa upon hearing these words recovered dramatically from the pain and disease; the reference to equanimity under all circumstances of joy and pain thus became a common cure to help relieve the suffering of a patient. It is said that even the Buddha in times of illness asked Venerable Cunda to chant this as a gentle reminder. The Buddha himself chanted these seven factors for awakening for his senior disciple Venerable Maha Moggallana during his sickness. This Sutta contains both, instructions for proper meditation practice for the soul and healing power for the physical body.
When Fahien and Xuanzang visited Rajgir in the later centuries, they too felt the vibrations and the continued presence of the synergies from monks who meditated there. They described how the tradition of seeking pilgrimage is continuing and despite the few surviving meditation cells in the modern world, we stand witness to its importance. At the time of Fahien there were almost five hundred of such cells intact and followers of the Buddha’s teachings at the time still meditated there.
Next Post: Tapodarama
"Mindfulness as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
"Analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening,
"Persistence as a factor for Awakening...
"Rapture as a factor for Awakening...
"Serenity as a factor for Awakening...
"Concentration as a factor for Awakening...
"Equanimity as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.
Maha Kassapa upon hearing these words recovered dramatically from the pain and disease; the reference to equanimity under all circumstances of joy and pain thus became a common cure to help relieve the suffering of a patient. It is said that even the Buddha in times of illness asked Venerable Cunda to chant this as a gentle reminder. The Buddha himself chanted these seven factors for awakening for his senior disciple Venerable Maha Moggallana during his sickness. This Sutta contains both, instructions for proper meditation practice for the soul and healing power for the physical body.
When Fahien and Xuanzang visited Rajgir in the later centuries, they too felt the vibrations and the continued presence of the synergies from monks who meditated there. They described how the tradition of seeking pilgrimage is continuing and despite the few surviving meditation cells in the modern world, we stand witness to its importance. At the time of Fahien there were almost five hundred of such cells intact and followers of the Buddha’s teachings at the time still meditated there.
Next Post: Tapodarama
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