PRINCE ABHAYA

Prince Abhaya, son of Bimbisara born from Padamavati a courtesan from Avanti was first influenced by the teachings of Nigantha Nataputta.

As could be imagined among the two leaders on any era there must have existed a healthy competition among the teachers and preachers and each prove the supremacy of his teachings by the display of the number of the number of disciples and lay followers. Several references have been quoted throughout written history where the Followers of Nataputta tried to test Buddha’s teachings in order to prove them wrong or not as universal as their own guru.

Since royalty always played a significant role in establishing or negating any religious philosophy, Abhaya, being a prince, who was associated with Nataputta and if ridiculed the Teachings of the Buddha, the allegiance of common folk might shift. With that desire Nigantha Nataputta convinced prince Abhaya to pose a double horned question to Buddha which would put him in an uncomfortable spot and prove the superiority of Nataputta’s disciple and hence himself.

Nigantha Nataputta said, "Come now, prince. Go to the contemplative Gotama and on arrival say this:

'Lord, would the Tathagata say words that are un-endearing & disagreeable to others?' If the contemplative Gotama, thus asked, answers, 'The Tathagata would say words that are un-endearing & disagreeable to others,' then you should say, 'Then how is there any difference between you, lord, and run-of-the-mill people? For even run-of-the-mill people say words that are un-endearing and disagreeable to others.'

But if the contemplative Gotama, thus asked, answers, 'The Tathagata would not say words that are un-endearing & disagreeable to others,' then you should say, 'Then how, lord, did you say of Devadatta that "Devadatta is headed for destitution, Devadatta is headed for hell, Devadatta will boil for an eon, Devadatta is incurable"? For Devadatta was upset & disgruntled at those words of yours.'

Prince Abhaya filled with false sense of self then went to Buddha and then invited the Buddha for Meal. Next day, early in the morning, the Buddha went to the Prince Abhaya’s place. Prince Abhaya followed proper decorum and served food with his own hands. After the meal finished, the prince asked him two questions, for the first question Buddha responds with a counter-question, before going on to an analytical answer and provided a categorical answer to the second question.

Prince Abhaya asked, "Lord, would the Tathagata say words that are un-endearing & disagreeable to others?"

The Buddha pointed out that it is a double horned question and replied, "Prince, there is no categorical yes-or-no answer to that."

This immediately exposed the question and prince Abhaya got impressed

"Then right here lords, the Niganthas are destroyed."

The Buddha asked, "But prince, why do you say, 'Then right here, lord, the Niganthas are destroyed'?"

Prince shared his interaction he had with Nataputta with Buddha,

When the contemplative Gotama is asked this two-pronged question by you, he won't be able to swallow it down or spit it up. Just as if a two-horned chestnut were stuck in a man's throat: he would not be able to swallow it down or spit it up. In the same way, when the contemplative Gotama is asked this two-pronged question by you, he won't be able to swallow it down or spit it up."

Now at that time a baby boy was laying face-up on the prince's lap. So the Blessed One said to the prince,

"What do you think, prince: If this young boy, through your own negligence or that of the nurse, were to take a stick or a piece of gravel into its mouth, what would you do?"

The prince replied, "I would take it out, lord. If I couldn't get it out right away, then holding its head in my left hand and crooking a finger of my right, I would take it out, even if it meant drawing blood".

Why is that?

Because I have sympathy for the young boy.

Then Buddha gave various possibilities of a situation that can be together put together as “Right Speech”.

Buddha then gave an exhaustive list of speech according to their truth value, utility and pleasantness. Those teachings can be categorized in following six sentences:

1. In the case of words are non-factual, untrue, unbeneficial (or: not connected with the goal), un-endearing and disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
2. In the case of words that are factual, true, unbeneficial, un-endearing & disagreeable to others, he does not say them.
3. In the case of words that are factual, true, beneficial, but un-endearing & disagreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them.
4. In the case of words are non-factual, untrue, unbeneficial, but endearing and agreeable to others, he does not say them.
5. In the case of words that are factual, true, unbeneficial, but endearing and agreeable to others, he does not say them.
6. In the case of words that are factual, true, beneficial, and endearing and agreeable to others, he has a sense of the proper time for saying them. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has sympathy for living beings."

In Buddha's reply, the prince recognised the defeat of the Nigantha and the supreme Enlightenment of the Exalted One, whose disciple he then became. Later, when the king Bimbisara died, Abhaya was disturbed in mind and entered the Order to find peace and balance. He became a Stream-enterer and afterwards attained arahantship (Thag.26; ThagA.i.83-4 also ThagA.39).

In the Samyutta Nikaya (S.v.126-8) he is stated as having visited the Buddha at Griddhkuta and discussed with him the views of Purana Kassapa. The Buddha teaches him about the seven bojjhangas.