Within few days of the ordination of Sariputra, Dighanakha, a nephew of Sariputra heard that his uncle has chosen to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha, his young energy immediately rebelled against any conformity and he decided to challenge the Buddha and prove his superiority and in turn show his uncle that life is not following but discovering your own path.
At that time Buddha along with Sariputra were meditating at Griddhkuta
On approaching the Griddhkuta Mountain to confront the Buddha he found the Buddha and Sariputra meditating in a cave (Boar’s Grotto) on the slopes of the hill. And there he blurted out with all his conviction that I do not believe in any philosophy, neither yours nor anybody else’s.
"I am of the view that nothing suits me."
The Buddha all too familiar with such inconsistency pointed it out to him,
"Brahmin, this view of yours doesn't suit you either."
By affirming his belief he actually believes in a thought of non-belief, a contradiction of his own statement. Dighanakha realized his lack of understanding and arrogance. Being the wise person that he was, he listened intently as the Buddha spoke further about being open to all new ideas rather than clinging to any particular rationale.
When the Buddha found him receptive, he explained to him the virtues of impermanence and cause and cessation and dependant coexistence. He learned Vipassana meditation technique and became Sotapanna. Another very receptive monk, Sariputra heard his conversation and having successfully mastered the philosophy attained Arhanthood.
This conversation between the Buddha, Sariputra and Dighanakha took place in Boar’s grotto at Griddhkuta.
NEXT POST: Caves and Rock Shelters at Griddhkuta
Showing posts with label Sariputra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sariputra. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Another Paribbajaka at Kalandakanivapa
One other time, another Paribbajaka named Moliyasivaka wandered into the Buddha while he was taking refuge at his favorite grove of Kalandakanivapa. He queried directly to the Buddha
"Master Gotama, there are some priests & contemplatives who are of this doctrine, this view: Whatever an individual feels — pleasure, pain, neither-pleasure-nor-pain — is entirely caused by what was done before. Now what does Master Gotama say to that?"
To this the Buddha replied
"There are cases where some feelings arise based on phlegm... based on internal winds... based on a combination of bodily humors... from the change of the seasons... from uneven care of the body... from harsh treatment... from the result of karma. You yourself should know how some feelings arise from the result of karma. Even the world is agreed on how some feelings arise from the result of karma. So any priests & contemplatives who are of the doctrine & view that whatever an individual feels — pleasure, pain, neither pleasure-nor-pain — is entirely caused by what was done before — slip past what they themselves know, slip past what is agreed on by the world. Therefore I say that those priests & contemplatives are wrong." (Sivaka Sutta)
At Kalandakanivapa, Sariputra explained to Udāyi how Nibbāna is happiness, even though nothing is experienced through the five senses.
"Just that is the pleasure here, my friend: where there is nothing felt. There are these five strings of sensuality. Which five? Forms cognizable via the eye — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing; sounds cognizable via the ear... smells cognizable via the nose... tastes cognizable via the tongue... tactile sensations cognizable via the body — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing. Whatever pleasure or joy arises in dependence on these five strings of sensuality that is sensual pleasure.
"Furthermore, there is the case where a monk, with the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, enters & remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. If, as he remains there, he is beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of nothingness, that is an affliction for him. Now, the Blessed One has said that whatever is an affliction is stress. So by this line of reasoning it may be known how pleasant Unbinding is. (An extract from Nibbāna Sutta)
Next Post: Veluvana as per the Pali commentaries and eyewitness accounts
"Master Gotama, there are some priests & contemplatives who are of this doctrine, this view: Whatever an individual feels — pleasure, pain, neither-pleasure-nor-pain — is entirely caused by what was done before. Now what does Master Gotama say to that?"
To this the Buddha replied
"There are cases where some feelings arise based on phlegm... based on internal winds... based on a combination of bodily humors... from the change of the seasons... from uneven care of the body... from harsh treatment... from the result of karma. You yourself should know how some feelings arise from the result of karma. Even the world is agreed on how some feelings arise from the result of karma. So any priests & contemplatives who are of the doctrine & view that whatever an individual feels — pleasure, pain, neither pleasure-nor-pain — is entirely caused by what was done before — slip past what they themselves know, slip past what is agreed on by the world. Therefore I say that those priests & contemplatives are wrong." (Sivaka Sutta)
At Kalandakanivapa, Sariputra explained to Udāyi how Nibbāna is happiness, even though nothing is experienced through the five senses.
"Just that is the pleasure here, my friend: where there is nothing felt. There are these five strings of sensuality. Which five? Forms cognizable via the eye — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing; sounds cognizable via the ear... smells cognizable via the nose... tastes cognizable via the tongue... tactile sensations cognizable via the body — agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, fostering desire, enticing. Whatever pleasure or joy arises in dependence on these five strings of sensuality that is sensual pleasure.
"Furthermore, there is the case where a monk, with the complete transcending of the dimension of nothingness, enters & remains in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. If, as he remains there, he is beset with attention to perceptions dealing with the dimension of nothingness, that is an affliction for him. Now, the Blessed One has said that whatever is an affliction is stress. So by this line of reasoning it may be known how pleasant Unbinding is. (An extract from Nibbāna Sutta)
Next Post: Veluvana as per the Pali commentaries and eyewitness accounts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sariputra's meeting with Asvajit
Veluvana was the most perfect setting for a monastic order; Ananda’s description of veluvana is often recalled to prove the extent of its appropriateness, which is known to us today as ‘Gopaka Moggallana Sutta.’ Once Brahman Vassakara, the Magadhan administrator asked Ananda about the suitability of Veluvana, and he replied with these words
"Certainly, Brahman, the Bamboo Grove is delightful, quiet, free of noise, with an air of isolation, remote from human beings, & appropriate for retreat because of guardians & protectors like yourself." (Gopaka Moggallana Sutta) (MN 108, PTS: M iii 7)
Besides the serene ambiance of Veluvana its distance from the population center at the time was perfect, it was not in the middle of the town and yet near enough for the monks residing at the Sangha to visit it for alms. The community was very generous and supported Bhikkhus with almsgiving besides other donations.
It was an exchange between Bhikkhu Asvajit during one such visit to town with Sariputra that prompted the lifelong association of the Buddha’s with his two chief disciples. Sariputra was greatly impressed by Bhikkhu Asvajit’s calm presence and subtle yet reassured demeanor and asked him whose teachings he followed. The answer given by Asvajit has been found engraved on many sculptures in and around Nalanda; Asvajit had epitomized the Buddha’s doctrine to Sariputra, in the following words,
Of things, which proceed from a cause, their cause the Tathagata has told,
And also their cessation: Thus teaches the great ascetic.
In other words, everything subject to a cause is also subject to cessation.
This life-altering event was adorned by erecting a stupa at the spot where Sariputra on listening to these words attained arhantship, and when he repeated what he had heard to his friend Moggallana; he also instantly achieved the same. Xuanzang visited the stupa northeast of the North face of royal Precinct in the 7th century and mentions it in his travelogue. Many orientalists tried to locate the Stupa but the place has now numerous mounds and is amidst dense forest.
Sariputra and Moggallana left their teacher Sanjaya Belatthaputta, to join the Sangha and pursue the teachings of the Buddha. Sanjaya tried to stop them from going away as many as three times, trying to lure them into important positions in the order but the determination of Sariputra that the Buddha is a better guide in his pursuit didn’t waver but instead 500 other followers of Sanjaya also decided to join the Buddha (Vin.i.38ff ).
The Buddha greeted them with the revelation that the two new disciples of his would become his greatest disciples. Within two weeks of joining the community both Sariputra and Moggallana became Arahants. As Buddha had predicted Sariputra and Moggallana became the chief disciples (aggasāvaka) and became an essential part of the Sangha, they were known as right and left hands of Buddha and many images are found in Buddhist temples in Srilankan depicting the two on either side of the Buddha. Sariputra was dear to the Buddha for his greater intelligence while Moggallana wielding the greatest miraculous powers.
The popularity of the Buddha’s teachings grew dramatically and large numbers of householders left physical world to join the Order, and this caused quite a chaos in the people’s standard living style and they ended up blaming the Buddha for breaking up their families. The Buddha gave it a deep thought and realized the need to find a balance between the materialistic and spiritual world. The hard practice of giving up the worldly life is not for each individual and people needed to be taught that they can still practice Dhamma while living a non-ascetic life. (Vin.i.42f). The Buddha delicately handled the situation by teaching the new monks to be gentle when seeking alms, to preach living by the Dhamma but not necessarily give up the physical world. The Buddha believed in maintaining the balance for co-existence in the surroundings, be it equilibrium between material and spiritual or monks and society. He explained it to them as interdependency and a give and take where alms are exchanged in lieu of the teachings of the dhamma.
NEXT POST: Visit to kapilvasthu- Rahula joined the Sangha
"Certainly, Brahman, the Bamboo Grove is delightful, quiet, free of noise, with an air of isolation, remote from human beings, & appropriate for retreat because of guardians & protectors like yourself." (Gopaka Moggallana Sutta) (MN 108, PTS: M iii 7)
Besides the serene ambiance of Veluvana its distance from the population center at the time was perfect, it was not in the middle of the town and yet near enough for the monks residing at the Sangha to visit it for alms. The community was very generous and supported Bhikkhus with almsgiving besides other donations.
It was an exchange between Bhikkhu Asvajit during one such visit to town with Sariputra that prompted the lifelong association of the Buddha’s with his two chief disciples. Sariputra was greatly impressed by Bhikkhu Asvajit’s calm presence and subtle yet reassured demeanor and asked him whose teachings he followed. The answer given by Asvajit has been found engraved on many sculptures in and around Nalanda; Asvajit had epitomized the Buddha’s doctrine to Sariputra, in the following words,
Of things, which proceed from a cause, their cause the Tathagata has told,
And also their cessation: Thus teaches the great ascetic.
In other words, everything subject to a cause is also subject to cessation.
IMAGE AT GHOSRAWAN WITH THE BUDDHIST CREED INSCRIBED
This life-altering event was adorned by erecting a stupa at the spot where Sariputra on listening to these words attained arhantship, and when he repeated what he had heard to his friend Moggallana; he also instantly achieved the same. Xuanzang visited the stupa northeast of the North face of royal Precinct in the 7th century and mentions it in his travelogue. Many orientalists tried to locate the Stupa but the place has now numerous mounds and is amidst dense forest.
Sariputra and Moggallana left their teacher Sanjaya Belatthaputta, to join the Sangha and pursue the teachings of the Buddha. Sanjaya tried to stop them from going away as many as three times, trying to lure them into important positions in the order but the determination of Sariputra that the Buddha is a better guide in his pursuit didn’t waver but instead 500 other followers of Sanjaya also decided to join the Buddha (Vin.i.38ff ).
The Buddha greeted them with the revelation that the two new disciples of his would become his greatest disciples. Within two weeks of joining the community both Sariputra and Moggallana became Arahants. As Buddha had predicted Sariputra and Moggallana became the chief disciples (aggasāvaka) and became an essential part of the Sangha, they were known as right and left hands of Buddha and many images are found in Buddhist temples in Srilankan depicting the two on either side of the Buddha. Sariputra was dear to the Buddha for his greater intelligence while Moggallana wielding the greatest miraculous powers.
The popularity of the Buddha’s teachings grew dramatically and large numbers of householders left physical world to join the Order, and this caused quite a chaos in the people’s standard living style and they ended up blaming the Buddha for breaking up their families. The Buddha gave it a deep thought and realized the need to find a balance between the materialistic and spiritual world. The hard practice of giving up the worldly life is not for each individual and people needed to be taught that they can still practice Dhamma while living a non-ascetic life. (Vin.i.42f). The Buddha delicately handled the situation by teaching the new monks to be gentle when seeking alms, to preach living by the Dhamma but not necessarily give up the physical world. The Buddha believed in maintaining the balance for co-existence in the surroundings, be it equilibrium between material and spiritual or monks and society. He explained it to them as interdependency and a give and take where alms are exchanged in lieu of the teachings of the dhamma.
NEXT POST: Visit to kapilvasthu- Rahula joined the Sangha
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Birth place of Sariputra
Sariputra was the chief disciple of Buddha and was also called Dhamma senapati (general of the Dhamma). As per the Pali sources he was born and died in Nalaka gram. Before he joined the Buddhist order he was disciple of Sanjaya Belatthaputta. He attained Nirvana in full moon night of Kartika Month.
Birth place of Sariputra is still a puzzle. Fahien and Xuanzang both visited Nala (Xuanzang’s Kalpinaka) and have given details of measure and direction. While Fahien reached Nala from Indrasaila Guha, Xuanzang reached Kalpinaka from Nalanda Mahavihara via Kulika (birth place of Moggallana).
We see as we apply the indications on a GIS map, the places don’t fall exactly at one place. Chandi-Mau and Nanand are among the most probable sites. Chandi-Mau falls in the radius of Fahien’s buffer and Nanand falls under the Xuanzang’s buffer, the archaeological remains at both the site are substantial. Broadley visited Chandi-Mau and said this could be Sariputra’s birth place Nala. The pottery found at the surface in Chandi-Mau don’t support any monastic or stupa structure before 5th century AD
Fahien’s Nala (birthplace of Sariputra)
Xuanzang’ Kalpinaka (birth place of Sariputra)
Putting Xuanzang and Fahien records together
Probable places of Sariputra’s birth place and Nalanda
Two most probable places which come under the probability zone are
1-Chandi-Mau (suggested by Broadley)
2-Nanand
Birth place of Sariputra is still a puzzle. Fahien and Xuanzang both visited Nala (Xuanzang’s Kalpinaka) and have given details of measure and direction. While Fahien reached Nala from Indrasaila Guha, Xuanzang reached Kalpinaka from Nalanda Mahavihara via Kulika (birth place of Moggallana).
We see as we apply the indications on a GIS map, the places don’t fall exactly at one place. Chandi-Mau and Nanand are among the most probable sites. Chandi-Mau falls in the radius of Fahien’s buffer and Nanand falls under the Xuanzang’s buffer, the archaeological remains at both the site are substantial. Broadley visited Chandi-Mau and said this could be Sariputra’s birth place Nala. The pottery found at the surface in Chandi-Mau don’t support any monastic or stupa structure before 5th century AD
Fahien’s Nala (birthplace of Sariputra)
Xuanzang’ Kalpinaka (birth place of Sariputra)
Putting Xuanzang and Fahien records together
Probable places of Sariputra’s birth place and Nalanda
Two most probable places which come under the probability zone are
1-Chandi-Mau (suggested by Broadley)
2-Nanand
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Kulika (Xuanzang’s Travelogue), Kolit gram (Pali sources)
Mahamogallan was born in Kolit gram and was friend of Sariputra. Along with Sariputra he too joined the Buddhist order. Like sariputra, Moggallana was also closest disciples of Buddha and was popular for the supernatural abilities he possessed. He was hacked to death in the Rajgir valley by disciples of another school of thought.
Xuanzang went to Indrasaila guha from Nalanda Mahavihar, Visiting four stupas at four places on way. First he went 8-9Li NW to Kulika from there he went 3-4Li E for the stupa to mark meeting between Buddha and Bimbisara. From This stupa he went 20Li SE to reach Kalpinaka (Sariputra stupa), from here he went 4-5 Li SE to visit another stupa and finally he took 30Li E for Indrasaila Guha.
We will try to come to Kulika from two places
1- Starting from Nalanda and directly reaching Kulika—8-9Li SW
2- Starting from Nanand(assuming it to be Sariputra place) and Chandi-Mau (Broadley’s Nala) to reach Kulika- 1st leg of 20Li NW to Bimbisara stupa and then 3-4Li W for Kulika
To reach Kulika from birthplace of Sariputra we take two legs, 1st of 7.5 --9.1 Km, NW from Sariputra birth place to a stupa to mark meeting place of Bimbisara and Buddha.2nd leg of 1.3- 1.6 Km W, from the stupa to the village Kulika.
To consider all possibilities we take measure from Nanand and Chandi-Mau both the probable site for the Sariputra birth place. Measures from Chandi Mau take us to farther west and the area of interest in this case is too far from the probable places. But we shall be taking all the probable villages in the vicinity and see the chances that each place stand taking into account the potshards, sculpture, existing Mound and items of archaeological interest. All the four villages have mounds and as far as Potshards are concerned Juafardih and Jagdishpur has NBPW in large quantities. Saure and Rukmanisthan don’t have any potshards earlier than Pala period on surface. Juafardih one of the most promising sites was excavated in 2007 and it had a mud stupa at the heart which belonged to Buddha period. In subsequent centuries it was further enlarged with mud and at the Kushana-sunga period a brick stupa was constructed over it. Though no relic casket was found in the stupa but still it was an important stupa to mark some special event at the time of Buddha.
A close view
A Closer view with scale
Rukmanisthan
Jagdishpur Mound
Juafar Dih (Excavation in progress in 2007)
Xuanzang went to Indrasaila guha from Nalanda Mahavihar, Visiting four stupas at four places on way. First he went 8-9Li NW to Kulika from there he went 3-4Li E for the stupa to mark meeting between Buddha and Bimbisara. From This stupa he went 20Li SE to reach Kalpinaka (Sariputra stupa), from here he went 4-5 Li SE to visit another stupa and finally he took 30Li E for Indrasaila Guha.
We will try to come to Kulika from two places
1- Starting from Nalanda and directly reaching Kulika—8-9Li SW
2- Starting from Nanand(assuming it to be Sariputra place) and Chandi-Mau (Broadley’s Nala) to reach Kulika- 1st leg of 20Li NW to Bimbisara stupa and then 3-4Li W for Kulika
To reach Kulika from birthplace of Sariputra we take two legs, 1st of 7.5 --9.1 Km, NW from Sariputra birth place to a stupa to mark meeting place of Bimbisara and Buddha.2nd leg of 1.3- 1.6 Km W, from the stupa to the village Kulika.
To consider all possibilities we take measure from Nanand and Chandi-Mau both the probable site for the Sariputra birth place. Measures from Chandi Mau take us to farther west and the area of interest in this case is too far from the probable places. But we shall be taking all the probable villages in the vicinity and see the chances that each place stand taking into account the potshards, sculpture, existing Mound and items of archaeological interest. All the four villages have mounds and as far as Potshards are concerned Juafardih and Jagdishpur has NBPW in large quantities. Saure and Rukmanisthan don’t have any potshards earlier than Pala period on surface. Juafardih one of the most promising sites was excavated in 2007 and it had a mud stupa at the heart which belonged to Buddha period. In subsequent centuries it was further enlarged with mud and at the Kushana-sunga period a brick stupa was constructed over it. Though no relic casket was found in the stupa but still it was an important stupa to mark some special event at the time of Buddha.
A close view
A Closer view with scale
Rukmanisthan
Jagdishpur Mound
Juafar Dih (Excavation in progress in 2007)
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