Samiddhi Story

Another story that is often referred to at the hot springs is that of Bhikku Samiddhi. He belonged to a prosperous family of Rajgriha and this cheerful youth brought much happiness and well-being to his family and hence was named ‘Samiddhi’. He was one of the many fortunate ones to witness the dialogue between king Bimbisara and the Buddha; and the words spoken and the teachings explained there inspired him so much that he gave up the physical world and decided to join the Order. He meditated and practiced Dhamma at Tapodarama and eventually attained arhanthood there. One early morning while a Devi was visiting the heavenly lake she saw Samiddhi close to the hot water springs performing his morning rituals, bewitched by his grace and calm presence she tried to test him and lure him into the sensual world. Samiddhi being the accomplished monk deflected her away with the following conversation:



Devi, in a sweet celestial voice: “You are still so young, my love, you should be pursuing the pleasures of worldly life like most men your age. Don’t reject the present moment to pursue what time will bring,”
Bhikku Samiddhi, with a gentle smile: “I reject what time will bring to pursue the present moment,”
“Please go see the Buddha. He can clarify the Dhamma for you better than anyone else.”

Devi: "Monk, it's not easy for us to go to the Blessed one, as he is surrounded by other devas of great influence. But if you go to the Blessed One and ask him this matter, I will come along to hear the Dhamma."

Samiddhi then took the Devi to the Buddha and then the Buddha then explained the Dhamma to her
“Having shed classifications, gone beyond conceit, he has here cut through craving for name & form: This one — his bonds cut through, free from trouble, from longing — though they search they can't find him, human & heavenly beings, here & beyond, in heaven or any abode. If you know this, spirit, then say so.”

Devi after listening to the Buddha words said,
"Lord, here's how I understand the detailed meaning of the Blessed One's brief statement:
In the entire world, every world, you should do no evil with speech, body, or mind. Having abandoned sensual pleasures — mindful, alert — don't consort with suffering & stress, with what doesn't pertain to the goal."

Next Post: Meeting of Kokanuda and Anand

Tapodarama transformed to Laxmi Narayan Temple

Tapodarama in due course of time was adopted by the popular religion of the time, Hinduism and transformed into a centre of Hindu pilgrimage as the Laxmi Narayan Temple. As with the many other places of the region, the sacredness of the place was maintained although the identity of the place was revamped, the number of Sadhu and devotees taking early morning bath here never declined and a typical start of a usual winter morning still lives on just like 2500 hundred years ago when the Buddha and his monks followed this ritual.

Nothing has changed since the time of Buddha the place is still …….Holy dip in the Brhamkund

 
The physical clues provide an insight into the religion but the words and stories that have filled in the gaps are from the prevalent religion, after so many years of convolution, it is tough to segregate where one ends and the other starts. The stream from the hot springs is called Vaitarni and makes a gully through the middle of Veluvana. These days the water from the stream is put to use for irrigation further south but at the time of the Buddha when the population density did not demand so, the stream must have been a source of water for the monks residing at the Veluvana. There are some more Buddhist remains close to the Hot water springs but the story that connects it the Tapodarama is lost. The popular Octagonal basalt stone platform with foots prints indicate a strong tie to the Buddhist past but some Hindu structures have been built over the remains further making it impossible to decipher the clues. The bricks and Chuna-shurkhi floorings are also very ancient and could be from Pala or Gupta period.
 
 
 

Ancient remains south of Hot water springs

The chuna surkhi base of the modern temple south of hot water springs

The saraswati/vaitarni river course recently …earth work done..

Rich pottery from very ancient period found around saraswati river bed

 
Next Post : Medicinal value of Hot Springs

Tapodarama

PIC: The Laxminarayan temple complex over the remains of ancient Tapodarama

The words of Xuanzang
“This place had a succession of hills and stream was hermitage of benevolence and wisdom, and in it were hidden many scholars unknown to the world.”

Tapodarama was another destination where the Buddha took refuge with his Sangha and subsequently a monastery was build there. This sacred monastery was blessed with the presences of hundreds of natural water springs both of hot and cold temperature. It was an ideal place for the residence of monks who were very sensitive to the environment around them and always maintained a sustainable ecological balance. Xuanzang reports in his travelogue that several of those hot and cold water springs were still active at the time of his visit which was during the 7th century. The Pali commentaries (Vin.iii.108; iv.116f; DA.i.35; UdA.110) describe the serene beauty with most auspicious words, the picturesque shows a calm blue lake at the base of the mountain that held the warm water from the streams that flowed in to it creating a perfect balance. And the grounds around this heavenly lake was Tapodarama

Xuanzang has further associated the hot water springs to Pious Anavatapta Lake (in Himalayas) confirming the auspicious words from the Pali literature. According to the cosmological view of Buddhism, the Anavatapta Lake lies at the center of the world. The name Anavatapta means "free of heat "; the waters of the lake that soothe the fires that torment living beings. And the lake at Tapodarama did just that physically and meta-physically too. Xuanzang explains that the water from the lake flowed in various branches under the ground past the small hot wells, and this made the water of the springs hot.

He saw foundation of stupas and temples in the surroundings of Tapodarama and these were places associated with the four Past Buddhas describing it to be a very fortunate place. There are almost no archaeological evidences to confirm any of the claims made by Xuanzang of the Buddhist past but the sacredness of the land is maintained by the newly surrected temples and platforms that have replaced the much coveted Buddhist remains. At the time of Xuanzang’s visit during the seventh century there were around 1000 Brahmin families living here at Rajgriha; as an explanation to the large number of Brahmin presence he attributed it to king Ashoka, who offered it to the Brahmins to maintain as a religious capital while the political capital was moved to Pataliputra.

The hot water spring is part of temple complex and managed by panda committee, this confirms the note in xuanzang's travelogue where he mentioned that Rajgir was handed over to Brahmins to maintained as a religious capital while the political capital was moved to Patliputra...

Next Post: Tapodarama transformed to Laxmi Narayan Temple