Vimalakondañña

Son of Ambapali and Bimbisara, Vimala was his earlier name, but later he came to be called Vimalakondañña. When the Buddha visited Vesali, Vimala was impressed by his majestic presence and entered the Order, attaining arahantship soon afterwards.

A sermon preached by Vimala helped Ambapālī to develop insight and win arahantship. (ThigA.207)

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.

FAITHS AND ROYALITY

Royal patronage was always been the umbrella under which art, culture and new schools of thoughts flourished. Religions also found the benefaction of royalty a must in order to strengthen their roots and spread far and wide. Throughout history there are ample examples that prove that king’s allegiance often made or broke a religion.

Ardra Kalama offered the Gautama, the monk, leadership of his school since he was aware of Gautama’s immediacy with king Bimbisara and there are many other incidents in the religious texts where religions tried to align themselves to the court and the leader for mutual growth and religions prosperity. While the Buddhist commentaries suggest that Bimbisara and Ajatsatru aligned with Buddhism at the same time Jain literature mention a similar claim of these kings’ being their patrons.

The association was always in the shared interest of both royalty and the religious teachings; the religion has the capability to reach deep down in to people’s life than a royal decree could and this soft influence on the opinions of the masses always attracted kings’ to seek the help of priests and saints while also getting invaluable knowledge and leaning on their wisdom to make wise decisions. Bimbisara frequently visited Griddhkuta for counseling with the Buddha about effective management of his estates while Bimbisara was always on a look out to spread Buddha’s teachings.

Family tree of Bimbisara

Bimbisara first patronized Buddha’s teachings and then helped it establish as a religion. Many of the members

of the Bimbisara’s Family continued their association with Buddha and later after his Mahaparinirvana with the teachings that were referred to as Buddhism. While few chose to be lay members and many others joined the order as Monk and as per the literature few even became accomplished monks and attained arhanthood.

Impact of the Buddha’s teachings was very profound and many prince, princess and queens took refuge in the Dhamma. Queen Khema was drawn towards Buddha’s teaching through Bimbisara, her husband and soon she left the luxury of the palace to join the nuns order.

Bimbisara understands Buddha’s teachings

The Buddha found the assembly eager to absorb the wisdom so he offered insights saying that ego or self is nothing but a deception. The life that exists is nothing but transitory and dwelling in these sensory desires is the cause for suffering. He explained that once the human being let go of the self and realize the transitoriness of all that exists, it would lead to a path that ensures happiness. After realizing the doctrine, King Bimbisara addressed the Buddha.
"Formerly, O Reverend Sir, when I was a prince, I had five wishes. They are now fulfilled. My first wish was to become king. My second wish was that a Fully Enlightened One should visit my country. My third wish was that I should associate with such an Enlightened One. My fourth wish was that he should preach to me the doctrine. My fifth wish was that I should understand that doctrine. Now all these five wishes are fulfilled” (Vin.i.36)

This dialogue, the meeting and the place where the Buddha was received by Bimbisara became an integral part of the tradition that lasted for many generations; pilgrims and devotees visiting Rajgriha from Bodh Gaya made sure to stop by at this junction to pay their respect to the king, the benefactor who helped promote the teachings of the Buddha and establish it as a way of life that was recognized as Buddhism later on. Xuanzang mentions this place in his travelogue and with modern world orientation it establishes at the turning of Jethian valley. The place was marked with a stupa and the remnants of the structure and the echo of the teachings still reverberates in this ambiance.

Pic: The temple at the spot over the brick stupa remains

The antiquities found at the meeting place (Jethian) the...

1- A brick stupa by the ancient path

2- Sculptures at the site

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Bimbisara and Buddha Meeting place

Bimbisara was the king of Magadha Empire; he was a cotemporary and one of the very first patrons of Buddha.
When bimbisara learnt about the visit of Buddha to his empire he went with all fanfare to welcome him to his kingdom.

There are two references for the stupa to mark the meeting of Buddha and Bimbisara

1- The life of Hiuen-Tsiang by Shaman Hwui Li By Samuel Beal- 30Li W of Indrasaila guha
2- Xuanzang Travel records by Thomas watters, S.Beal, M Julien- 8-9Li SW of Nalanda Monastery and fro here 3-4 Li E