Establish the first order of Monks
Out of compassion for mankind, the Buddha was then ready to
spread His Teaching to all who could benefit from it. First He had to find out who were the wise and learned ones who would most quickly understand His Teaching. He recalled His former teachers, Arada and
Udraka, but both men were no longer alive. Then he thought about the five ascetics who had, earlier on, been practicing extreme asceticism together with him. They were staying at the Deer Park near
Varanasi, about 100 miles away, and He set out to meet them.
On His way, He met an ascetic called Upaka who greeted Him respectfully and said, "You look serene and radiant. Who is your teacher? Whose teaching do you follow?" With great assurance, the Buddha replied that He had attained Enlightenment by His own efforts, and that He was going to Varanasi to set the Wheel of Truth in motion. After that they parted company.
The First Five Monks
After many days of walking, the Buddha arrived at the Deer Park. When the five ascetics saw the Buddha coming towards them, they decided to ignore Him. They thought that He had given up the struggle for Enlightenment when He accepted Sujata's offering of food.
However, as the Buddha approached them, they sensed that He had somehow changed. His majestic air impressed them greatly, and they found it impossible not to respect Him. One of them went up willingly to meet Him and took His bowl and outer robe while another prepared a seat for Him. The third ascetic placed a basin of water for Him to wash His feet and the fourth arranged a foot-stool while the fifth one presented Him
with a towel.
Then the Buddha told them that He had not given up the struggle and had not gone back to a life of luxury. He said, "Nirvana has been attained. I shall instruct you in the Teaching.
If you practice what I teach, you will attain Enlightenment here and now." The five ascetics, though at first doubtful of His
achievements, were finally convinced that He had attained Enlightenment. That evening, the Buddha delivered His
first sermon which is known as The Turning of he Wheel of the Dharma, which means "Spreading the Teaching of the Buddha".
The first to understand the Buddha's Teaching was Kaundinya, who requested the Buddha to ordain him. The Buddha agreed and ordained him by declaring, "Come, monk! Lead a religious life to make a complete end of suffering." When the other four ascetics had fully understood the Teaching, they too, asked for and received ordination. Thus the Order of Monks was formed.
Conversion of Yasha
With the conversion of the five ascetics at the Deer Park, the
Order of Monks was formed. Subsequently, more and more people came in contact with the Buddha and they were so
impressed by His manner and His Teaching that they asked to be accepted into the Order. During this period when the Buddha
stayed at the Deer Park, the Order expanded to include fifty-five more monks, making a total of sixty.
The expansion of the Order began with the conversion of Yasha, the son of a rich merchant who lived in
Varanasi. He led a life of luxury and pleasure, but found it boring and meaningless. One night, like the Buddha on the night of his
renunciation, he woke up from his sleep and saw his courtesans and musicians lying about in the hall in a disorderly and unsightly
manner. He was repelled by what he saw, for in the dim light of the oil lamp, the place looked like a cemetery strewn with
corpses. Filled with disgust he cried, "It is horrible! It is horrible!" and ran out of his mansion.
Outside the city gate at the Deer Park, he was still crying, "It is horrible! It is horrible!" when he came upon the Buddha.
"Here it is not fearful. Here it is not horrible! Come, Yasha, be seated. I shall tell you about the nature of life," said the
Buddha in a reassuring tone. The Buddha then went on to teach Yasha about the Four
Noble Truths. After hearing this Teaching from the Buddha, Yasha was like a man awakened from a dream. He realised that
life is suffering, that beauty does not last, nor does any of the enjoyments of life. Yasha decided to stay with the Buddha and
become His disciple. He said, "O Lord, may I be ordained?"
In reply, the Buddha said, "Come, monk, well taught is the Dharma. Lead the holy life."
Yasha was ordained, and later became an Arhat, that is, one who has overcome desire, ill will and ignorance. Meanwhile, his
father had been searching for him. Eventually, he came upon the Buddha who explained His Teaching to him. He listened with
growing enthusiasm and became the first lay-follower to take the Threefold Refuge in the
Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
Growth of the Buddhist Community
At the invitation of Yasha's father, the Buddha, together with Yasha, went for a meal at his house. While at his house, the
Buddha talked about His Teaching, after which Yasha's mother and his former wife took the Threefold Refuge and became the
Buddha's first two women lay followers.
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Instructions to the First Missionaries
When the first sixty disciples had become Arhats, the
Buddha decided that it was time for them to go out and spread His Teaching. He said to them, "Go forth to teach, out of
compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare and happiness of men. Let not two of you go by the same way. Monks, teach the
Dharma that is entirely good. Explain a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure. I myself shall go to Uruvilva to teach the
Dharma."
The sixty disciples were instructed to go to sixty different places to spread the Teaching. They brought to the Buddha,
many people who wished to be admitted into the Order. At that period, everyone had to be ordained by the Buddha Himself.
Thinking that such an arrangement would be inconvenient for His disciples, He made a rule that all monks could ordain their
novices. This rule is still followed by Buddhist monks today.
Finally, the Buddha arrived at Uruvilva where there were three matted-hair ascetics, known as the Kashyapa
brothers. These three brothers had one thousand disciples who practiced
fire-worship. They were renowned for their supernatural powers and felt that their practice was much better than other existing
religious systems.
The Buddha explained to their leader, Uruvilva Kashyapa, that he was not free from desire, ill will and
ignorance, and that his practice could not lead him to Enlightenment. When Kashyapa realised the uselessness of fire-worship, he
asked the Buddha to accept him into the Order. The Buddha would not accept him immediately. Instead, He asked Kashyapa
to consult his own disciples first. After Kashyapa had spoken to
his disciples, all of them asked to be allowed to join the Order. When they were ordained, they cut their hair and threw
them together with their belongings and sacrificial articles into the river. The two younger brothers, who were staying on the river
bank further downstream, were startled when they saw these sacrificial articles floating down the river. They made inquiries
and were impressed when they heard of the Buddha's Teaching.
These two younger Kashyapa brothers, along with their five hundred
disciples, also abandoned the practice of fire-worship and became disciples of
the Buddha.
Conversion of King Bimbisara
From Uruvilva, the Buddha proceeded to Rajagriha, where He took shelter at a park called the Palm Grove. By the time
He arrived there, He was already well known as the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One, and the Great Teacher.
King Bimbisara heard of the Buddha's return to Rajagriha and was anxious to meet Him again. With hundreds of his
noblemen and subjects, King Bimbisara set out for the Palm Grove. On their arrival, they were surprised to see Uruvilva,
Kashyapa, his two brothers and all their disciples with the Buddha. Since Uruvilva Kashyapa was a famous and well-respected matted-hair ascetic, the king and his retinue wondered
who the real master was in that assembly- the Buddha or Uruvilva Kashyapa. Knowing what they were thinking about, the
Buddha had Kashyapa declare publicly that he had abandoned the practice of fire-worship and had accepted the Buddha as his
master. Kashyapa did so by saying, "The Buddha is my teacher, I am His disciple."
The Buddha then gave a sermon on charity, morality, the evil of clinging to pleasures of the senses, and the advantage of
renouncing them. He also talked about suffering and its cause, and the way to end it. After they had listened to and
understood the Buddha's Teaching, all those present asked to be accepted as His lay-followers. King Bimbisara said, "When I was
young, I had the ambition to be a king. Now, I have realised that ambition. I also wished that the Buddha would visit my
kingdom, so that I could have the opportunity to honour Him and hear His Teaching. All these wishes have been fulfilled. Now I
go to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha for refuge." King Bimbisara invited the Buddha and His disciples to his
palace the next morning for their meal, and personally served the Buddha during the meal. Since King Bimbisara wanted
the Buddha to remain in his kingdom for a long time, he had to find a place where the people could easily reach the Buddha to
listen to His Teaching. Such a place had to be quiet and away front the busy crowds of the city because it also had to be
suitable for meditation. Considering the Bamboo Grove to be the most appropriate place, King Bimbisara offered it to the
Buddha and the Order for their use.
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Conversion of Shariputra and Maudgalyayana
During that time in Rajagriha, there was a religious teacher by the name of Sanjaya who had two hundred and fifty
disciples. His two chief disciples were Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. These two disciples could not find the way to end suffering,
so they became dissatisfied with the teachings of their master. They made a promise to each other that whoever found the
Truth first should share it with the other. After making this promise, they parted and went out to search for the teaching
which would bring an end to all suffering. One morning, Shari-
putra saw Ashvajit who was one of the first five monks, walking in the distance. Impressed by his appearance, Shariputra thought,
"This is indeed a perfect one!" He followed Ashvajit until the latter had completed his rounds for alms. Then he approached
him and respectfully asked, "On account of whom, your reverence, have you renounced the family life? Who is your teacher?
Whose teaching do you profess?"
"I have renounced the family life on account of the Buddha. He is my teacher and I profess His Teaching," replied
Ashvajit.
"But what is His Teaching about? What does He point out?" Shariputra asked eagerly.
"I am His new disciple. I am also new to His Teaching. I cannot tell you much. But I can tell you its meaning briefly."
"Tell me briefly, then."
Ashvajit said, "The Buddha explains how suffering arises and how it comes to an end. This is His Teaching."
Shariputra at once understood this and exclaimed, "If this is indeed the Teaching, you have seen the sorrowless path which
is unseen by others." After asking where the Buddha was, Shariputra left Ashvajit and went to look for his friend, Maudgalyayana. On seeing him,
Maudgalyayana was impressed by his serene appearance and
asked, "Have you found the Truth?" "Yes, I have found it!" said Shariputra. He gave an account
of his meeting with Ashvajit, and repeated the latter's comments. In that instant, Maudgalyayana understood the meaning of the
Buddha's Teaching. Thereupon, both of them decided to find the Buddha and become His disciples.
Before going to the Buddha, they told their master Sanjaya and his disciples of their intention. He tried to stop them from
going, but failed. His disciples were swayed by the enthusiasm of the two and followed them to the Bamboo Grove.
Seeing them approaching, the Buddha said to those around Him, " These two men who are coming will be my chief
disciples." When the two came up to the Buddha, they asked, "Lord, may we receive ordination?"
To this request, the Buddha replied, "Come, monks, well taught is the Dharma. Live a life of purity to end suffering."
In this manner, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana were admitted into the Order, along with the other former disciples of
Sanjaya. In time, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana fulfilled the Buddha's prophecy that they would be His chief disciples.
Shariputra's wisdom and Maudgalyayana's power of meditation were second only to those of the Buddha.
On many occasions, the Buddha asked these two chief disciples to take His place in delivering a sermon and thus
help spread the Dharma.
Conversion of Maha Kashyapa
In Rajagriha, there was a rich man who had gold, houses, cattle, fields and many servants. In spite of his great wealth, he
found life meaningless. So he decided to give up his family life and became an ascetic known as Maha
Kashyapa. For a year, he searched in vain for a perfect man who could be his religious teacher. One day, on the way to
Rajagriha, he met the Buddha and, on seeing His majestic appearance, realised that here was indeed an Enlightened One. At once, he prostrated
himself at the feet of the Buddha and expressed his faith in Him by saying, "O Buddha! You are my master, I am you; disciple."
The Buddha at once accepted him as His disciple and said, "Kashyapa, I teach the Truth out of wisdom and not out of
ignorance." Kashyapa, you must restrain yourself according to the disciplinary rules. Cultivate good conduct and avoid the smallest
fault. Be mindful in your actions, words and thoughts. Keep your senses well guarded. Be steadfast and wise in your training."
Maha Kashyapa was ordained and diligently practiced what the Buddha had taught him. After only eight days, he became
an Arhat. Later, the Buddha praised Maha Kashyapa for his efforts in observing the strict disciplinary rules and for his achievement
in meditation. He also asked him to instruct the monks.
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An Invitation to Visit Kapilavastu
While the Buddha was at Rajagriha teaching the Dharma, the Shakyans came to know of His presence there. They reported
the news to King Shuddhodana and suggested that Chandaka the faithful _' Udayin, the playmate of Prince'
Siddhartha, be sent as messengers to invite the Buddha to Kapilavastu. King Shuddhodana agreed to the suggestion. Before
sending the messengers on their mission, he told them to follow the Buddha's instructions.
The two messengers soon arrived at the Bamboo Grove and they approached the Buddha with respect.
The Buddha then invited them to be ordained as His disciples.Since the king had ordered them to follow the Buddha's
instructions, they readily agreed. After their ordination, they remained in Rajagriha. Some time later, Udayin reminded the Buddha of
His father and asked Him to return to Kapilavastu to spread the Teaching there. During His struggle for Enlightenment, the
Buddha had put aside thoughts of His family. After the Enlightenment, He had been more concerned with the spread of the
Teaching than with returning to His hometown. However, when Udayin invited Him to return to Kapilavastu, the Buddha agreed.
From Rajagriha, the Buddha and a large group of His disciples set off on the journey to Kapilavastu. When they arrived,
they stayed at the Banyan Grove. On hearing of their arrival, King Shuddhodana accompanied
by a retinue of Shakyan subjects, went out to meet the Buddha. Just as the king was riding out of the city in his chariot, he saw
a group of shaven monks receiving gifts of food from the people. On being told that they were the Buddha's disciples, the king
was reminded of his disappointment at the renunciation of his son and exclaimed, "If my son had not left home, he would
have been a universal king, triumphant and righteous. Send this company of monks away! I have no wish to see them." With
that, the king returned to the palace with his retinue. When this news reached the Buddha and His disciples, many
senior monks begged the Buddha to allow them to see the king in order to persuade him to change his mind. The
Buddha would not consent to their going. Instead, He chose Udayin for the task because he was well liked by the king. Later in the palace,
Udayin convinced the king of the Buddha's greatness by recounting His virtues. Consequently, the king ordered all the
people in Kapilavastu to follow him to see the Buddha at the Banyan Grove. The Buddha knew that the Shakyans were a proud people
and that they would not listen to His Teaching unless they were sure of His Enlightenment. So, while they were approaching the
Banyan Grove, the Buddha rose in the air. Then He performed the "Twin Miracle" in which the upper part of His body
produced jets of water while the lower part produced fire. Later, fire issued from the upper part, and water from the lower part
of His body. Humbled by these miracles, the Shakyans bowed in respect to the Buddha. King Shuddhodana, himself, was
greatly impressed by these feats and also bowed to the Buddha.
Concerned about the welfare of his son, King Shuddhodana wanted to know how He could lead the life of a monk after
being brought up as a prince, so he asked, "When you were young, you wore beautiful woollen slippers and walked on
carpets, with an umbrella over your head. Now, you walk bare-footed in the open; are your feet not hurt?"
"I have renounced everything and destroyed craving. I feel no pain," the Buddha replied.
"When you were in the palace, you bathed in cool water scented by sandalwood. Now you roam about in cold nights in
the forest. How do you bathe and refresh yourself when you are weary?" asked the king.
"Now, I bathe in the stream of virtues. The Dharma is the pool of virtues. It is pure and is always praised by man," answered
the Buddha.
"When staying in the palace, you wore garments made of
the finest quality cloth. Now you wear a robe, coarse and plain. It is strange that you can bear it."
"A Buddha does not pay attention to the beauty of His clothes, the comfort of His bed, or the taste of His food. He
does not pay heed to sense pleasures."
"Formerly, you slept on soft cushions of silk strewn with flowers. Now, you sleep on the grass in the field, or on the hard
ground. Does not your body ache?"
"My life is without grief and sorrow now, for craving is destroyed. I sleep well and happily."
"Formerly, in the palace, you were protected by armed guards. Now, in the forest, you are unprotected. Are you not
afraid? "
"I have overcome fear. I am not moved by blame or praise. Like a lion, I am not frightened by noises. Can a conqueror, a
leader of men, be afraid?"
"The whole earth would be your kingdom if you had not renounced the world."
"The whole earth is still my kingdom. Thousands are my disciples!" the Buddha replied.
Greatly impressed by the answers given by the Buddha, the king exclaimed, "Your renunciation of family and kingdom has
not been in vain. Your struggle for Enlightenment has been fruitful."
The next day, as He had not been invited to the palace for His meal, the Buddha and His disciples went into Kapilavastu
for alms. Yashodhara, who witnessed this scene, quickly reported it to the king. Immediately, the king went out to meet the
Buddha and asked, "Son, why do you disgrace our royal lineage by seeking alms?"
"Seeking alms is the custom of my lineage," replied the Buddha.
"Is it the custom of our royal lineage to earn a living by seeking alms?"
"My lineage is that of the Buddha's," He answered.
Then the Buddha and His disciples were invited to the palace for a meal. When the meal was over, the Buddha said to the
Shakyans:
"One should practice the Dharma well, One should not do evil. He who practices the Dharma well, rests in bliss
Both in this world and in the next."
On hearing this verse, King Shuddhodana and Prajapati gained faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the
Sangha. All this while, Yashodhara was absent from the meal because she wanted the Buddha to come to her. Knowing her mind, the
Buddha went to her chamber. Yashodhara quickly came forward and bowed at His feet.
Seeing her affection, King Shuddhodana said to the Buddha, "Lord, Yashodhara tried to follow your way of life while you
were away. When she heard that you wore yellow robes, she also put on a yellow robe. When she heard that you slept on the
ground, she lay on a low couch. When she heard that you gave up garlands and perfume, she also gave these up. Her parents
wanted her to return, but she never entertained the idea. My
daughter is virtuous."
"I know that she has always been devoted and faithful to me," the Buddha said in praise of
Yashodhara.
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Upali and the Shakyan Nobles
During the Buddha's visit to Kapilavastu, five hundred young Shakyans headed by Shakyan nobles like Ananda and
Devadatta, decided to leave home to take up the religious life. In a splendid and majestic procession, they left the city and
arrived at the Banyan Grove. Upali, a barber who worked in the palace, also followed the
crowd.
On approaching the Buddha, the Shakyans took off their fine garments and ornaments and handed them to Upali, saying,
"Let these be your possessions, Upali. As we are entering the religious life, we have no need for them."
At first, Upali gladly accepted the things given to him, but after some thought, he decided to be ordained himself. While
the five hundred Shakyans were talking to their parents, relatives and friends, Upali went up to the Buddha quietly and
asked for ordination. The Buddha, to whom social rank meant nothing, agreed and ordained him before He ordained the
Shakyans. When the Buddha ordained the Shakyans, He said, "The monk, Upali, is senior to you. Therefore, honour him."
Then the five hundred Shakyans bowed at his feet.
Upali later became one of the senior monks in the Order. He became renowned for his faithful practice of the
rule and precepts. Among the other monks, Ananda became celebrated for his
ability to remember all the sermons delivered by the Buddha. Devadatta, at first
famous for diligent practice of the teaching, however, later turned against the
Buddha because he wanted to control the Order.
While the Buddha was still in Kapilavastu, Prajapati invited Him to a meal in the palace. After the meal, He talked about
the Dharma. Meanwhile, Rahula, now seven years old, came closer to the Buddha and gazed intently at Him. Rahula had not
been told that the Buddha was his father. In fact, the king had ordered that no one should tell Rahula that the
Buddha was his father. The penalty for going against the order was death.
Feeling a sudden deep yearning to see his own father, he turned to Yashodhara, his mother, and asked, "Where is my
father?" "He has gone to the south. " That was all she could answer. 'Mother, could this monk be related to me in any way? I
feel so happy and content when I see Him," said Rahula again.
His mother, however, remained quiet. As time went by, she thought to herself, "If I tell him, the penalty is death. If I do
not tell him, my own son will be deceived. Come what may, I have to tell him!" So, she waited for a suitable moment to tell
him the truth. One day, seeing the Buddha passing by the street near the palace, she said to her son, "Rahula, do you see that
monk? He is your father. Go to Him, my son! Tell Him who you are and ask for your inheritance. "
Rahula quickly ran to the Buddha and said, "I am your son, my Lord. Even your shadow is pleasing to me. "
The Buddha only smiled and looked at him with compassion but did not speak. Rahula, following closely after Him,
insisted, "I know that you possess the greatest treasures. Father give me my inheritance!"
The Buddha heard what Rahula said, but He still carried on walking. Rahula persistently repeated his request.
When they arrived at the Banyan Grove, the Buddha spoke to Rahula, "Child, you know nothing about the treasures that
you have heard men praise. The only treasures known to you are those dear to human greed. But why should you be kept in
ignorance? You are right to claim your inheritance, Rahula. I shall give you the seven treasures which I received at the foot
of the Bodhi tree. These are the seven virtues, namely Faith, Purity, Modesty, Self-control, Receptivity to Advice,
Unselfishness and Wisdom."
The Buddha then turned to Shariputra and said, "Ordain Rahula. "
Soon, the matter was reported to King Shuddhodana who was upset by the news. He went to the Buddha and said, "When
you left the palace, I was in great sorrow. Later, when you ordained Nanda? that grieved me too. Now you have also
ordained your son. Rahula. My nope that he will inherit my kingdom is gone."
Then the king humbly requested that in future, children should not be ordained without their parents' consent.
The Buddha agreed and made it a rule, still observed today, that no monk should ordain a child without first getting his
parents' permission.
In the fifth year after the Enlightenment, while the Buddha
was staying in a monastery near Vaishali, He received the message that His father was seriously ill. Without delay, He returned
to Kapilavastu with His disciples.
At His father's deathbed, the Buddha preached a sermon on the impermanence of all things. At the end of the sermon, He
said, "There is nothing to fear, Father. Your virtue is pure and your mind is without evil. Remember the Teaching and calm
your mind." Hearing the Buddha's assurance, the king passed away in peace, having become an Arhat.
After attending the funeral of His father, the Buddha stayed on in the Banyan Grove. It was during this time that His aunt,
Prajapati, decided to become a nun. The Buddha declined her request and returned to Vaishali. Undeterred, Prajapati cut her
hair, put on a yellow robe, then accompanied by Yashodhara and other Shakyan women, walked to Vaishali. The long jour-
ney caused {heir feet to swell. Looking weary and with their clothes covered with dust, they finally arrived at the monastery
where the Buddha was preaching. It was Ananda who saw them in such a sorry state. Seeing their determination to join the
Order, he asked the Buddha whether women were capable of leading a holy life and becoming Arhats when they renounced
the world and practiced the Teaching. The Buddha asserted that they could. Ananda pointed out that in that case, they should
be allowed to join the Order. Prajapati and her companions were then ordained and so the Order of Nuns was formed.
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*Kshema
Kshema was a beautiful queen of King Bimbisara. Although he had often urged her to meet the Buddha, she had always
refused. Knowing that she was attracted to beautiful things, the king arranged for poets to compose poems about the beauty
of the Bamboo Grove where the Buddha was staying, and had performers in the court sing these compositions.
Fascinated by the poems, she decided to go to the Bamboo Grove and see its beauty for herself. While admiring the scenery
there, she caught sight of an especially beautiful maiden, standing beside the Buddha and fanning Him. Kshema observed that
the maiden was more beautiful than she and, drawn to look closer, she moved nearer and nearer to the Buddha.
Actually, the beautiful maiden was just a vision created by the Buddha with His supernatural powers. While Kshema was
gazing at it, the maiden was transformed into an old woman with broken teeth, grey hair and wrinkled skin. She appeared to grow
weaker and weaker and finally collapsed and died. Kshema was startled. Then, the Buddha said, "Kshema, beauty is
impermanent." Then and there, Kshema realised this fact of life. The Buddha added, "Those who are slaves to desire are like
spiders entangled in the webs they have made for themselves Those who are free and destroyed attachment to desire
do not delight in the pleasures of the senses." On hearing these words, Kshema became an Arhat and with
the king's consent, entered the Order of Nuns. Later, she became the chief woman disciple of the Buddha. Well known
for her wisdom, she often helped the Buddha in instructing the nuns.
Utpalavarna
Utpalarvana, the second chief woman disciple of the Buddha, was well known for
her supernatural powers. Born to a banker in Shravsti, she was named Utpalavarna
(the colour of a lotus) because her skin was as beautiful as the lotus.
She was married to a merchant but her marriage was a failure. Later on, she married two other men, but none of
her marriages was successful. Disillusioned with life, she became a courtesan in Rajagriha.
One day, while she was with a group of young men on an outing, Maudgalyayana happened to pass by. In jest, the
young men urged her to tempt the monk. She weny to Maudgalyayana and began to behave in an improper manner. Unmoved by
her, Maudgalyayana said, "Your body is made up of flesh and blood. Without wisdom and in ignorance, you are overcome by desires
for pleasures of the senses that grow deeper and deeper as time passes by." Moved by these words and feeling
ashamed of herself, Utpalavarna honoured him and expressed her wish to become a nun. Despite her earlier life as a courtesan, she was admitted
into the Order of Nuns. Some time later, she was declared by the Buddha to be equal to Kshema in her exemplary conduct.
The Devoted Vishakha
Vishakha was declared by the Buddha to be foremost among those who had devoted their services to the Order. When
she was seven years old, the Buddha happened to visit the place of her birth. Her grandfather, a follower of the Buddha, took
her to hear a sermon. After hearing it, she developed great faith and trust in the Buddha.
When still a young girl, she was married to the son of a wealthy man in Shravasti. Her father-in-law, being a staunch
supporter of another religion, did not have respect for the Buddha's disciples. Nevertheless, through her patience and
wit, she succeeded in converting him and the whole family to Buddhism. From then on, she was free to perform her
religious activities and was able to give daily alms to the Order when they came to her house. In the morning and afternoon,
she visited the monastery to care for the needs of the monks and nuns, as well as to listen to the sermons of the Buddha.
One day, she happened to visit the monastery wearing a very costly headdress. Out of respect for the Buddha, she
removed it before seeing Him and handed it over to a servant. After the sermon, she left the monastery with the servant,
forgetting to take it with them. Ananda found it and showed it to the Buddha who instructed him to keep it for her. When
Vishakha came to know that it was with Ananda, she decided not to take it back but to sell it for the benefit of the Order.
The Buddha advised her to build a monastery in the eastern part of Shravasti with the proceeds from the sale. This she did.
This monastery later became as famous as the Monastery of Anathapindika. Here the Buddha delivered several important
sermons, in one of which He mentioned four qualities which could lead women to happiness in this life and four other
qualities which could lead to happiness in the next life. He said, "Happy is the woman in this life who is a capable worker,
courteous in her ways, who manages her servants well and guards her husband's wealth. Happy is she in the next life who
is firm in faith, virtue, charity and wisdom."
Being a devout lay-follower, Vishakha played an important role in the affairs of the Order of Nuns and from time to time
she was asked by the Buddha to settle disputes among the nuns.
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In the Buddha’s
days, there were so many different religious teachings that the people did not
know which teaching to follow.
Once, when the Buddha visited a village, the inhabitants (the Kalamas) told Him,
“There are teachers who visit our village, who explain their own teachings and
condemn the teachings of others. Then others come and they too explain their own
teachings and condemn the teachings of others. So we are always troubled as we
are not certain which of these
teachers has spoken the truth and which has spoken falsely.”
The Buddha replied
that it was natural that they should have doubts regarding matters which were
open to dispute. Then he told them, “Do not be led by rumours or tradition, or
by the authority of religious texts, nor by false arguments, nor by appearances,
nor by theories, nor even by reverence. But rather when you know through your
own experience that certain things are wrong and unwholesome, do not lead to
calm and
The Buddha's Silence When the Buddha knew that the questioner was not in a
position to understand the answer to the question because of its profundity,
or if the questions themselves were wrongly put in the first place, the
Blessed One remained silent. Some of the questions to which the Buddha
remained silent are as follows: I.
Is the universe eternal? 2.
Is it not eternal? 3.
Is the universe finite? 4.
is it infinite? 5.
Is soul the same as the body? 6.
Is the soul one thing and the body another? 7.
Does the Tathagata exist after death? 8. Does He not exist after death? 9. Does He both (at the same time) exist and not exist
after death? 10. Does He both (at the same time) neither exist nor not exist? The first type of question is one that
requires a definite answer, such as a’ yes ‘or’ no
For example,the question,
Are all conditioned things impermanent? is answered with a Yes
The second type of question is one requiring an analytical answer.
Suppose someone says that Angulimala was a murderer before he became an
Arahant So is it possible for all murderers to become arahants? This question should be
analysed before you can say’ Yes ‘or’ No. Otherwise,
it will not be answered correctly and comprehensively. You need to analyse what
conditions make it possible for a murderer to become a saint within one
life-time.
The third type of question is one where
it is necessary to ask a counter question to help the questioner to think through. If you ask,
Why is it wrong to kill other living beings? ‘the counter question is,’ How does it feel
when others try to kill you?
The fourth kind of question is one that should
be dropped. It means that you should not answer it. These are the questions
which are speculative in nature, and any answer to such questions will only
create more confusion. An example of such a question is,’ Does the universe
have a beginning or not?
People can discuss such questions for years without coming to a conclusion. They can only
answer such questions based on their imagination, not on real understanding.
Some answers which the Buddha gave have close parallels to the kind responses which are given in nuclear science. According
to Robert Oppenheimer, ‘If we ask, for instance, whether the position of the
electron remains the same, we must say no
if we ask whether the electron is at rest, we must say‘no if we ask whether it is in motion, we must say’ no
The Buddha has given such answers when interrogated as to the conditions
of a man’s self after his death; but they are not familiar answers in accordance
with the tradition of seventeenth and eighteenth century science.
It is important to note however that the Buddha did give answers to some of these questions to His most intellectually developed
disciples after the questioner had left. And in many cases, His explanations are
contained in other discourses which show us, who live in an age of greater
scientific knowledge, why these questions were not answered by the Buddha just
to satisfy the inquisitive minds of the questioners.
Story of Kisa Gautami From reading various Buddhist texts, I've no
doubt that the Buddha has the ability to restore the dead to live. This is
so because his disciple of later period had exhibited such miracles. The
Buddha on the other hand is more concern with the spiritual maturity of
the living as seen in the above story. Bring someone to live only to die
later does not solve the problem of samsaric rebirth.
When the questioner himself was in no position to understand the real significance of
the answer to his question and when the questions posed to Him were wrong, the Buddha remained silent
The scriptures mention a few occasions when the Buddha remained silent to
questions posed to Him. Some scholars, owing to their misunderstanding of the
Buddha’s silence, came to the hasty conclusion that the Buddha was unable to
answer to these questions. While it is true that on several occasions the
Buddha did not respond to these metaphysical and speculative questions, there
are reasons why the Buddha kept noble silence.
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Kisa Gautami was a young woman from a well-to-do family and was married to a wealthy merchant. When her only son
was about a year old, he fell ill and suddenly died. Overcome with grief, Kisa Gautami took the dead child in her arms and
went from house to house asking people if they knew of a medicine that would restore her child to life. Of course, no one
was able to help her. Finally she met a follower of the Buddha, who advised her to see Him.
When she carried the dead child to the Buddha and told Him her sad story, He listened with
patience and compassion, and then said o her, "There is only one way to solve your
problem. Go and get me four or five mustard seeds from any family in which there
has never been a death." Kisa Gautami set off to look for such a household, but
without success. Every family she visited had experienced the death of some person or other. At last, she understood what
the Buddha had wanted her to find out for herself - that death comes to all. Accepting the fact that death is inevitable, she
no longer grieved. She took the child's body away and later
returned to the Buddha to become one of His followers.
Puntsog's Thought
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