Relatives and Disciples of
the Buddha
Radhika Abeysekera
---o0o---
|
Foreword
Preface
I. Immediate family of the Buddha
1. King Suddhodana (father)
2. Queen Mahà Màyà (mother)
3. Mahà Pajàpati Gotami (aunt and foster mother)
4. Yasodharà (cousin and wife)
5. Ràhula (son)
II. Male Disciples
6. Sàriputta (first chief male disciple)
7. Moggallàna (second chief male disciple)
8. ànanda (cousin and personal attendant)
9. Mahà Kassapa (preserver of the Dhamma)
10. Anuruddha (cousin and foremost in divine eye)
11. Mahà Kaccàna (foremost in explaining deep and complex sayings )
12. Bakkula (foremost in good health and longevity)
13. Sivali (foremost in obtaining monastic requisites)
14. Angulimàla (murderer turned saint)
15. Nanda (stepbrother)
16. Devadatta (cousin and brother-in-law)
III. Female
Disciples
17. Khemà (first chief female
disciple)
18. Uppalavannà (second chief female disciple)
19. Bhaddà Kundalakesà (debating nun, foremost in quick understanding)
20. Patàcàrà (foremost in discipline)
21. Sundari Nandà (stepsister)
22. Bhaddà Kàpilàni (foremost in recollecting past births)
23. Kisa Gotami (foremost in wearing coarse rag-robes)
24. Isidàsi
25. Sonà (foremost in effort)
IV. Royal Patrons
26. King Bimbisàra
27. Queen Mallikà
28. King Pasenadi Kosala
29. Queen Sàmàvati
V. Lay Disciples
30. Anàthapindika (chief male lay disciple)
31. Visàkà (chief female lay disciple)
32. Citta (foremost lay disciple in teaching the Dhamma)
33. Rohini (cousin of the Buddha)
34. Jivaka (physician)
|
-ooOoo-
"So it happens Kassapa, when beings
deteriorate and the true Dhamma vanishes: then there are more rules and
fewer Arahanths. There will be, however, no vanishing of the Dhamma until
a sham Dhamma arises in the world. But when a sham Dhamma arises in the
world, there will be more rules and fewer Arahanths."
"But Kassapa, it is not a cataclysm of
the four elements - earth, water, fire and air that make the Dhamma
disappear. Nor is the reason for its disappearance similar to the
overloading of a ship that causes it to sink. It is rather the presence of
five detrimental attitudes that causes the obscuration and disappearance
of the Dhamma."
"These are the five: It is the lack of
respect and regard for the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, the training,
and for meditative concentration on the part of monks, nuns, and male and
female devotees. But so long as there is respect and regard for these five
things the Dhamma will remain free of obscuration and will not disappear."
-- (Gotama Buddha - Samyutta Nikàya)
Foreword
I admire Mrs. Radhika Abeysekera’s fifth
book in her series of Buddhist books. She is an untiring writer who writes
on Buddhadhamma with confidence. She tries to fulfil the Noble Path of
Right Effort and her efforts have become very fruitful. Her past four
books are very popular among readers. Now her readers have a new book to
enjoy.
As I see it, the reason for the popularity
of her books is her confidence (sradha) in the Buddhadhamma. Many authors
write about the Buddhadhamma and how it relates to modern society. Even
though the Dhamma (Truth) applies to the past, present and future, if the
author does not have a clear understanding of the changing nature of the
world – the nature of impermanence, it is not easy to explain the way of
the Dhamma to modern society.
The teaching of the Dhamma must be done with
understanding and confidence. When we go to a doctor and request treatment
for our ailments, we have confidence in the doctor’s treatment. We have to
approach the Dhamma in the same way. Only then can we see the real way of
the Buddha’s teachings.
When we have confidence in the Dhamma, we
see the real nature of the Dhamma. When we explain the Dhamma in writing,
we must write with full knowledge and compassion so that others can
acquire that same understanding.
In this book, and in Mrs. Abeysekera’s
previous writings, she inspires the reader with her confidence in the
Dhamma. This particular characteristic of her writing captures the
attention of the readers. When you read her stories you can see how she
presents the Dhamma in each story. When you read her stories you feel as
if you are listening to a virtuous, Buddhist woman explaining the
teachings with complete confidence in the Triple Gem – the Buddha, the
Dhamma, and the Sangha.
As we do not have many books like this
written in English, this work is a generous contribution towards the
understanding of the Dhamma for students living outside of Sri Lanka and
other Buddhist countries. We need more books like this which will help
children to develop the correct knowledge required to live with wholesome
values in this modern society.
It is a pity that the modern world does not
recognize the importance of these human values that existed in the past:
values that brought calmness and contentment to the minds of all people in
society. These values are slowly disappearing from use and practice. Many
good values such as patience, forbearance, tolerance, generosity,
morality, gratitude, loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, altruism and such
other noble human qualities are missing from our daily practice. They are
not taught to our children in the modern world.
Children are not taught to be tolerant,
patient and generous; instead they are taught that it is acceptable to
retaliate, to be unforgiving and selfish. We can see in many children’s
television programs that producers do not think about the development of
good values in the children’s minds. We cannot see evidence of even the
slightest attention being paid through programming efforts to children’s
moral development. As a result, future generations will develop into
societies lacking in good qualities. The world will miss wholesomeness and
society will have no real human values.
The degeneration of human values is seen
everywhere in society. To avoid this, we should encourage our children and
adolescents to read more about religious and historical characters such as
are found in this book. How can we expect a peaceful and happy society
when we neglect the moral education of our children?
It is very important to understand that good
values can be easily forgotten. It is difficult to develop good values in
the minds of people who possess dormant unwholesome qualities such as
greed, anger and delusion in their inner minds. Our fault today is that we
expect happiness and peace by spending money but we have no time to
reflect and don’t try to understand how to acquire true happiness or
peace. Unhappiness and absence of peace appear but we do not understand
how to get rid of them. Without knowing the root cause we try to treat the
symptoms of the disease.
The Buddha’s advice for this is to
understand, discipline the mind, and eradicate the cause, or the root of
the disease. It is good to understand before attempting to uproot the
cause. It is not wise to ignore, suppress or run away from the problem.
Our children are unfortunate in that they are not given the instruction
that will teach them to correct these characteristics in school.
In the old days people had time to teach
this to children. Unfortunately, modern children are missing this
opportunity. They are not given this instruction at home, in school or at
church. Adults expect calm and peaceful behaviour from children without
first teaching them to behave and live in peace and harmony.
The average modern American child gets only
ten minutes a day to talk with his parents as the parents are busy with
their daily work. How can we expect innocent children who know nothing of
the realities of this world to do as we want if we do not take the time to
teach the values required to accomplish this?
Without first instructing our children or
teaching them through example, we describe the concept of human rights and
we speak about their rights. We encourage them to search for their rights.
What rights can they earn without first learning to respect their parents
and elders? It is the duty of the parents who brought the children into
this world to teach them good qualities at home. Teaching them how to earn
money only does not complete their education. It is also important to
teach them the manners and human qualities and values that will allow them
to live peacefully and happily as productive members of society. They have
no other way of acquiring this knowledge if we do not teach them, for they
came to this world without knowing the true nature of the world.
This point must be understood by scientists,
psychologists and educators. Those who perform research in education have
forgotten this important aspect. This is a missing and often neglected
concept in modern society and in the field of education.
We are thankful to Mrs. Radhika Abeysekera,
who tries to educate our adults as well as our children by teaching the
Dhamma as our ancestors did in Sri Lanka. A strong sense of learning and
effort in Sri Lanka enabled people to build, even without modern
machinery, great reservoirs, nine-story buildings and magnificent temples,
the ruins of which can still be seen today, two thousand or more years
later. I would like to draw our educators’ minds to think about this and
to suggest an arrangement that would fulfil this missing aspect of our
innocent children’s education.
I hope our readers, who have been waiting to
read Mrs. Abeysekera’s writings on the Dhamma, will be happy to gain the
knowledge of the practical human values that are slowly vanishing from our
society. My good wishes and loving-kindness to all. May all beings be well
and happy!
Kurunegoda Piyatissa (Nayaka Maha
Thera)
New York Buddhist Vihara
August 3, 1999
Preface
Relatives and Disciples of the Buddha,
which is the second book in the series of Buddhism books that I have
written, is my fifth publication. Once the students have knowledge of the
life story of the Buddha, they need to be introduced to His relatives and
disciples. Parents or educators should introduce the students to the
appropriate life stories as they mature in the Dhamma. They will then have
a strong foundation and background, which will enhance their studies in
the Dhamma.
This book is also written for the purpose of
encouraging young students to emulate the lives of these heroic men and
women. It has been written using plain language, structured in short
chapters, and illustrated by some of the young children of Canada and Sri
Lanka so as to appeal to the younger reader.
The positions held by the Buddha’s close
relatives and disciples were not chance happenings. They were positions
that each of them had aspired to many aeons ago. They were positions of
honour towards which each of them had worked tirelessly over many life
cycles. As such, I wanted to include in each of these life histories the
true beginning – the point at which the aspiration was made. I have
researched and attempted to document the true beginning of many of the
Buddha’s close relatives and disciples. It should be noted, however, that
the Buddha had eighty great disciples on whom He conferred titles, and
many thousands of disciples. As it was not possible to include all of
them, a selection was made based on their contribution to the preservation
of the Dhamma and on availability of material.
I was inspired and suffused with happiness
when I worked on these life histories. These great men and women had
worked tirelessly over many lifetimes, so that many years later we could
still have access to the Dhamma by practising the teaching that they
preserved and by following their example. I was inspired, not only because
of the fortitude and effort displayed by the Buddha’s disciples, but also
because of their determination to renew their aspiration through countless
life cycles. They each had the same goal – to help the Buddha in His
mission to enlighten men and gods by showing them the path to eradicate
suffering. But because of the nature and disposition of each person, each
chose a different role and made different aspirations in keeping with
their natures.
Mahà Màyà aspired to be the mother of the
Buddha. Her aspiration, made many aeons ago, was to bring to birth a child
who would be The Enlightened One. Yasodharà, His wife, aspired to be His
helpmate. Over countless lives she worked tirelessly, supporting His every
decision, and actively participated in helping Him complete the ten
perfections. Mahà Pajapati, on the other hand, aspired to institute and
form the order of the nuns (Bhikkhuni). Sàriputta aspired to be the
Buddha’s first chief disciple and foremost in wisdom. He was the true son
of the Dhamma and assisted the Buddha in setting in motion the Wheel of
Wisdom. Mahà Moggallàna chose to be His second chief disciple and foremost
in supernatural powers. By using His supernatural powers and his ability
to teach he helped many thousands to have confidence in the Dhamma and
strive for emancipation. Kassapa aspired to be foremost in austere
practices. After the Buddha’s Parinibbàna they needed a role model who was
pure and austere. It would have been easy to fall into lax practices and
materialism. But Mahà Kassapa was there to help guide and preserve the
Dhamma.
Each of the great disciples chose a
different attribute in which to excel. Then, using this attribute, they
helped the Buddha in the teaching and preservation of the Dhamma for
future generations. What wonderful role models for our children!
Researching the life stories of these great persons gave me added strength
to continue in my mission of teaching the Dhamma and assisting in its
preservation for future generations.
The Buddha had many supernatural and psychic
powers. In general, however, He did not resort to miracles and psychic
phenomena when teaching the Dhamma. This is because the attainment of
psychic powers is not the Buddhist goal. The Buddhist goal is Nibbàna -
the total destruction of suffering. He did not want His followers, enticed
by miracles, to seek psychic powers as opposed to the supreme bliss of
Nibbàna. There were, however, instances when He used his psychic powers to
prepare His audience for the Dhamma. At times the pride of the people or
their need for the supernatural had to be addressed first. And so we have
instances like the Twin Wonder (Twin Miracle) that the Buddha performed to
destroy the pride of the Sakyans.
Though the powers of the Buddha far exceeded
those of His disciples, many of them also had supernatural and psychic
powers. In attaining Arahanthship the great disciples acquired the ability
to see into their past births in 100,000 world cycles. Four of His
disciples, Sàriputta, Mahà Moggallàna, Yasodharà and Bakkula, could see
back into infinite periods of time. Arahanths like Mahà Moggallàna, Mahà
Kassapa and Anuruddha had the power to visit the celestial and Brahma
realms at will. Anuruddha could also view 1,000 world systems.
In this book I have included instances of
such supernatural powers. I have also attempted to cross-reference such
instances by comparing the teachings of the Buddha to those of the great
disciples. Over time, it is possible for the original words of the Buddha
to be changed through translation errors and poetic embellishment of
authors. The Buddha, who recognized this possibility, left us a set of
instructions to follow before we accepted His teachings as absolute. I
have also included in this book the way in which the Arahanths preserved
the Dhamma. This will help the reader to form an opinion on the
authenticity of the material. The Buddha’s instruction, known as the
Mahàpadesa, and by which His words should be tested, is as follows:
"A Bhikkhu may say thus - From the mouth
of the Buddha Himself have I heard, have I received thus: This is the
Doctrine, this is the Discipline, this is the Teaching of the Master. His
words should not be accepted or rejected. Without either accepting or
rejecting such words, study thoroughly every word and syllable and then
put them beside the Discourse (teachings) and compare with the Monastic
Disciplinary Rules. If, when so compared, they do not harmonize with the
Discourses and do not agree to the Disciplinary Rules, then you may come
to the conclusion: Certainly this is not the word of the Exalted One, this
has been wrongly grasped by the Bhikkhu. Therefore you should reject it.
If, when compared and contrasted, they harmonize with the Discourses and
the Disciplinary Rules, you may come to the conclusion: Certainly this is
the word of the Exalted One, this has correctly been grasped by the Bhikku.
Let this be regarded as the first reference."
The Buddha then went on to dispense the
second, third and fourth reference by substituting the words, "Heard
from the mouth of the Buddha", with,"Heard from the mouth of the Sangha,
Heard from the mouth of the Thera, and Heard from the mouth of Theri."
It should also be pointed out that the
reader has the choice of accepting or not accepting these events. In
the Jnànasàra-samuccaya the Buddha said, "As the wise test gold by
burning, cutting, and rubbing (on a piece of touchstone), so are you to
accept my words after examining them and not out of regard for me." As
such, we should always examine and question the Teachings and accept that
which appeal to our reason. The acceptance or non-acceptance of such
phenomena does not in any way affect a person’s ability to attain Nibbàna.
It does, however, add to a better understanding of the spiritual
development of the minds of Arahanths.
In addition to introducing the reader to
some of the close relatives and great disciples of the Buddha, this book
illustrates the exceedingly long time it takes (about 100,000 world
cycles) to fulfil a great aspiration and attain Arahanthship. The majority
of these persons received the definite proclamation regarding the
certainty of the fulfilment of their aspirations at the time of the
Padumuttara Buddha. Yasodharà and His chief male disciples took even
longer to fulfil their aspirations, as the level of perfection required
was greater. And even though documentation was not available, the
possibility exists that these great disciples were striving for these
positions and completing virtues even prior to their encounter with the
Padumuttara Buddha. It seems very plausible that a certain level of wisdom
and spiritual development would have been required for the Padumuttara
Buddha to be able to prophesy the certainty of their achieving their goal.
I hope this book will inspire the reader to
understand how fortunate we are that these great disciples had the courage
and determination to perfect themselves over aeons of time to assist us in
our emancipation. Their goal was not just to attain Arahanthship. It
was to attain Arahanthship with great attributes which would assist the
Buddha in His aspiration to help humanity for many generations, by showing
them the path to the total destruction of suffering. It is hoped that
this book will inspire others to make similar aspirations, so that future
generations may benefit by our efforts just as we are benefiting by the
efforts of these great disciples.
This book was not written for the purpose of
introducing the Buddha’s teaching. However, it would have been remiss of
me not to use the opportunity to introduce the teachings when documenting
the life history of Mahà Kaccàna. Mahà Kaccàna was foremost in explaining
in detail the profound sayings of the Buddha to help novice monks and lay
disciples who were not spiritually mature. To illustrate Mahà Kaccàna’s
contribution to the world, I have included some examples from Mahà
Kaccàna’s teachings. As Kaccàna was consulted to explain profound and
complex teachings, these are for the advanced student. I have attempted to
simplify the teachings but it must be recognized that these are teachings
from the Abhidhamma and as such are more suitable for the advanced student
than the beginner.
Dr. Dewaràja, who presented a paper at the
University of Western Australia on "The Positions of Women in Buddhism",
studied the women of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and Tibet over a period of
time before the impact of Western influence and compared them to women in
other Asian Countries. She concluded that "Buddhism saved the daughter
from indignity, elevated the wife to a position approximating to equality,
and retrieved the widow from abject misery." I have attempted to bring
out the enormous service that the Buddha performed to women when He
instigated the order of the Nuns and proclaimed that women were as capable
as men of attaining spiritual heights. The position of women and the
beliefs at that time were such that women were treated with great
disrespect. I have attempted to bring to light society’s treatment of
women at the time of the Buddha and the gratitude that His female
disciples felt towards Him for giving them the opportunity for
emancipation.
This book, as the other books I have
written, is my contribution towards the preservation of the Dhamma for
future generations. May I, through this work, continue to develop wisdom,
analytical skills and clarity of vision, so that I can transfer the
knowledge I have acquired to others with ease, with a view to Nibbàna.
I also hope that reading this book will inspire others to make similar
aspirations, because what one person has done another person can do.
Whilst I researched many books to obtain the
material required for this book, special mention needs to be made of some
of the pioneers who translated the Pàli text to English. Professor Rhys
Davids, whose father was a Christian clergyman, decided to study the Pàli
language and Buddhism for the purpose of proving the superiority of the
Christian faith. Instead, Professor Davids modelled his life on the
Buddha’s Noble Path and, together with his wife, Mrs. Davids, left a
beautiful legacy of the Pàli text in English. As many as possible of the
Theragàthà, or sayings of the elders, were taken from the book Psalms
of the Brethren. Due to difficulties in obtaining the original
translation, The Elders Verses I, Theragàthà and The Elders
Verses II, Therigàthà by the Pàli Text Society of Oxford, as well as
the beautiful work, Great Disciples of the Buddha, of the
American-born Bhikku, Bhodi, were used as supplements.
Compilations of the lives of the great
disciples of the Buddha by the German-born monk, Ven. Nyànaponika, and the
German scholar, Hellmuth Heckle, were also invaluable in my research. My
grateful appreciation to these forefathers for their dedication in
translating the Pàli text into English, for the purpose of preserving the
Dhamma. Through this book, these international pioneers have contributed
to the Dhamma knowledge of many more generations of international
students.
Many people contributed their time and
effort to make this book special. Children of Canada and Sri Lanka, many
of whom are my students, enhanced this text with their beautiful drawings.
The children’s perspective of the stories adds a touching depth which
brings to life the great persons who preserved the Dhamma so that it would
be available for them to study many years later. Their contribution, which
has made this book a living memory of my Dhamma classes, is greatly
appreciated.
As in the past Ven. Kurunagoda Piyatissa (Nàyaka
Mahà Thera) encouraged me in my efforts by writing the foreword and
reviewing the book for accuracy and improvement. His vast knowledge of the
Dhamma continues to be an invaluable resource in my work. His strength,
patience and selfless devotion to the Buddha Dhamma is greatly
appreciated.
My good friend, Adrienne Bouchard Langlois,
has worked tirelessly in enriching this text with her careful editing. She
has undertaken the editing of this book at a time when great demands were
being made on her free time. Despite her other commitments, she has
ensured the quality of this book by going over this material again and
again. The editing of a book is meticulous work that requires countless
hours of concentrated effort. Her contribution to this book cannot be
measured. Her friendship is a constant source of strength and her
determination, inspiration and high standards are now an integral part of
my work. My appreciation of her labour of love is boundless.
My friend, Jay Jawroski, has made this book
a work of art with her expertise and graphics design. She has designed the
cover to reflect the wisdom and compassion of the many disciples and
retained the importance of impermanence in the Buddha Dhamma. She has
formatted the entire book to enrich its visual impact and has spent
countless hours to make it attractive and appealing to the reader. She has
scanned the children’s drawings and enriched them thorough her expertise,
to reproduce in vibrant colours. Her beautiful work has enhanced the
children’s illustrations and helped to bring to life the stories of the
great disciples. Her generosity, compassion and experience of life have
helped to strengthen my resolve and commitment in the preservation of the
Dhamma for future generations. Words cannot describe my appreciation of
her efforts and support.
My books are now available on the Internet
so that readers from all parts of the globe will have free access to them.
Even with the generous help of sponsors, I was experiencing great
difficulties in keeping up with the costs of free distribution. The demand
far exceeded my supply of books. My friend, Masoud Moradi-Teleghani, has
selflessly shared his technical expertise and developed my web site so
that students all over the world now have access to my books. The
beautiful title page was Masoud’s representation of my work. With his
title "From Turmoil to Peace" he effectively captured what I hoped to give
to future generations through the Buddha Dhamma. The countless hours he
spent formatting this work in HTML, a language that does not have Pàli
fonts, is greatly appreciated. His technical and artistic abilities,
compassion and quiet strength have been an invaluable resource in my work.
And last but not least I would like to thank
my family for their consistent support of my work. The many hours I spend
on my work is time away from them. By becoming involved in my work they
have shared in my contribution to the preservation of the Dhamma. Together
with many others they have encouraged me in my struggle to balance my
career, family and writing. With understanding and patience they have
provided the environment I need for research, teaching and writing. My
grateful appreciation for their encouragement, understanding, and
patience.
This book has been dedicated to my family,
good friends and relatives who have supported me throughout the years in
the preservation of the Buddha Dhamma. May I have the opportunity to
assist them throughout samsara in their journey to enlightenment. May all
beings find peace and lasting happiness!
Radhika Abeysekera
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
May 13, 2000
http://winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/slam/buddhism/
---o0o---
Content |
01 |
02 | 02b| 03 |
04 |
05
---o0o---
Source :
Buddhasasana homepage
Update : 01-05-2002
