  Initiation
of Buddha Shakyamuni and the 16 Arahants
Asita,
the sage, visits the newborn prince
Asita
the sage, in his mid-day meditation, saw
the devas of the Group of Thirty
?a exultant, ecstatic ?a
dressed
in pure white, honoring Indra, holding
up banners, cheering wildly, &
on seeing the devas so joyful & happy, having paid his respects, he said: "Why
is the deva community
so wildly elated? Why
are they holding up banners &
waving them around? Even
after the war with the Asuras
?a when victory was the devas',
the Asuras defeated ?a even
then there was no excitement like this. Seeing
what marvel are
the devas so joyful?
They shout,
they sing,
play music,
clap their hands,
dance. So
I ask you, who live on Mount Meru's summit. Please dispel my doubt quickly, dear sirs."
"The
Bodhisatta, the foremost jewel,
unequaled, has
been born for welfare & ease
in the human world, in
a town in the Sakyan countryside,
Lumbini. That's
why we're all so wildly elated. He,
the highest of all beings, the
ultimate person, a
bull among men, foremost of all people, will
set turning the Wheel [of Dhamma] in
the grove named after the seers, like
a strong, roaring lion, the
conqueror of beasts." Hearing
these words, Asita
quickly descended [from heaven] and
went to Suddhodana's dwelling. There,
taking a seat, he said to the Sakyans:
"Where is the prince?
I, too, want to see him." The
Sakyans then showed to
the seer named Asita
their son, the prince,
like gold aglow, burnished
by a most skillful smith in
the mouth of the furnace, blazing
with glory, flawless in color. On
seeing the prince blazing like flame, pure
like the bull of the stars going
across the sky
?a the burning sun,
released from the clouds of autumn ?a
he
was exultant, filled with abundant rapture. The
devas held in the sky a
many-spoked sunshade of
a thousand circles. Gold-handled
whisks waved
up & down, but
those holding the whisks & the sunshade
couldn't be seen. The
matted-haired seer named
Dark Splendor, seeing
the boy, like an ornament of gold on
the red woolen blanket, a
white sunshade held over his head, received
him, happy & pleased. And
on receiving the bull of the Sakyans, longingly,
the master of mantras & signs exclaimed
with a confident mind:
"This one is unsurpassed,
the highest of the biped race." Then,
foreseeing his own imminent departure, he,
dejected, shed tears. On
seeing him weeping, the
Sakyans asked:
"But surely there will be
no danger for the prince?" On
seeing the Sakyans' concern he
replied, "I foresee for the prince
no harm. Nor
will there be any danger for him. This
one isn't lowly: be assured.
This prince will touch
the ultimate self-awakening. He,
seeing the utmost purity, will
set rolling the Wheel of Dhamma through
sympathy for the welfare of many. His
holy life will spread far & wide.
But as for me, my
life here has no long remainder; my
death will take place before then.
I won't get to hear the
Dhamma of this one with the peerless role. That's
why I'm stricken,
afflicted, & pained." ?a Snp III.11 ____________ ____________ Cousin
of the Awakened One I
have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near
Savatthi,
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika' Then
a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having
bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he
told the Blessed One: "Lord, Ven. Nanda ?a the Blessed One's brother,
son of his maternal aunt ?a has told a large number of monks,
'I don't enjoy leading the holy life, my friends. I can't endure
the holy life. Giving up the training, I will return to the common
life.'" Then
the Blessed One told a certain monk, "Come, monk. In my name,
call Nanda, saying, 'The Teacher calls you, my friend.'" "As
you say, lord," the monk answered and, having gone to Ven. Nanda,
on arrival he said, "The Teacher calls you, my friend." "As
you say, my friend," Ven. Nanda replied. Then he went to the Blessed
One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.
As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "Is it true,
Nanda, that you have told a large number of monks, 'I don't enjoy
leading the holy life, my friends. I can't endure the holy life.
Giving up the training, I will return to the common life.'?" "Yes,
lord." "But
why, Nanda, don't you enjoy leading the holy life?" "Lord,
as I was leaving home, a Sakyan girl ?a the envy of the countryside
?a glanced up at me, with her hair half-combed, and said, 'Hurry
back, master.' Recollecting that, I don't enjoy leading the holy
life. I can't endure the holy life. Giving up the training, I
will return to the common life." Then,
taking Ven. Nanda by the arm ?a as a strong man might flex his
extended arm or extend his flexed arm ?a the Blessed One disappeared
from Jeta's Grove and reappeared among the devas of the Tavatimsa
Heaven. Now at that time about 500 dove-footed nymphs had come
to wait upon Sakka, the ruler of the devas. And the Blessed One
said to Ven. Nanda, "Nanda, do you see those 500 dove-footed nymphs?" "Yes,
lord." "What
do you think, Nanda: Which is lovelier, better looking, more charming
?a the Sakyan girl, the envy of the countryside, or these 500
dove-footed nymphs?" "Lord,
compared to these 500 dove-footed nymphs, the Sakyan girl, the
envy of the countryside, is like a cauterized monkey with its
ears and nose cut off. She doesn't count. She's not even a small
fraction. There's no comparison. The 500 dove-footed nymphs are
lovelier, better looking, more charming." "Then
take joy, Nanda. Take joy! I am your guarantee for getting 500
dove-footed nymphs." "If
the Blessed One is my guarantee for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs,
I will enjoy leading the holy life under the Blessed One." Then,
taking Ven. Nanda by the arm ?a as a strong man might flex his
extended arm or extend his flexed arm ?a the Blessed One disappeared
from among the devas of the Tavatimsa Heaven and reappeared in
Jeta's Grove. The monks heard, "They say that Ven. Nanda ?a the
Blessed One's brother, son of his maternal aunt ?a is leading
the holy life for the sake of nymphs. They say that the Blessed
One is his guarantee for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs." Then
the monks who were friends of Ven. Nanda went around addressing
him as they would a hired hand and a dealer: "Our friend Nanda,
they say, is a hired hand. Our friend Nanda, they say, is a dealer.
He's leading the holy life for the sake of nymphs. The Blessed
One is his guarantee for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs." Then
Ven. Nanda
?a humiliated, ashamed, and disgusted that the monks who were
his friends were addressing him as they would a hired hand and
a dealer ?a went to dwell alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, and
resolute. He in no long time entered and remained in the supreme
goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from
home into homelessness, knowing and realizing it for himself in
the here and now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled,
the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world."
And thus Ven. Nanda became another one of the arahants. Then
a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme
radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, approached
the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed down to him, she stood
to one side. As she was standing there, she said to the Blessed
One: "Lord, Ven. Nanda ?a the Blessed One's brother, son of his
maternal aunt ?a through the ending of the effluents, has entered
and remains in the effluent-free awareness-release and discernment- Then,
when the night had passed, Ven. Nanda went to the Blessed One
and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As
he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "Lord, about
the Blessed One's being my guarantee for getting 500 dove-footed
nymphs, I hereby release the Blessed One from that promise." "Nanda,
having comprehended your awareness with my own awareness, I realized
that 'Nanda, through the ending of the effluents, has entered
and remains in the effluent-free awareness-release and discernment- Then,
on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that
occasion exclaimed: One
who has
crossed over the mire,
crushed the thorn of sensuality,
reached the ending of delusion, is
a monk undisturbed by
bliss & pain. Excerpted from http://www.accessto |
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