The Life of Lord Buddha

Pranams at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha!

Chapter – 20

Once Buddha was walking for begging alms, one saintly old man approached Buddha and said: “ Monk, why are you here in  my hermitage?” Buddha said “ Venerable Uruvela Kasappa, I have come to ask permission to stay in your hermitage.” Kasappa said, “ Venerable Buddha, here we do fire worship.”  The saintly man thought Buddha does not follow our practices of worship, then why did he want to stay in this hermitage.  The saintly old Kasappa said “ Sorry Monk, I have no place to offer you here. Therefore please look elsewhere.  I would suggest you travel in a different direction from here.  This bank of river Neranjera is occupied by us, three Jatila brothers.  I am Uruvela Kasappa, the surrounding areas belong to myself and my five hundred followers.  Further down the river, there is a hermitage of my younger brother Nadi Kasappa and his three hundred followers.  The area beyond is occupied by Gayakasappa who is my youngest brother with his two hundred followers.  These three riverside hermitages are fully occupied and there is no room for you to stay.”  Buddha said “ I can see a place available in your fire worshiping shrine. Kindly give me permission to stay there.” Uruvela Kassappa said “ Monk, I do not mind you stay in the shrine, but I must warn you, there is a fierce venomous serpent king in the shrine, If you spend a night in there your life will be in danger,”  Buddha said, “ Uruvela Kassapa, kindly give me permission, the serpent King will not do any harm to me.”  Uruvela Kassapa said, “ If you say so, please make yourself comfortable in the fire worshipping shrine.”

On that night Buddha took shelter in the fire worshipping shrine, seated before the huge blazing fire and engaged in dee[ meditation.  There was loud hissing and crawling sound of the huge serpent King that went near the fireplace and emitted fire in all directions,  Buddha did not open his eyes.  Uruvela Kassappa was overlooking the shrine from his chamber window thinking that Buddha must have burned into ashes by the serpent King.   Uruvela Kassappa rushed near the shrine and wondered to see the serpent inside a covered small wooden bowl; he thought Buddha must have supernatural powers.  His mind was not willing to accept the powers of Buddha.  One night he could witness a brilliant ray entered inside the shrine and spreading light all over the place, he thought this ascetic must have great might.  While Buddha was living inside the shrine there were deities who assumed the form of brilliant rays from all the abodes were the regular visitors to listen to the teachings of him.  Still, Uruvela Kassapa was not willing to accept the supremacy of Buddha.

One night there were thunderstorms followed with lightning and heavy downpour, eventually, it flooded the whole area.   Uruvela Kassappa was traveling in a ferry to his hermitage thought definitely Buddha must have washed off in the heavy rain.  Suddenly, the ferryman said “Master, look over there, the ascetic is untouched by the water,” Uruvela Kassapa saw Buddha was standing in the middle of flooded water leaving a circular space for him. Uruvela Kassapa understood that Buddha has immense supernatural powers, but his mind was not willing to accept the fact.

Buddha understood Uruvela Kassappa is arrogant and stubborn, he is proud of his ascetic powers.  Buddha spoke to him “Venerable Kasappa, your fire worship is not going to help you to achieve liberation, you are proud of yourself with the divine powers, you are deceiving yourself and others too.   If you give up your pride and follow and practice my teachings, in a short time you will become a true ascetic with supernatural powers.”  Uruvela Kassappa understood his misconception and fallen at the feet of Lord Buddha and requested to accept him as his disciple.  Later he was ordained as a Monk and taught the path of Dharma and Nirvana.

The Life of Lord Buddha

Pranams at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha!

Chapter – 19

Once Buddha’s disciple was under meditation, a few youngsters arrived to meet him and a few of them were childhood mates from the village.  Buddha’s disciple instantly recognized them and asked “ I still remember the childhood days we have spent together,  I have moved forward, I do not concern myself, I left all the worldly bondage, you have gone in search of worldly affairs, What’s  the reason you all came to meet me?”  One of them said, “We heard you have gone forth, and sure there must be good reasons to do so, therefore we came to see you.” Buddha’s disciple said “ If that is the case, I will take you all to meet the Lord Buddha who enlightened me from the darkness of ignorance. I will request Lord Buddha to guide you as well.”  The Monk took all the village mates to Lord Buddha who was seated under the tree.   Lord Buddha began to speak “Once you know about the causes of displeasure and what are the displeasures, which causes destruction and death, should know the techniques for the cessation of destruction and death.  If you know the sufferings and its causes, you can adopt the path for the cessation of the same.” The monk while sending off the villagers said: “The fifty of you all are my friends from the same village if you need any help; I am ready to do whatever help I can.”  One of them said, “We heard you have ordained as Monk under the guidance of Lord Buddha, we want to follow your footsteps, we want to ordain as Monk as well.”  The Monk said, “You have to request Lord Buddha to get ordain as Monk.”

These villagers attended the lectures of Lord Buddha regularly. “ A Bikshu was taught to be humble and kind, he was taught the lessons of Dharma, he learns to know the state of human being, he realizes the pleasant and unpleasant feelings, and the neutral feelings, he realizes the impermanent nature of the feelings.  He realizes the arising, persistence and passing away of feelings, ultimately seeing the impermanence nature he grows weary of feelings.  Finally, he grows disinterested in feelings and letting go.  He meditates to things that let it go, pleasant as well as unpleasant; he is not grasping or not clinging on to the feelings.  This leads to contemplation and realization of cessation.”  The youngsters listen to the teachings of Buddha with fold hands with extreme reverence.  Buddha announced “ Bhikshus, You have attained sublime of Dharma.  Therefore go place to place and spread the inspiring Dharma, make known the philosophies of Buddhism for the benefit of the people.  But do not travel two on the same route.”  All the villagers were ordained as Monks and traveled to different places to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha, the essence of Dharma/righteousness.