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By Jayaram V
After attaining the stage of Nirvana under the bodhi tree, the Buddha
rem ained in the same place for a few more weeks contemplating upon the
Truths he just realized and then left for the world he renounced a few
years ago to preach the Truths he just realized.
His early sermons
Leaving the bodhi tree, the Buddha went to Ispitana near Benares to
see the five monks who deserted him few months ago. When the monks saw
him approaching them they decided not to accord him any special
welcome and pay him any respects. But when the Buddha came nearer
them, they failed to keep up their resolve. They all stood up and
bowed to him reverently. They were not aware that the Buddha had
attained enlightenment. So they addressed him as 'Brother'. The Buddha
requested them gently not to address him so since he had become a
Buddha of clear vision. He made them sit in front of him and delivered
his first sermon known as "Setting in Motion the Wheel of
Law".
He taught them the middle path, the Four Noble Truths concerning
the origin of suffering, the cause of suffering , the ending of
suffering and the Eightfold path that would lead to the ending of
suffering. After listening to the discourse, the five monks joined the
Buddhist order and became his disciples. A few days later he gave them
his second sermon on anatta (anatma) or the non-existence of soul.
A day after the second sermon a young man named yasa and fifty four
of his companions joined the order and received initiation from the
Buddha. The Buddha sent them in different directions to preach and
reveal the new doctrine to other people.
Conversions and expansion of the Order
He then proceeded to Uravela, where he converted some more people
including a few Brahmins. Uravela Kassapa, who later became one of his
prominent disciples was among them. He taught them his third sermon on
the truth concerning fire of lust, the fire of resentment and the fire
of enchantment.
From Uravela, he went to Rajagriha to keep his earlier promise.
There king Bimbisara met him and paid him great respects. He and
members of his court were converted to the new faith. He also built a
monastery for the Buddha and his followers in a near by bamboo grove
and requested the latter to stay there for sometime. During this
period he converted two more Brahmin ascetics, Sariputta and Mogallana.
Both became arhats in short time.
Journey to Kapilavasthu
A few months later, the Buddha went to Kapilavasthu at the request
of his father Suddhodana. He stayed in Nirgodha grove near the city
and received his father and other members of the royal family. We are
told that the Buddha performed a miracle infront of them to show them
that he had become the Buddha and to prevent them from treating him
like one of their family members. When he was at Kapilavasthu, he
converted his father to Buddhism. He also saw his wife and son, who
were also converted to the new faith. On his way back to Rajagriha he
also converted several Sakya princes to his teachings and admitted
them into his Order. Chief among them were his cousins Ananda who
later became his chief attendant and Devadatta who became his arch
enemy.
Donations from the wealthy
By this time the Buddha's name and fame spread to various parts of
the Gangetic plain. Many people began joining his Order and following
him wherever he went. Many wealthy merchants impressed by his radical
teaching supported his Order with their generous donations and gifts
of monasteries. Prominent among them were Ananthapindika who donated
the famous Jetavana grove with a monastery built in between and
Vishaka, the wife of a wealthy merchant from Sravasthi, who donated a
monastery to the Order at Pubbarama.
Increasing influence
The buddha is credited with the act of settling a dispute between
two warring groups, the Sakyas and the Koliyas by meeting them
personally and convincing them of the utter futility of waging a war
and causing enormous bloodshed simply for the sake of some trivial
gains. He also met the famous bandit Angulimala alone and converted
him and his followers to Dhamma.
Admission of women
The Buddha was initially reluctant to admit women into the Order as
he felt that their admission would greatly reduce the influence of His
creed over a period of time. Thrice he refused to admit his step
mother Gautami into the order, even against the personal requests and
recommendations of his personal attendant Ananda.
But Ananda said to have prevailed upon his master to rescind his
decision as he felt that women also qualified to attain Nirvana. The
Buddha finally agreed to admit women into the Order, but he was said
to be not well disposed towards this development. It is also recorded
that he said to have told Ananda that because of this decision the
Doctrine and Discipline would not long endure. He however subjected
the women who joined the Order to the 'Eight Duties of Subordination
to the Brethren.
The Buddha's Daily life
After the enlightenment, the Buddha spent most part of his life
wandering from place to place along with his monks and preaching
Dhamma. During the rainy season, when the monsoon clouds gathered over
the Indian subcontinent and rain poured down in great torrents, the
Buddha and his followers spent time in monasteries, engaging in
discussions, discourses and contemplation of the Noble Truths. During
this period, the Order was well looked after by dedicated kings,
wealthy merchants with generous donations and supply of food. When the
rains ended and the monsoon clouds dispersed, the Buddha and hundreds
of his followers went from village to village and town to town seeking
alms and spreading the new creed.
Increasing popularity of the Dhamma
Wherever they went the people of the place received the master with
great reverence, considering it to be a rare chance to see him, if
possible to speak to him and find answers to their questions. It is
said that even the king Ajathasatru could not suppress his curiosity
to see the Buddha personally when he heard about him from his
physician Jivaka. Accompanied by his queen and a large retinue of his
ministers and followers, he went to see Buddha who was staying in a
mango grove near Rajagriha at that time. The Buddha said to have
delivered a discourse 'on the fruits of asceticism' to him and
converted him as a lay follower. It is however difficult to believe
that he was ever really converted to the new faith, for the king
continued to engage in destructive wars and large scale bloodshed. He
even engaged the Sakyas in a war and greatly destroyed the might of
the Sakyas completely.
Opposition to the Buddha
The life of the Buddha was not entirely without opposition and
controversy. His cousin Devadatta was one of his arch critics who was
jealous of him and who tried his best to put the Buddha in
difficulties. He developed enmity with the Exalted One because the
latter refused to acknowledge him as his successor and true heir. It
is said that he even contrived to kill the Buddha through a stratagem
by engaging a mad elephant . But did not succeed as the Buddha
confronted the elephant with his compassion and pacified it.
Legend states that the Buddha often engaged himself in religious
debates with some heretical teachers to convince them of the efficacy
of the Dhamma. Some among them, dissatisfied with his growing
popularity and the strength of his arguments, said to have engaged one
women named Cinca to make baseless allegations of an illicit
relationship with him. The Buddha, when he heard this, maintained his
demeanor and showed the strength of his character through silence and
compassion. In the end the women was exposed and his opponents beat a
retreat.
In the thirteenth year following his enlightenment the Buddha had
to face insults from his own father-in-law, Suprabuddha. The reason
for this enmity is not clearly known. But it appears that perhaps
Suprabuddha never forgave his son-in-law for deserting his daughter
and becoming a wandering monk.
Final years
When the Master reached the age of seventy nine years, he said to
have declared forty one conditions for the welfare of the Order, most
of which dealt with the manner in which the monks were expected to
conduct themselves and pursue their paths. he delivered the same
message at Rajagriha and Nalanda. Then he proceeded to Vesali and
stayed in a mango grove belonging to the beautiful, wealthy and
legendary courtesan Amrapali. When she heard that the famous Buddha
was staying in the mango grove, she met the great teacher and received
religious instruction from him. He also accepted an invitation from
her to visit her house and receive her hospitality. Amrapali later
donated her mansion to the Order and was blessed by the Buddha.
From Vesali, the Buddha went to Beluva a small village where he
spent his last Retreat. He fell sick there, but recovered soon as he
realized that his time of departure was not yet come. But he was aware
that final moments were approaching. At a place called Capala shrine
he said to have informed Ananda of his approaching death and prepared
him mentally for it. After some time he assembled the Brethren and
made a public announcement of his fast approaching death saying,"
Behold now, O Brethren, I exhort you. All component things are subject
to decay. Work our your salvation with diligence. The final passage of
the Tathagatha will take place soon. At the end of three months hence
the Tathagatha will die."
Thereafter he went to Pava where he stayed in a mango grove
owned by a lay disciple, Cunda and accepted his invitation to visit his
house and receive his hospitality. He became extremely sick after
eating a meal in his house realized that his final hours had come. He
requested Ananda to accompany him to Kusinara. That night on the
outskirts of the town, in a Sala-grove of the Mallas, he left his
earthly existence and passed into Nirvana.
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