Tipitaka >> Vinaya Pitaka >> Mahavagga >> First Khandaka >> 1.20
Adapted from the Translation by T. W. Rhys Davids and Hermann Oldenberg
<<<< Previous(1.19) | Next(1.21) >>>>
THE MAHAVAGGA
FIRST KHANDHAKA(THE FORMATION OF THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS)
Chapter-20 : Many Other Miracles Leading to Initiation of Hundreds of Monks
1. At that time the Lord Buddha had rags taken from a dust heap (of which he was going to make himiself a dress). Now the Lord Buddha thought: 'Where shall I wash these rags?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding in his mind the thought which had arisen in the mind of the Lord Buddha, dug a tank with his own hand, and said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, might the Lord Buddha wash the rags here.'
And the Lord Buddha thought: 'What shall I rub the rags upon?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding, &c., put there a great stone and said: 'Lord, might the Lord Buddha rob the rags upon this stone.'
2. And the Lord Buddha thought: 'What shall I take hold of when going up (from the tank)?' Then a deity that resided in a Kakudha tree, understanding, &c., bent down a branch and said: 'Lord, might the Lord Buddha take hold of this branch when going up (from the tank).'
And the Lord Buddha thought: 'What shall I lay the rags upon (in order to dry them)?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding, &c., put there a great stone and said: 'Lord, might the Lord Buddha lay the rags upon this stone.'
3. And when that night had elapsed, the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him, he said to the Lord Buddha: 'It is time, great Samana(Buddha), the meal is ready. What is this, great Samana(Buddha)? Formerly there was here no tank, and now here is this tank. Formerly no stone was put here; by whom has this stone been put here? Formerly this Kakudha tree did not bend down its branch, and now this branch is bent down.'
4. 'I had rags, Kassapa, taken from a dust heap; and I thought, Kassapa: "Where shall I wash these rags?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka the king of the devas, understanciing in his mind the thought which had arisen in my mind, dug a tank with his hand and said to me: "Lord, might the Lord Buddha wash the rags here." Thus this tank has been dug by the hand of a non-human being.
'And I thought, Kassapa: "What shall I rub the rags upon?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka, &c. Thus this stone has been put here by a non-human being.
5. 'And I thought, Kassapa: "What shall I take hold of when going up (from the tank)?" Then, Kassapa, a deity, &c. Thus this Kakudha tree has served me as a hold for my hand.
'And I thought, Kassapa: "Where shall I lay the rags upon (in order to dry them)?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka, &c. Thus this stone has been put here by a non-human being.'
6. Then the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since Sakka the king of the devas does service to him. He is not, however, holy like me.'
And the Lord Buddha ate (&c., as in chap. 16. 2 ).
7. And when that night had elapsed, the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him, he announced to the Lord Buddha that it was time, by saying, 'It is time, great Samana(Buddha), the meal is ready.'
(Buddha replied): 'Go you, Kassapa; I will follow you.'
Having thus sent away the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from the Jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudipa (the Jambu Island, or India) is named; then arriving before Kassapa he sat down in the room where Kassapa's (sacred) fire was kept.
8. Then the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa saw the Lord Buddha sitting in the fire room; seeing him he said to the Lord Buddha: 'By what way have you come, great Samana(Buddha)? I have departed before you, and you have arrived before me and are sitting in the fire room.'
9. 'When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to pluck a fruit from the Jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudipa is named; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the Jambu fruit, Kassapa, it is beautiful, fragrant, and full of flavour; you may eat it, if you like.'
'No, great Samana(Buddha), to you alone it is becoming to eat it; eat it yourself.'
And the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since he is able, having sent me away before him, to go and pluck a fruit from the Jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudipa is named, and then to arrive before me and to sit down in the fire room. He is not however, holy like me.'
And the Lord Buddha ate (&c., as in chap. 16. 2).
10. And when that night had elapsed (&c., as in § 7, down to:). Having thus sent away the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from a mango tree growing near the Jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudipa is named, &c. He went to pluck a fruit from an emblic myrobalan tree, &c., from a yellow myrobalan tree growing near the Jambu tree, &c. He went to the Tavatimsa heaven to pluck a parikkhattaka (or parigataka) flower; then arriving before Kassapa he sat down in the fire room. Then the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa saw (&c., as in § 8).
11. 'When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to the Tavatimsa heaven to pluck a parikkhattaka flower; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the parikkhattaka flower, Kassapa; it is beautiful and fragrant; you may take it, if you like.'
'No, great Samana(Buddha), to you alone it is becoming to keep it; keep it yourself.'
And the Jatila (&c., as in § 9). 'He is not, however, holy as I am.'
12. At that time one day the Jatilas, who wished to attend on their sacred fires, could not succeed in splitting fire-wood. Now these Jatilas thought:
'Doubtless this is the magical power and the high faculty of the great Samana(Buddha) that we cannot succeed in splitting fire-wood.' Then the Lord Buddha said to the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa: 'Shall the fire-wood be split, Kassapa?'
'Let it be split, great Samana(Buddha).'
Then in a moment the five hundred pieces of fire-wood were split. And the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since even the fire-wood splits itself (at his command). He is not, however, holy like me.'
13. At that time the Jatilas who wished to attend on their sacred fires, could not succeed in lighting up the fires (&c., as in the preceding story).
14. At that time the Jatilas, after having attended on their sacred fires, could not succeed in extinguishing the fires (&c., as above).
15. At that time in the cold winter nights, in the time between the ashtaka festivals, when snow falls, the Jatilas plunged into the river Neranjara, and emerged again, and repeatedly plunged into the water and emerged. And the Lord Buddha created five hundred vessels with burning fire; at those the Jatilas coming out of the river warmed themselves. And the Jatilas thought: 'Doubtless this is the magical power and the high faculty of the great Samana(Buddha) that these vessels with fire have been caused to appear here.' And the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since he can create such great vessels with fire. He is not, however, holy like me.'
16. At that time a great rain fell out of season; and a great inundation arose. The place where the Lord Buddha lived was covered with water. Then the Lord Buddha thought: 'What if I were to cause the water to recede round about, and if I were to walk up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot.' And the Lord Buddha caused the water to recede round about, and he walked up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot.
And the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa, who was afraid that the water might have carried away the great Samana(Buddha), went with a boat together with many Jatilas to the place where the Lord Buddha lived. Then the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa saw the Lord Buddha, who had caused the water to recede round about, walking up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot. Seeing him, he said to the Lord Buddha: 'Are you there, great Samana(Buddha)?'
'Here I am, Kassapa,' replied the Lord Buddha, and he rose in the air and stationed himself in the boat.
And the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since the water does not carry him away. He is not, however, holy like me.'
17. Then the Lord Buddha thought: 'This foolish man will still for a long time think thus: "Truly the great Samana(Buddha) possesses high magical powers and great faculties; he is not, however, holy like me." What if I were to change the mind of this Jatila (in order to show him my superiority).'
And the Lord Buddha said to the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa: 'You are not holy (araha), Kassapa, nor have you entered the path of Arahatship, nor do you walk in such a practice as will lead you to Arahatship. or to entering the path of Arahatship.'
Then the Jatila Uruvela. Kassapa prostrated himself, inclining his head to the feet of the Lord Buddha, and said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, let me receive the pabbajja(initiation) and upasampada ordinations from the Lord Buddha.'
18. (Buddha replied): 'You, Kassapa, are chief, leader, foremost, first, and highest of five hundred Jatilas; go first and inform them of your intention, and let them do what they think fit.'
Then the Jatila Uruvela Kassapa went to those Jatilas; having gone to them, he said to those Jatilas: 'I wish, Sirs, to lead a dhamma life under the direction of the great Samana(Buddha); you may do, Sirs, what you think fit.'
(The Jatilas replied): 'We have conceived, Sir, an affection for the great Samana(Buddha) long since; if you will lead. Sir, a dhamma life under the great Samana's direction; we will all lead a dhamma life under the great Samana's direction.'
19. Then the Jatilas flung their hair, their braids, their provisions, and the things for the agnihotra(fire) sacrifice(yagna) into the river, and went to the place where the Lord Buddha was; having approached him and prostrated themselves before him, inclining their heads to the feet of the Lord Buddha, they said to the Lord Buddha: 'Lord, let us receive the pabbajja and upasampada ordinations from the Lord Buddha.'
'Come, O Bhikkhus(Monks),' said the Lord Buddha, Well taught is the doctrine; lead a holy life for the sake of the complete extinction of suffering.'
Thus these venerable persons received the upasampada ordination.
20. And the Jatila Nadi Kassapa saw the hair, the braids, the provisions, the things for the agnihotra sacrifice(yagna), which were carried down by the river; when he saw that, he became afraid that some misfortune might have befallen his brother. He sent some Jatilas, saying, 'Go and look after my brother,' and went himself with his three hundred Jatilas to the venerable Uruvela Kassapa; having approached him, he said to the venerable Uruvela Kassapa: 'Now, Kassapa, is this bliss?'
(Uruvela Kassapa replied): 'Yes, friend, this is bliss.'
21. And the Jatilas (who had come with Nadi Kassapa) (&c., as in § 19).
22. And the Jatila Gaya Kassapa saw (&c., as in § 20); when he saw that, he became afraid that some misfortune might have befallen his brothers. He sent some Jatilas, saying, 'Go and look after my brothers,' and went himself with his two hundred Jatilas to the venerable Uruvela Kassapa (&c., as above).
23. And the Jatilas (who had come with Gaya Kassapa) (&c., as in § 19).
24. At the command of the Lord Buddha the five hundred pieces of fire-wood could not be split and were split, the fires could not be lit up and were lit up, could not be extinguished and were extinguished; besides he created five hundred vessels with fire. Thus the number of these miracles amounts to three thousand five hundred.
<<<< Previous(1.19) | Next(1.21) >>>>