[I: The First Teachings]

[6: Deciding Who to Teach] These titles written between square brackets are added by the present editor to help outline the story.

Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: Cf. MN 26 and 85, and the version of this story in Mahāvastu, for which see Uruvilvā to Ṛṣipatana elsewhere on this website. “To whom should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly?”

Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “This Āḷāra Kālāma Āḷāra Kālāma was one of the Bodhisatta’s early teachers (see MN 26). Another teacher is mentioned at the beginning of ThiA., as Bhaggava, whose doctrine (samaya) he learned before going to Āḷāra Kālāma. is wise, learned, intelligent, for a long time he has been one with little dust on his eyes. Now what if I first teach the Dhamma to Āḷāra Kālāma? He will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly.” In Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara the order in which he thought of these teachers is reversed.

Then an invisible god Comm to Aṅg. 6.62: Antarahitā means one who has become invisible. informed the Fortunate One: “Āḷāra Kālāma died An idiom, literally: made time. seven days ago, venerable Sir,” and this knowledge arose in the Fortunate One: “Āḷāra Kālāma died seven days ago.” Comm: This is the cosmic equivalent of the level of meditation that he had taught to the Bodhisatta. Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “Āḷāra Kālāma had great understanding, if he had heard this Dhamma he would have understood it quickly.”

Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “To whom should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly?” Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “This Uddaka Rāmaputta is wise, learned, intelligent, for a long time he has been one with little dust on his eyes. Now, what if I first teach the Dhamma to Uddaka Rāmaputta? He will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly.”

Then an invisible god informed the Fortunate One: “Uddaka Rāmaputta died yesterday evening, According to Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara he had died three days earlier. The Pāḷi commentary says he had been reborn in the Sphere of Neither-Pereception-nor-Non-Perception, again the level of meditation he had reached, the ‘8th level’ of absorption. Part of the Formless Worlds, it is the highest level in the Universe, 17 levels higher than the Mahābrahmā Worlds, from which Brahmā Sahampati had descended. venerable Sir,” and this knowledge arose in the Fortunate One: “Uddaka Rāmaputta died yesterday evening.” Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “Uddaka Rāmaputta had great understanding, if he had heard this Dhamma he would have understood it quickly.” Uddaka had been a friend in the spiritual life, and had led a group formed around his Father Rāma, who had attained the Sphere of Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception.

Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “To whom should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly?” Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “The group-of-five monks It is interesting that even here the group-of-five are referred to as monks (bhikkhū), before they were Awakened or had even been ordained by the Buddha, this is not the case in Mahāvastu. were very helpful to me, they attended on me when I was striving resolutely.

Now, what if I first teach the Dhamma to the group-of-five monks?” Then this occurred to the Fortunate One: “Where are the group-of-five monks dwelling now?” The Fortunate One saw with the divine eye which is purified and surpasses that of (normal) men that the group-of-five monks were dwelling near Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Uruvelā, where the Buddha Awakened, was in Magadha, whereas Bārāṇasī was the capital of the neighbouring state of Kāsi.

last updated: May, 2014