IX: The Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Buddhas
The definition of the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) in the commentary is this (BvA, PTS 2):
Ito heṭṭhā kappa-sata-sahassādhikesu catūsu asaṅkheyyesu uppannānaṁ pañca-vīsatiyā Buddhānaṁ uppanna-kappādi-pariccheda-vasena paveṇi-vitthāra-kathā Buddhavaṁso nāma.
From this definition the meaning of the Chronicles of the Buddhas should be understood as:
A description and exposition of the chronicles of the 25 Buddhas, who came into being over the past four immeasurables and 100,000 aeons, with their 32 particulars, such as the aeons concerned, their names, clans, families, etc., which is known as the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa).
Though the chronicle of all these Buddhas with their particulars, such as the aeons, etc., is called the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa), when each of them is spoken of, the same term (Buddha-vaṁsa) is applicable to the life-story of each Buddha. For a parallel, though the word Saṅgha is a term for the whole Saṅgha of noble ones, each and every one of them can also be called Saṅgha.
1. The Chronicle of Buddha Dīpaṅkara
In this section on the Chronicle of the Buddha Dīpaṅkara, his life story with the aeon to which he belonged, etc. will be dealt with.
In the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa), the account of Buddha Dīpaṅkara does not contain in detail the events that took place at the time of his conception and birth. Only this much is mentioned about him in the Story of Sumedha (Sumedha-kathā, Bv, 2.34-35):
Evaṁ me siddhippattassa, vasī-bhūtassa sāsane,
Dīpaṅkaro nāma Jino, uppajji Loka-nāyako.
Uppajjante ca jāyante, bujjhante Dhamma-desane,
caturo nimitte nāddasaṁ, jhāna-rati-samappito.
The Bodhisatta, the recluse Sumedha, says: When I have thus become accomplished in the absorptions (jhāna) and super knowledges (abhiññā), there appeared Buddha Dīpaṅkara, lord of the whole world.
Being totally absorbed in the bliss of the absorptions, I had not seen the wondrous phenomena that took place on the four occasions of his conception, birth, Awakening and the delivery of the first discourse.
Thus the Chronicles of the Buddhas text refers only briefly to the appearance of Buddha Dīpaṅkara in the story of Sumedha.
It is only in the commentary that we find the full story of Buddha Dīpaṅkara, with details of the events in chronological order, starting from the episode of his rebirth in the abode of Tusita Gods.
Early Life
Four immeasurable periods and 100,000 aeons before the present Fortunate Aeon (Bhadda-kappa), there appeared in one aeon four Buddhas (sāra-maṇḍa-kappa); the first three were Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara and Saraṇaṅkara, one after another; and after that came an inclusive period (antara-kappa).
[As explained in the Further Explanations there are 256 inclusive periods in one aeon.]
Then King Sudeva reigned in the city of Rammavatī. During his reign, Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkara was enjoying life in the
At the moment of his conception and birth, there appeared 32 portentous phenomena such as the trembling of the thousand world-elements, etc.
These 32 phenomena usually take place on the four occasions of every Bodhisatta’s conception, birth, Awakening and teaching of the first discourse. These phenomena, common to all Bodhisattas, will be described when we come to the Chronicle of Buddha Gotama. In the commentary on the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa), however, these 32 phenomena and their subsequent happenings were elaborately told in the chapter on Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkara’s conception.
Thereafter, Prince Dīpaṅkara was brought up in luxury, and when he came of age, he ascended the throne. As a king, he lived in three golden palaces by rotation for 10,000 years, namely, Haṁsa, Koñca and Mayūra. There were about 300,000 well-ornamented female attendants. His chief consort was Padumā and his son, Prince Usabhakkhandha.
Enjoying a divine-like kingly life in the three palaces, Prince Dīpaṅkara went out to the royal garden to enjoy himself. On the way, he saw an old man, a sick man and a dead man who were Deva messengers. Overcome by spiritual urgency (saṁvega), he returned from the garden and entered the city. When he wanted to go out again to the garden for the fourth time, he summoned his elephant-keeper and said: “Today, I will visit the royal garden for sightseeing. Get the elephants ready.” – “Very well, your majesty,” said the royal elephant-keeper and he had 84,000 elephants prepared. Dressed in a costume offered by Deva Vissakamma and accompanied by 84,000 elephants and a large army of troops, he entered the garden riding the state elephant. Having descended from the elephant’s back, he roamed about, sightseeing all over the garden, sat on a cool and pleasant stone slab and aspired to go forth from the world.
Then Mahā Brahma, an Arahat living in the Suddhāvāsa abode, brought the eight requisites and appeared at a place where he could be seen. Seeing the eight requisites, the Bodhisatta asked what they were and when told that they were the requisites for a monk, he took off his royal attire and handed it over to the royal treasurer. Then he cut off his hair with his sword and threw his hair up into the sky.
Then, Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, took the hair knot in a golden receptacle and placed it in a shrine (cetiya) called Makuṭa, which is on Mount Meru and is three leagues in size and built of emerald stones.
The Bodhisatta then put on the robes offered by the Brahma and threw up into the sky his old raiment which was received and enshrined by Brahma in the cloth shrine (dussa-cetiya), which is twelve leagues in size, in the Suddhāvāsa Brahma abode.
A crore of people, who had heard of the prince’s donning of the robe, followed his example and became monks themselves. Together with these monks, who had thus followed in his footsteps, Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkara practised the austerities (dukkara-cariyā). On the full-moon day of May (Vesākha), on which he was to become a Buddha, he entered a town for alms food. It was the day that townsfolk happened to be making pure milk rice for propitiating gods. Nevertheless, the food was offered to the Bodhisatta and his 10 million of followers.
Having taken the milk rice, the Bodhisatta spent the daytime in the Sāla grove of the neighbourhood, and in the evening, leaving behind all of his followers, he headed alone to the Mahā Bodhi tree.
Awakening
On the way, the Bodhisatta accepted eight handfuls of grass from a naked ascetic (ājīvaka), Sunanda by name, and no sooner had he spread out the grass at the foot of the Bodhi tree, the unconquered seat (aparājita-pallaṅka), which was 53 cubits in size, appeared.
With regard to the size of the seat which was 53 cubits, some say the size means the height and others say it means the breath as found in the sub-commentaries of the Inwa Period. These commentarial statements in detail will be dealt with when we come to the story of Buddha Gotama.
Sitting cross-legged on the unconquered seat, under the Fig (Assattha) Bodhi tree, the Bodhisatta put forth energy at four levels, where one would be reduced to skin, sinews, bones and where his flesh and blood would dry up, and he overcame Māra and his army.
He gained knowledge of previous existences (pubbe-nivāsa-ñāṇa) in the first watch of the night; knowledge of the divine eye (dibba-cakkhu-ñāṇa) in the middle watch; and contemplated, in the last watch, the doctrine of dependent origination (paṭicca-samuppāda) the revolving of the wheel of Saṁsāra, in forward order, and in the backward order, the stopping of it. Thereafter, he entered upon the fourth absorption (jhāna) through breathing meditation (ānāpānassati); emerging from it and reflecting on the five aggregates, he discerned the 50 characteristics concerning rise and fall of these aggregates and developed insight (vipassanā), up to the stage of the knowledge of a change of lineage (gotrabhū-ñāṇa). The wisdom that helps one cut off the heritage of sensual-consciousness and evolve the lineage of the rūpa-class of exalted consciousness. As soon as the sun rose, this insight development led to the penetration of the path and fruition of an Arahat, of all the attributes of a Buddha, and to the incomparable Buddhahood which is supreme in the three worlds.
After attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha spent seven days at each of the seven sites around the Bodhi tree, enjoying the bliss of fruition (phala-samāpatti). Having granted Brahma’s request to him to teach, the Buddha delivered the first discourse, the Discourse on the Turning of the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakkappavattana-sutta) at Sunandārāma and 10 billion humans, Devas and Brahmas realized the four truths.
At the time of his Awakening and that of his teaching the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakka) discourse, 32 portentous phenomena occurred. These phenomena on the four occasions, when Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkara was conceived, born, become a Buddha and taught the first discourse, occurred unknown or unseen by the recluse Sumedha as he was absorbed in the bliss of the absorptions (jhāna).
After teaching the first discourse, Buddha Dīpaṅkara set out on a journey for the benefit of humans, Devas and Brahmas. While staying at Sudassana monastery in Rammavatī, at the invitation of the citizens, the Buddha went out to accept the alms food offered by them.
While he was partaking of the food, there took place a violent earthquake as a result of Sumedha’s contemplation of the perfections. The people, present on that occasion, were frightened and asked the Buddha about the cause of the earthquake. On hearing from the Buddha that there was nothing to fear as the cause was Sumedha’s contemplation of the perfections, they visited and acclaimed him, who thereafter entered the forest, as has been told in the story of Sumedha.
What remains to be told is the following: When the citizens of Rammavatī had finished their offering of alms food to Buddha Dīpaṅkara and his 400,000 monastics, they paid respects to the Buddha with flowers, scents, etc., and assembled to listen to his discourse. Buddha Dīpaṅkara then addressed the assembly (BvA, PTS 119):
Dānaṁ nāma sukhādīnaṁ, nidānaṁ paramaṁ mataṁ
Nibbānaṁ pana sogānaṁ patiṭṭhāti pavuccati.
Giving should be understood as the noble cause of human and divine happiness and the happiness of Nibbāna; it is said to be the basis of divine bliss.
Beginning with these words the pleasant talk on the practice of giving (dāna-kathā) was given.
Next, the talk on morality (sīla-kathā) was given in detail (BvA, PTS 120):
Sīlaṁ nāmetaṁ idha-loka-para-loka-sampattīnaṁ mūlaṁ.
Morality means the root of various forms of prosperity in this life and the next.
Next, Buddha Dīpaṅkara gave a talk on the divine abodes (sagga-kathā) to explain as to which morality leads to which divine happiness. “This divine abode is desirable, pleasant and delightful, and indeed happy. This abode provides constant merriment and gaiety. The Four Great Kings enjoy celestial happiness for 9,000,000 years in terms of human reckoning.” In this way, the benefit of heavenly attainment was taught.
After persuading, convincing and inspiring the people with this teaching so that they might be inclined to perform giving and morality, the Buddha proceeded to teach that even such heavenly bliss was not permanent and that one should not crave for it. In this way, the Buddha pointed out the disadvantages, unworthiness and foulness of sensual pleasures and also the advantages of emancipation from them. He ended his discourse with a talk on the deathless Nibbāna.
With this discourse given to the people, the Buddha established some of them in the three refuges, some in the five precepts, some in Stream-entry fruition (Sotāpatti-phala), Once-returning fruition (Sakadāgāmi-phala), Non-returning fruition (Anāgāmi-phala) and some in the Arahat fruition (Arahatta-phala). Some in the threefold knowledges, the sixfold super knowledges, or the eight attainments. The eight attainments (samapatti) are the four form absorptions (rūpa-jhāna) and the four formless absorptions (arūpa-jhāna). The Buddha then left the city of Rammavatī and entered Sudassana monastery.
Three Occasions of the Buddha’s Teaching
1. Having spent 49 days in the neighbourhood of the Bodhi tree after his Awakening, Buddha Dīpaṅkara delivered the first discourse at Sunandārāma at the request of Mahā Brahma and administered the Dhamma, the elixir of immortality to one billion Devas and humans. This was the first occasion (Dhammābhisamaya) of the Buddha’s teaching.
2. Next, knowing that his son, Prince Usabhakkhandha, had become intellectually mature, Buddha Dīpaṅkara gave a discourse and administered the Dhamma, the elixir of immortality, to 900 million Devas and humans headed by the prince.
3. Finally, after defeating the heretics near the acacia tree at the city-gate of Rammavatī and displaying the twin miracle of water and fire, the Buddha taught the Abhidhamma, sitting on the stone slab of Paṇḍukambala at the foot of a Pāricchattaka tree in Tāvatiṁsa heaven, and administered the Dhamma, the elixir of immortality, to 900 million Devas and Brahmas headed by a Deva who, in his previous existence, had been the Buddha’s mother, Sumedhā Devī.
Three Occasions of the Disciples’ Meeting
1. There were three occasions of a meeting (sannipāta) of Buddha Dīpaṅkara’s disciples, one of them being at Sunandārama, where Arahats, numbering about 1,000 billion from all regions, specially met for the first time.
2. Next, the disciples’ meeting took place on Mount Nārada. Once, while wandering from place to place with 400,000 monastics, Buddha Dīpaṅkara arrived at the delightful Mount Nārada which was full of marvellous features. The mountain was occupied by a Yakkha named Naradeva. People brought human beings as sacrificial offering in his honour annually.
3. Seeing that the people were endowed with the merits of their past deeds to rely upon, the Buddha ascended the mountain alone, leaving behind his monastics. Thereupon, the Yakkha became furious and caused a trembling of the mountain to scare the Buddha away. On seeing the Buddha serene and undisturbed although he had used all his might to frighten him, it occurred to him thus: “This great monk is indeed wonderful! Powerful indeed is he! The evil consequences of what I have done will come back to me. There is no refuge for me other than this great monk. Like a man, who slips and falls onto the ground, has to rely on the same ground to get up, I will now take refuge in this very monk.”
With this thought, he bowed before the Buddha, touching his head on the Buddha’s feet, the soles of which were adorned with 108 signs. He also begged the Buddha’s pardon and took refuge in him. Then the Buddha gave him talks on generosity, morality, etc., in serial order. By the end of which, Naradeva and his retinue of 10,000 Yakkhas were established in Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala).
On the day Naradeva thus became a Stream-enterer, people from all over Jambudīpa brought a man from each village to make sacrificial offerings to the Yakkha. They also brought with them large quantities of sesame, rice, beans of various kinds, butter, ghee, honey, molasses, etc. Naradeva handed back all these food-stuffs to the people and entrusted the men, originally meant for the sacrifice, to the Buddha.
Then the Buddha ordained these men as summoned monastics (ehi-bhikkhu) and helped them achieved Awakening within seven days. On the full-moon day of February (Māgha), staying in the middle of one billion Arahats, the Buddha gave instructions in the Monastic Rules (Pātimokkha) at the disciples’ meeting having four features.
A summoned monastic does not need to seek the bowl, robes, etc., to become a recluse. On being summoned by the Buddha, saying: “Come, O monk,” his appearance as a layman vanishes, and he assumes the appearance of a monk of 60 years’ standing in the Saṅgha.
The four features of a Disciples’ meeting are:
1. All participants are summoned monastics (ehi-bhikkhu).
2. All participants have attained the sixfold super knowledges (chaḷ-abhiññā).
3. All participants come together without being called by the Buddha.
4. The congregation takes place on the full-moon day of the month, on the Observance Day (Uposatha) of the fifteenth.
The story above of the divine Yakkha, Naradeva, comes from the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) commentary. [See PTS 254 ff, but it is included in the story of Buddha Kakusandha, not Buddha Dīpaṅkara].
In the Chronicles of the Buddhas, however, just this simple narration is given (Bv 3.11):
Again, when Buddha Dīpaṅkara had gone into solitude on the top of Mount Nārada, there gathered one billion Arahats who were free from the defilements.
Once, Buddha Dīpaṅkara observed the Rains Retreat (Vassa) on Mount Sudassana. When the Rains Retreat was over, the people of Jambudīpa went to the mountain to celebrate their annual mountain-top festival. They then happened to encounter the Buddha. They listened to his
The Invitation is a formal ceremony concluding the Rains Retreat in which each monastic invites criticism from his fellow monastics in respect of what has been seen, heard or suspected about his conduct.
The ordinary sermons, given by Buddha Dīpaṅkara, led to the realization of the four truths, and the attainment of liberation by thousands of beings, by countless individuals.
At that time, the thoroughly purified teaching of the Buddha spread far and wide; it was understood by innumerable beings, such as humans, Devas and Brahmas; it was full and complete with exhortations on morality and such virtues.
Buddha Dīpaṅkara, the knower of the three realms, was always attended upon by 400,000 Arahat disciples who were immensely powerful with the sixfold super knowledges (abhiññā).
During the Dispensation of Buddha Dīpaṅkara, those who died as learners (sekkha) while trying for Awakening in vain, become the scorn of all.
The teaching of Buddha Dīpaṅkara spread throughout the whole world and remained glorious forever with Arahats who had extirpated their foe, namely the defilements, and who were not disturbed by various sense objects and thus free of impurities and the pollutants (āsava).
Particulars of Buddha Dīpaṅkara
Buddha Dīpaṅkara’s birth place was the city of Rammavatī.
His father was King Sudeva and his mother was Queen Sumedhā.
His two male chief disciples were Ven. Sumaṅgala and Ven. Tissa.
His attendant was Ven. Sāgata.
His two female chief disciples were Ven. Nandā and Ven. Sunandā.
His Bodhi tree was a Fig (Assattha) tree.
His male supporters were Tapussa and Bhallika.
His female supporters were Sirimā and Koṇā.
His height was 80 cubits. He was splendid like a pillar of blazing light and a great Sāla tree in full bloom.
The advantage of giving these particulars is this: Had they not been given, he might have been mistaken for a Yakkha, a Deva, a Māra, or a Brahma. One could think it is not strange at all that the wonderful events should occur to such a divine being. This would have led to the wrong notion that it was not worthwhile to listen to his teaching. Then there would have been no possibility of realization of the attainment of liberation. On the other hand, the particulars would give rise to the right belief that: “Powerful indeed is this human being.” With this belief, beings would listen to his teaching and could understand the truth or could attain liberation. Hence such details were given.
Buddha Dīpaṅkara’s radiance spread by itself, i.e., without his exercising any power, to all the directions reaching twelve leagues. His lifespan was 100,000 years. This much is given in the Pāḷi text.
There are also some more particulars in the commentaries which are not contained in the text but which, the commentaries state, must be told.
While leading a layman’s life, Buddha Dīpaṅkara had three palaces: Haṁsa,
His chief consort was Padumā Devī, who had 300,000 female attendants.
His son was Usabhakkhandha.
The duration of his reign was 10,000 years.
When he renounced the world, he went forth on an elephant.
When he became a Buddha, he lived at Nandārāma.
Living throughout such a long period, Buddha Dīpaṅkara saved a large number of beings from suffering.
Having made the three divisions of the true Dhamma, learning (pariyatti), practice (paṭipatti) and penetration (paṭivedha), shine forth throughout the world, and having liberated beings, Buddha Dīpaṅkara and his disciples realized final peace, the way a mass of fire goes out after blazing with bright flames.
The glory of that Buddha Dīpaṅkara, his assemblage of 400,000 Arahats, etc., who were all his disciples, and the signs on both his feet, have all ceased to exist. Impermanent are all conditioned things! They are indeed unsubstantial!
In this way, Buddha Dīpaṅkara, who had penetrated all four noble truths without exception, attained Parinibbāna at Nandārāma. In the same park was erected a shrine (cetiya), 30 leagues in height and dedicated to him. It was made of powdered red orpiment mixed with oil and butter, and in it were enshrined his relics which were in an indestructible and undispersed mass, a natural phenomenon common to all long-lived Buddhas. The people of Jambudīpa came together and completed the shrine with decorations of the seven kinds of gems.