9. The Chronicle of Buddha Nārada
After Buddha Paduma had attained Parinibbāna, the lifespan of 100 years decreased gradually to ten years and from ten years it again increased to immeasurables. When it was 90,000 years on its next decline, Bodhisatta Nārada was reborn in Tusita which was a practice common to all Bodhisattas on complete fulfilment of the perfections.
Having accepted the request by Devas and Brahmas to become a Buddha, he descended to the abode of human beings to be conceived in the womb of Anomā, Chief Queen of the Universal Monarch Sudeva, in the city of Dhaññavatī. After ten months in the womb, the Bodhisatta was born in Dhanañjaya garden.
On his naming day, just when he was about to be named, falling from the sky, various kinds of clothing and ornaments, like a heavy rainfall, were seen falling from wish-fulfilling trees, etc. On account of this, he was named Nārada by the wise men who gave his name. Nāra means “ornaments befitting people” and da, “one who gives.”
Early Life
When Prince Nārada came of age, he lived in three palaces, namely, Jita, Vijita and Abhirāma. Being entertained and waited upon by 2 billion female attendants headed by his chief consort Vijitasenā, he thus enjoyed a divine-like royal household life for 9,000 years.
While he was thus enjoying life, Princess Vijitasenā gave birth to a son, Nanduttara by name. Having seen the four omens, he put on various garments, perfume, flowers, etc., and being surrounded by his fourfold army, he went to the garden on foot. Having taken off his ornaments and handed them over to his treasurer, he cut off his hair with his own sword and threw it into the sky.
Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, received it in a golden casket and built a shrine of seven kinds of jewels over it, three leagues in height, in Tāvatiṁsa on Mount Meru. Donning the robes offered by the Brahma, the Bodhisatta became a recluse in that very garden. Joining him in renunciation were 100,000 men who also became recluses.
A noteworthy point here is: Other Bodhisattas saw the omens while they were taking a trip to the royal garden to amuse themselves. On seeing the omens, they were stirred by spiritual urgency (saṁvega) and went forth, not to the usual resort of the royal garden but to a remote region of forests and hills, to renounce the world.
The sight of seeing the omens and the locality of their renunciation were two different places. Because of a considerable distance between the two they had to take some forms of conveyance, a vehicle such as an elephant, a horse, a chariot, etc.
Awakening
Buddha Nārada practised the austerities in the garden for seven days. On the full-moon of May (Vesākha), the day he was going to attain Awakening, he partook of the milk rice offered by Princess Vijitasenā and spent the daytime in the same garden. In the evening, he left all his followers and went alone to the Bodhi tree. On the way, he accepted eight handfuls of grass from Sudassana the gardener. As soon as he spread the grass at the foot of a great Soṇa tree, there appeared the unconquered seat of 57 cubits in extent. Sitting cross-legged on the seat, the Bodhisatta put forth energy at four levels, dispelled Māra’s forces and attained omniscience, and became a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, and Lord of the Three Worlds.
The Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) commentary has this to say with regard to Buddha Nārada’s Bodhi tree, a great Soṇa tree: “The great Soṇa tree was 90 cubits high. It has a round smooth trunk. It possessed many forks and branches, dense and abundant foliage in dark green and closely knitted shade. As it was guarded by a spirit, no birds could make it their resort. It was honoured as though it were a monarch among trees on the surface of the earth. It was full of branches adorned with red flowers, very delightful and pleasing to the eye. It thus served as an elixir to those Devas and humans who saw it.”
Three Occasions of the Buddha’s Teaching
1. After he had become a Buddha, Buddha Nārada spent 49 days in the neighbourhood of the Bodhi tree. Having accepted a Brahma’s request for his teaching, he contemplated who he should teach first. Then he saw his companions in renunciation being endowed with meritorious qualities, which were conducive to the attainment of the paths and fruitions. After reflecting on their whereabouts, he came to know that they were staying in Dhanañjaya Park. Accordingly, he took his bowl and robe and, by his psychic power, he immediately appeared in the Park.
At that time, the 100,000 monks saw the Buddha coming from a distance. With faithful hearts, they welcomed him; taking his bowl and robe, preparing a seat for him, paying their respects to him and taking their appropriate seats around him. Being surrounded thus, Buddha Nārada taught these 100,000 monks the Dhamma Wheel (Dhamma-cakka) discourse amidst the audience of humans, Devas and Brahmas, as was done by former Buddhas. In that occasion, 1,000 billion humans, Devas and Brahmas realized the supreme Dhamma of the paths and fruitions.
2. Once, a Nāga King, called Doṇa, was ruling on the banks of the Ganges, near the city of Mahā Doṇa. He was powerful and was held in esteem and honour. If the local inhabitants did not appease him with an offering, he would destroy the locality either by total drought or by extremely heavy rainfall or by a rain of pebbles.
Buddha Nārada, who had realized the other shore of Nibbāna, foresaw a large number of people who would definitely attain the paths, fruitions and Nibbāna if he would go and tame the Nāga King, as they were endowed with the merits of their past deeds, which qualified them for such attainments. Accordingly, accompanied by monks, he travelled to the residence of the Nāga King.
When the people saw the Buddha, they requested him, saying: “Exalted Buddha, here lives a Nāga King, who is terribly venomous and mighty, reigning terror in this region. Please do not come here lest you should get hurt.” The Buddha went, nevertheless, as though he did not hear their entreaties and sat on the flowers which were spread in honour of the Nāga King.
The people then assembled, thinking: “We shall now see a battle between the Buddha, the lord of sages, and Doṇa, the Nāga King.” On seeing the Buddha sitting on the seat of flowers which was prepared for him, the Nāga King could not control his anger and made himself visible with an emission of smoke. Using his psychic power, the Buddha also emitted forth smoke in return. Again, when the Nāga King sent forth blazing flames, the Buddha sent back blazing flames by his power. The Nāga King was so severely affected by the flames from the Buddha that he was not able to stand the suffering. Thinking: “I will kill this great monk by means of venom,” the Nāga King discharged venom.
Although the Nāga King’s poisonous discharge was so virulent that it could destroy the whole of Jambudīpa it was powerless to disturb a single hair on the Buddha’s body. “What is the condition of the great monk?” wondered the Nāga King? When he surveyed the scene, he saw the Buddha with a face so serene and bright with the six radiances, like the sun and the full round moon in the month of November (Kattikā) in the autumnal season. Then he thought to himself: “This great monk is indeed powerful. Knowing not my own ability, I have wronged him,” and so he took refuge in the Buddha. After taming the Nāga King, the Buddha displayed the twin miracle of water and fire in order to arouse pious faith in the multitude gathered there. At that time, 900 billion Devas and humans were established in Awakening.
3. At another time, Buddha Nārada instructed his son, Prince Nanduttara. As a result, 80,000 Devas and humans attained the supreme Dhamma of the path and fruition.
Three Occasions of the Disciples’ Meeting
1. There were three occasions of the meetings (sannipāta) of Buddha Nārada’s disciples. The first occasion took place in the city of Thullakoṭṭhita, where the two Brahmin youths, who were to be his future chief disciples, Bhaddasāla and Vijitamitta, encountered Buddha Nārada who was seated boldly in the middle of a gathering. They were looking for the “great pool of the deathless Dhamma.” When the two youths saw the 32 marks of a Great Man on the body of the Buddha, they concluded: “This man indeed is a Buddha who has removed the veil of ignorance in the world.” Developing faith in the Buddha, they became monks together with their followers. After their establishment in Awakening, the Buddha recited the Advisory Rules (Ovāda-Pātimokkha) in the midst of 1,000 billion monks.
2. At another time, at an assembly of his relatives, Buddha Nārada related his life story with an introduction, beginning from the episode of his aspiration to become a Buddha. 900 billion Arahats then met.
3. At another time, a Nāga King, Verocana by name, who had developed great faith in the Buddha on the occasion of his taming of the Nāga King, Mahā Doṇa, created a huge pavilion of jewels, three miles in size and let the Buddha and his retinue of monks stay inside the pavilion. He also invited his courtiers together with the people of the district to visit his pavilion. Presenting a concert of Nāga dancers in various costumes and ornaments, he held a resounding ceremony of reverence, and performed a great alms giving to the Buddha and his company of monastics.
After finishing the meal, the Buddha gave a discourse in appreciation of the alms food. Listening to the discourse, the people developed faith in him and asked to become monks. The Buddha then uttered: “Come, monks,” and they all became summoned monastics. In the midst of eight million summoned monastics, the Buddha recited the Advisory Rules (Ovāda-Pātimokkha).
The Bodhisatta as a Recluse
At that time our Bodhisatta was a recluse, who found a hermitage in the Himālayas and lived there, and who had mastered the five super knowledges (abhiññā) and the eight attainments (samāpatti). Out of compassion for the Bodhisatta recluse, Buddha Nārada visited the hermitage in the company of 800 million lay disciples who were all Non-returners (Anāgāmi).
The noble recluse was glad to see the Buddha. He then created a residence for the Buddha and his monastics. During the whole night, the recluse extolled the Buddha, relating all his attributes and listened to his discourses. The next morning, he went to the northern continent by his psychic power and brought back cooked rice and other kinds of food which he offered to the Buddha and his monastics and lay disciples.
In this way, the Bodhisatta offered food for seven days, after which he paid homage to the Buddha and offered priceless red sandalwood from the Himālayas. Then Buddha Nārada, after delivering a discourse, predicted: “You will certainly become a Buddha in the future.” Hearing the Buddha’s prophecy, the Bodhisatta became very happy and resolved to fulfil the perfections even more energetically.
Particulars of Nārada Buddha
Buddha Nārada’s birthplace was Dhaññavatī city.
His father was the Universal Monarch Sudeva and his mother was Queen Anomā.
He reigned for 9,000 years.
His three palaces were Jita, Vijita and Abhirāma.
His chief consort was Vijitasenā, who had 43,000 maids of honour.
The number of the maids is given as 2 billion in the section on “royal household life” but here it is mentioned as 43,000. The two numbers therefore seems inconsistent. It should be noted, however, that the former was the total number of maids serving the princess and the latter was the number of maids in each batch that waited upon the princess at any given time.
His son was Nanduttara.
Seeing the four omens, he went forth on foot without taking a vehicle.
He practised the austerities for seven days.
His two male chief disciples were Ven. Bhaddasāla and Ven. Vijitamitta.
His attendant was Ven. Vāseṭṭha.
His two female chief disciples were Ven. Uttarā and Ven. Phaggunī.
His Bodhi tree was a Great Soṇa tree (Mahā-soṇa).
His noble male lay attendants were the wealthy Uggarinda and Vāsabha.
His noble female attendants were Indāvarī and Vaṇḍī. Or Gaṇḍī.
Buddha Nārada’s height was 88 cubits. He was dignified in the 10,000 world-element of births, like a column of gold erected as an object of honour.
The radiance emitted from his body extended for a league, during day and night without interruption. While Buddha Nārada was alive, because of the dazzling brilliance of his radiance, people living within a league did not have to light torches.
The lifespan during Buddha Nārada’s time was 90,000 years. He lived throughout the period equal to four-fifths of this lifespan, rescuing beings, such as humans, Devas and Brahmas, from the flood-waters of Saṁsāra and placed them on the shore of Nibbāna.
As the sky is exquisitely beautiful with stars and planets, so was Buddha Nārada’s Dispensation with noble Arahats. For those other than Arahats who remained worldlings and trainees (sekkhas), the Buddha constructed the huge strong bridge of the path for them to easily cross over Saṁsāra. Having done all his tasks as a Buddha, he attained Parinibbāna with his Arahat disciples.
Buddha Nārada, who was equal only to peerless Buddhas, and his Arahats, who were endowed with matchless glory, have all vanished. Unsubstantial and futile indeed are all
Thus Buddha Nārada, conqueror of the five kinds of death (marā), attained Parinibbāna in the city of Sudassana. In that very city was erected a shrine of four leagues in height, and dedicated to him.
An aeon in which only one Buddha appears is called an essential aeon (sāra-kappa); two Buddhas is a fine aeon (maṇḍa-kappa); three Buddhas is called a noble aeon (vara-kappa); four Buddhas is called an essential and noble aeon (sāra-maṇḍa-kappa); five Buddhas is called an Auspicious aeon (Bhadda-kappa). The aeon in which no Buddha appears at all is called an empty aeon (suñña-kappa). The aeon in which three Buddhas, such as Buddha Anomadassī, Buddha Paduma and Buddha Nārada, appeared is therefore a noble aeon (vara-kappa).