16: The Arrival of Upatissa and Kolita

The Two Friends

The time was about the first waxing moon of February (Māgha) when the Buddha had been in Rājagaha for about half a month. At that time, the great teacher of the wandering ascetics, Sañjaya, was residing at Rājagaha with 250 followers. During this period, the wandering ascetic Upatissa, the future chief disciple Ven. Sāriputta, and wandering ascetic Kolita, the future chief disciple Ven. Mahā Moggallāna, happened to be undergoing training in the ascetic practices under this great teacher Sañjaya.

The two ascetics, Upatissa and Kolita, who were childhood friends, found out on completion of the course of training within two or three days that the ascetic teacher’s doctrine did not contain any elements of the deathless Nibbāna. “My friend, this ascetic teacher’s doctrine is fruitless, it is without essence. We will make a solemn vow that, from now on, the one who realises first the deathless Nibbāna should speak about it to the one who is still seeking it.”

On that day of about the first waxing moon of March (Phagguṇa), Ven. Assaji, one of the Group-of-Five (pañca-vaggiya) monks, after rearranging his robe and taking his alms bowl and upper robe, set out for Rājagaha to receive alms food. His deportment was dignified and inspired confidence, whether in going forward or back, looking forward or sideways, with eyes cast down confining the range of vision to a radius of four hands’ lengths.

When ascetic Upatissa, the future Sāriputta, saw Ven. Assaji entering Rājagaha, deporting himself with such dignity and grace, he thought to himself: “I am certain this monastic must be one of those in the world who has attained the Arahat path and fruit. It might be well to approach him and ask: “Friend, under whom have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? Whose teaching have you accepted?”

But then he considered thus: “This is not the proper time to ask this monastic; he is on his alms round in the city. We two friends have so desired the deathless state of Nibbāna after having deduced that: ‘If there is death, there must also be the state of deathlessness.’ For me, who has been seeking to realize this inferred objective of Nibbāna, it would be well to follow in the footsteps of this monk.” Accordingly he followed closely behind Ven. Assaji.

When Ven. Assaji had finished his alms round, Upatissa sensed his desire to take a seat for his meal. He therefore laid out a short-legged stool, which he had carried all along the way, and offered some water from his jug when the monk had finished his meal.

Having thus fulfilled the duties that a pupil would do to a teacher, he entered into courteous, cordial conversation with the monk and said: “Friend, your faculties are fully clear and serene; your complexion is clear, [432] bright and unblemished. Friend, under whom have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? Whose teaching have you accepted?”

Ven. Assaji replied: “Friend, I have gone forth under the Perfectly-Self Awakened Buddha, a scion of the unbroken Sakya dynasty, who renounced the world and became a recluse. He is my teacher and I am one who has accepted his teaching.” Upatissa then asked: “Friend, what does your teacher Buddha profess? What does he teach?”

Ven. Assaji contemplated: “These wandering ascetics hold views which are antagonistic to the Dispensation (Sāsana); and I must show this wandering ascetic Upatissa clearly the deep and subtle nature of the teaching,” and so gave this reply: “Friend, I am but a junior member of the Saṅgha, having come into the Dispensation (Sāsana) quite recently. I will not be able to explain the Dhamma extensively. I will be able to tell you in brief its essential meaning only.”

The wandering ascetic Upatissa, the future Sāriputta, thought of informing Ven. Assaji: “I am Upatissa, a wandering ascetic and an intellectual, please teach me to the best of your ability either little or in extension. It is my responsibility to try and understand your discourse by extending it in 100 or 1,000 ways,” but he only said: “So, be it, friend. Please teach me a little or much; and in doing so please teach me only the essential meaning. I wish to listen only to the essential meaning for what avails it to me, if you teach many matters concerning letters, versification, and other such things?”

Thereupon, Ven. Assaji, taught the Dhamma which is complete with the essential meaning of the four noble truths:

Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, tesaṁ hetuṁ Tathāgato āha,
tesañ-ca yo nirodho, evaṁ-vādī Mahā-samaṇo.

Our teacher, the Awakened One has told the truth of suffering (dukkha-sacca) and the truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya-sacca). He has also taught the truth of the cessation of suffering (nirodha-sacca) and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering (magga-sacca). Such is the pure doctrine held by the Great Samaṇa, our master, who expounds these four noble truths in analytical detail.

After hearing the first half of the above discourse, the wanderer Upatissa attained the path stage of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-magga), when he had heard the remaining half of the discourse he had already become a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). The future Sāriputta then said:

Eseva dhammo yadi tāvad-eva, paccabyattha padam-asokaṁ,
adiṭṭhaṁ abbhatītaṁ, bahukehi kappanahutehi.

This is the very teaching, the truth we two friends have been searching for, even though it has enabled me to attain personally and realise only the fruition of the first path (Sotāpatti-phala). You, venerable sir, have attained and realised the state where there is no sorrow, Nibbāna. Because we have not seen this truth, Nibbāna, we have suffered a great loss, wasting our lives in innumerable aeons.

After saying thus, it occurred to Upatissa that there should be some things more special in this supermundane matter, even before he had achieved the higher stages of it. He therefore requested Ven. Assaji: “Let things stand where they are for the time being; do not continue to teach the higher stages of the doctrine. Let me beseech you to tell [433] me where our teacher, the Awakened One, is now residing.” – “Friend, the Realised One is residing at the Veḷuvana monastery,” replied Ven. Assaji. Thereupon, Upatissa said: “If so, venerable sir, please go ahead, I have a friend to whom I have the bounden duty to share the knowledge of the deathless, which I have acquired before him. After fulfilling my promise to him, I shall follow with my friend in your wake to the presence of the Fortunate One.” He then respectfully made obeisance to the monk, circumambulated him three times as a gesture of gratitude and made his way towards the wanderers’ residence.

When Kolita saw Upatissa coming, even from a distance, it occurred to him: “My friend’s face looks entirely different from previous days. It seems certain that he has realised the deathless Nibbāna.” So he asked Upatissa: “Friend, your sense faculties are fully clear and serene; your complexion is clear, bright and unblemished. How is that, my friend? Have you acquired knowledge of the deathless Nibbāna?” – “Yes, friend, I have indeed realized the deathless Nibbāna.” On being asked by Kolita under what circumstances he had attained the deathless Nibbāna, Upatissa told him in detail what had transpired during his meeting with Ven. Assaji and repeated the verse: Ye Dhammā hetuppabbhavā, etc. After hearing the verse in full length, Kolita also attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala) and asked: “Friend, Upatissa, where is our master, the Fully Awakened One now residing?” Upatissa replied: “Our master, the Realised One, is residing at the Veḷuvana monastery, according to Ven. Assaji.” Upon this, Kolita, being an impulsive person said: “If so, friend, let us go to the Realised One right away; the exalted Buddha, the Awakened One is our master, our benefactor.”

Sañjaya and His Disciples

Upatissa, the future Sāriputta, who, with a kindly disposition, had regard for the feelings of their followers, suggested patiently and with foresight: “Friend, those 250 wandering ascetics have been depending on us, have always looked up to us, and have lived in the hermitage, always watching our behaviour and disposition. Let us also inform these 250 wanderers. If we inform them, they can act as they wish!”

As one who always had profound respect for teachers, he went on to point out: “Let us also acquaint our teacher Sañjaya what we have learnt about the deathless Nibbāna. If he is intelligent and wise, he will believe us and surely come along with us to meet the Realised One. On hearing the teaching by the Realised One, he might also realise the paths and fruitions through penetrative knowledge.” So saying, the two friends first went to the 250 followers and told them: “We are going to the Realised One, the exalted Buddha, the Awakened One, who is our master, our benefactor.”

All 250 disciples responded: “All of us have been living here depending solely upon you and watching your behaviour and disposition. Should you decide to go to the Realised One and practise the holy life in the presence of the Fortunate One, all of us will also do so.”

Then the two friends went to the great teacher Sañjaya and made three unsuccessful attempts to persuade him to go to the Realised One with them. Finally the great teacher asked: “Young men, in this world, are there many who are unwise, or many who are wise?” When they replied: “Master, in this world there are many who are unwise and few who are wise,” the great teacher Sañjaya made this final remark: “Young men, if that be the case, wise men will go to the ascetic Gotama, the wise; and those who are unwise will come to me, the unwise. You may go ahead, I cannot, in any case, accompany you.” So the two friends, accompanied by their 250 followers, made their way to the Veḷuvana monastery where the Fortunate One was residing.

As Upatissa and Kolita led away the 250 wandering ascetics to the Veḷuvana monastery, the entire precincts of the great teacher Sañjaya became absolutely lifeless and silent. His followers had dispersed, and looking upon the silent and deserted scene, the lonely teacher Sañjaya felt so desolate that under pressure at the raging flame of [434] grief within, boiling blood bubbled forth from his mouth.

At that time the Buddha was sitting in a stately manner amidst an audience of the Saṅgha and was delivering a discourse. When he saw from a distance the two ascetic friends and their 250 followers coming towards the Veḷuvana monastery, he drew the attention of the monastics who were listening to his discourse, saying: “Monastics, yonder come Kolita and Upatissa, the two boyhood friends. These two are destined to become the pair of chief disciples on my left and right.” The two friends and their 250 followers approached the Fortunate One, bowing their heads at his feet in profound respect.

Kolita, Upatissa and Their Followers Ordained

Having made their obeisance to the Fortunate One, they requested the Buddha that they be ordained as monks, saying: “Exalted Buddha! May we have the lower and higher ordinations in your presence.” The Buddha stretched out his golden hand and called out in the same way as before thus: Etha bhikkhave, etc., “come, monks. Receive the lower and higher ordinations you have asked for, my dear sons. The Dhamma has been well taught by me; strive to undergo the noble training in its three aspects so as to bring about the end of the round of suffering.”

No sooner had the Buddha uttered thus, than the two friends, together with their 250 disciples, were instantly transformed into fully fledged monastics, like senior monks (thera) of 60 years’ standing, readily robed and equipped with eight supernaturally created requisites, each in its proper place, paying homage to the Buddha with due respect. The appearance of laymen vanished miraculously as they were transformed into monastics.

After they had thus become summoned monastics (ehi-bhikkhu), the Buddha proceeded to expound an appropriate discourse, in harmony with the intellectual level and disposition of the 250 followers of the two friends. With the exception of the two chief disciples (agga-sāvaka), these 250 monastics became Arahats at that sitting.

As regards the two chief disciples, they had not yet become accomplished in the three higher paths, because, of the three types of disciple, the conditions for the attainment of chief disciples (agga-sāvaka-pāramī-ñāṇa) surpass those of great disciples (mahā-sāvaka) and ordinary disciples (pakati-sāvaka) and are more extensive.

Ven. Moggallāna and Ven. Sāriputta Attain Arahantship

After his ordination, Ven. Mahā Moggallāna started to practise earnestly the holy life in a forest, depending for his sustenance on a small village, called Kallavālamutta, in the country of Magadha. Making a strenuous effort in his practice, walking up and down the path for full seven days, he felt tired and weak on the seventh day and sat down at the end of the path dozing, being overcome by torpor. The Buddha roused him from the fit of torpidity with teaching and instruction and he eventually overcame it. On hearing the Buddha’s instruction on the meditation on the elements (dhātu-kammaṭṭhāna) he became perfected in the three higher paths and achieved the height of knowledge of a disciple (sāvaka-pāramī-ñāṇa). ^{For more particulars, reference may be made to Discourse about Drowziness (Pacalāyamana-sutta, An 7.61, PTS 4.85), and the relevant commentaries.}

Half a month from the date of his ordination, on the full moon day of February (Māgha), Ven. Sāriputta, while staying with the Buddha in the Sūkarakhatā cave, which was dug by pigs on mount Gijjhakūṭa in Rājagaha, heard the Buddha’s Discourse concerning Dīghanakha (Dīgha-nakha-sutta, MN 74) [435] given to Ven. Sāriputta’s own nephew, the wanderer Dīghanakha. While following the discourse intently, Ven. Sāriputta practised the meditation on feeling (vedanā-kamaṭṭhāna) thereby developing penetrating insight. As a result, he became an Arahat, achieving the height of knowledge of a disciple (sāvaka-pāramī-ñāṇa). He may be likened to one who enjoys the food laid in readiness for another person. He also penetratingly discerned the sixteen states of knowledge.

Further explanation: future Buddhas or Bodhisattas (Sammā-sambodhisatta), future Independent Buddhas (Pacceka-bodhisatta), and future disciples of a Buddha (sāvaka-bodhisatta) all have, as their object of insight meditation, the aggregate of conditioned formations or mental and physical phenomena. This aggregate which forms the object of insight meditation is known as the practising ground (samma-sanacāra) for the development of the knowledge of impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta). It is also called the ground of insight (vipassanā-bhūmi) meaning the aggregate of mental and physical phenomena which form the basis of developing insight (vipassanā-ñāṇa).

Of these Bodhisattas,

1. Bodhisattas who will become Sammā-sambuddhas (Sammā-sambodhisatta) contemplate the impermanence, suffering and non-self characteristics of the internal aggregate of conditioned existence, that is to say, mental and physical phenomena occurring continuously in sentient beings, as well as of external inanimate objects that have no power of sense-perception, that exist within the compass of one billion universes.

2. Bodhisattas who will become Paccekabuddhas (Pacceka-bodhisatta) contemplate the impermanence, suffering and non-self characteristics of conditioned mental and physical phenomena occurring in themselves, of those in the continuum of sentient beings in the middle region as well as of external inanimate objects that have no power of sense-perception.

3. Bodhisattas who will become future chief, great and ordinary disciples (sāvaka-bodhisatta) contemplate the impermanence, suffering and non-self characteristics of conditioned mental and physical phenomena without distinguishing, as occurring in the continuum of themselves or in those of others, taking them as one whole external phenomena.

Ven. Mahā Moggallāna did not contemplate to the fullest extent the impermanent, unsatisfactory, insubstantial characteristics of each and every conditioned phenomenon occurring in his own continuum and in those of others; he selected only some of the conditioned phenomena for his contemplation. Ven. Sāriputta, however, in contemplating the three characteristics of conditioned phenomena developed insight by being more thorough than Ven. Moggallāna, attending individually to each of the phenomenon.

Ven. Mahā Moggallāna may be likened to a person who touches the earth only with the tip of his walking stick as he walks along. He has only touched a negligibly small area of ground leaving a greater portion untouched. This implies that the time he utilized in contemplating the object of insight meditation and attaining the Arahat fruition after seven days, he had meditated on only a portion of the aggregates of conditioned phenomena.

Ven. Sāriputta, on the other hand, during the fifteen days before he attained the [436] Arahat fruition, took the complete course of mastering (sammasana) the practice reserved for the disciples not giving attention to those reserved for the Sammāsambodhisattas and Paccekabodhisattas so that there was nothing left untouched in the matter of contemplating the salient features of conditioned phenomena. Having realized the Arahat fruition, he perceived with dauntless confidence that, excepting the Fully Awakened Buddhas and Paccekabuddhas, there was no one who could rise to the intellectual level that he had systematically attained. He found none his equal.

Here is an analogy: There were two men who wanted bamboo staffs. The first man, having found a cluster of bamboos, thought it would take time to clear the bushes to get a good staff. So he cut a length of bamboo within reach of his hand, by thrusting his hand to his arm’s length into the cluster of bamboos. Although this man acquired the bamboo staff first, he did not get a good, straight, strong one.

The second person, who also found the cluster of bamboos thought he would not get a staff of his choice unless the binding clusters and creepers were removed. He then girded his loins and with a sharp knife removed the tangled growth and then cut a straight, strong staff of his choice for himself and went off. Although this person acquired a bamboo staff later, he got a good, strong straight one.

Ven. Mahā Moggallāna may be likened to the first person who cut and acquired a bamboo staff first, but not a good, straight strong one; Ven. Moggallāna also became an Arahat first, but not the highest stage of the knowledge of a disciple (sāvaka-pāramī-ñāṇa).

Ven. Sāriputta may be likened to the second person who patiently took pains to get a staff that was straight and strong. Ven. Sāriputta attended patiently to his meditation for fifteen days to attain the Arahat fruition later but he reached the pinnacle of the knowledge of a disciple (sāvaka-pāramī-ñāṇa).

Ven. Moggallāna’s practice (paṭipadā) for the three lower paths was of the easy practice but slow in super knowledge (sukha-paṭipadā-dandha-abhiññā) type – after having removed the hindrances (nīvaraṇa) easily, the insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇa) were tardily developed to attain the three lower stages (magga-ñāṇa).

His practice (paṭipadā) for the attainment of the Arahat path (Arahatta-magga) was of the difficult in practice and quick in super knowledge (dukkha-paṭipadā-khippa-abhiññā) type – after having been able to remove the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa) by practising strenuously and with difficulty, the insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇa) were developed sharply and quickly to attain the Arahat path.

The practice (paṭipadā) of Ven. Sāriputta, the general of the Dhamma, for the three lower paths was of the easy in practice, but slow in super knowledge (sukha-paṭipadā-dandha-abhiññā) type, which is the same as that of Ven. Mahā Moggallāna.

But his practice (paṭipadā) for the attainment of the Arahat path was of the easy in practice and quick in super knowledge type (sukha-paṭipadā-khippa-abhiññā) – after having removed the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa) without trouble and with ease, the insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇa) were developed sharply and quickly to attain he Arahat path. This is the difference between the practice (paṭipadā) of the two disciples. ^{[See AN 4.167 & 168, and their commentaries].}

The Single Occasion of the Disciples’ Meeting

After delivering the discourse entitled the Discourse concerning Dīghanakha (Dīgha-nakha-sutta, MN 74), the Buddha descended from mount Gijjhakūṭa before dusk and went to the Veḷuvana monastery. There occurred then the great event of the Disciples’ meeting (sannipāta), which was characterised by four features:

It was in this congregation of the disciples (sāvaka-sannipāta), that the Buddha named the two chief disciples, Ven. Sāriputta and Ven. Mahā Moggallāna, as chief disciples (agga-sāvaka). On the [437] same day, the Buddha gave the instructions known as the Advisory Rules (Ovāda-Pātimokkha), which no Buddha fails to offer.

Three Occasions of the Buddha’s Teaching

As described in chapter IX, on the 24 Buddhas, the three great occasions in which Buddhas of the past delivered great sermons, also took place in the time of our supremely Awakened Buddha Gotama. These memorable occasions are:

This is the second occasion (Dhammābhisamaya) at which the four noble truths were made known to humans, Devas and Brahmas.

This is the third occasion (Dhammābhisamaya) at which the four noble truths were made known to humans, Devas and Brahmas.