18: The Buddha and His Immediate Family

The Buddha descended from the Jewelled Walk in the sky, near the city of Kapilavatthu, after subduing the pride and haughtiness of his royal relatives by delivering the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) and took his seat on the Dhamma throne which was exclusively set up for him.

All the members of the royal family had by then assembled before the Buddha and seated themselves after becoming calm and collected; then it happened that showers of lotus-leaf rain (pokkhara-vassa) fell heavily.

As the great rain fell, rushing streams of ruby-coloured rain water were falling on the ground. While the rain water wetted those who wished to be soaked, not a drop of rain fell on those who did not want to get wet.

All the members of the royalty were struck with wonder at the sight of this miraculous scene and uttered: “Oh, a marvellous thing! To be cheered by the snapping of the fingers! This is an unprecedented phenomenon, indeed!” On hearing such utterances, the Buddha made this remark: “This is not the first time that the lotus-rain (pokkhara-vassa) had fallen on the assembly of the royal relatives. There was an occasion in the past when such a rain fell in a similar manner.” The Buddha then continued by expounding the Vessantara story (Ja 547) which was composed in 1,000 verses.

After hearing the story of Vessantara, all the members of the royalty departed and not a single person extended the invitation, such as: “Please come and receive the alms food which we shall offer tomorrow,” to the Buddha.

King Suddhodana thought, and took it for granted, that: “There is no place other than my royal palace for my son to visit, he is certain to come to my palace.” Being convinced thus, he returned to his palace without extending a specific invitation. At the palace, he ordered arrangements for the preparation of rice-gruel, and so on, and temporary accommodation for the 20,000 Arahats headed by the Buddha.

The Buddha Goes on Alms-Round

When the Buddha entered the royal city the next day for alms round, in the company of 20,000 Arahats, not a single member of the royal family came forward to greet and welcome him. There was no one to take his alms bowl and carry it for him.

The moment the Buddha had set foot on the gateway of Kapilavatthu, he began to reflect on the way in which previous Buddhas went round for alms food in the capital city of their royal fathers: “Was it characterised by receiving alms exclusively from the selected homes of the rich, the elite, or by going round for alms from door to door, rich or poor alike?” He understood it by way of psychic power which gave the knowledge of past existences (pubbe-nivasa-abhiñña). Thus he came to realize that not a single Buddha in the past had received their alms food only from the selected homes of rich; none of them had deviated from the practice of going for alms food from door to door.

So he decided to adopt the time-honoured traditional practice of collecting alms food from door to door. He thought: “Only by setting such an example myself would my disciples emulate my practice and fulfil the duty of a monastic to go for alms round to each and every house without any [473] breach.” Having made this decision, he started to go on the alms round beginning with the first house nearest the city gate, stopping at every house one after another.

When the Buddha entered the royal city, the earth quaked with mild intensity. He walked gently, not treading upon even the tiniest insects such as ants and the like. He stepped forth first with the right foot which possessed the major mark of the level soles of feet like golden footwear (suppatiṭṭhita-lakkhaṇa); the delicate soles of his feet, being level and smooth, touched the ground evenly, fully and squarely without collecting the tiniest particles of dirt or dust. As he walked along, the low-lying areas of the earth raised themselves spontaneously to an even level and the mounds lowered to the level of the plain, forming an even surface all over; all the stones and pebbles, stumps and thorns had removed themselves from the route beforehand. He walked at a normal pace, neither too fast nor too slow, his stride neither too long nor too close, without the ankles and knees knocking against each other. Being a person of great concentration, he looked straight forward, limiting the range of vision to within four-hand’s length, looking neither up nor down, nor sideways. He walked with the grace of a Chaddanta elephant fully and richly caparisoned.

When the Buddha was on his round of receiving alms food from door to door in the city, those living in two and three-storey buildings came out on the balconies which rested on lion image supports, to pay homage to the Buddha, uttering: “Here comes our good lord, Prince Siddhattha, to receive alms food.”

Princess Yasodharā, mother of Rāhula, thought to herself: “In former days, my glorious Lord used to travel in kingly power and luxury, carried on a golden palanquin but now, it is said, he goes about the city for alms food with shorn head and beard, in dyed clothes, with bowl in hand. Would it be seemly or would it appear uncomely?” So thinking, she opened the balcony window which rested on the supports of lion images and saw for herself that the main roads as well as the lanes were brilliantly illuminated by the beams of light from the Buddha’s body as he was walking round majestically, and adorned with the 32 major characteristics and 80 minor ones, which were peculiar to the Buddhas and the six-hued aura of light surrounding him. Pointing her fingers towards the Buddha, she drew the attention of Rāhula and uttered the ten Lion of a Man (Narasīha) verses in praise of the glorious personality of the Buddha from his forehead to his soles.

Ten Verses in Praise of the Buddha

1. Siniddha-nīla-mudu-kuñcita-keso,
sūriya-nimmala-talābhina-lāṭo,
yutta-tuṅga-mudu-kāyata-nāso,
raṁsi-jāla-vitato nara-sīho.

His hair is jet black and bright like the colour of a bumble bee with a tapering tip curling softly clock-wise; a shining, serene forehead resembling a clear rising sun; a delicate, proportionately prominent slender nose like a goad; a lustrous radiant body, the lion of a man, and an extraordinary, exalted individual indeed!

2. Cakka-varaṅkita-ratta-supādo,
lakkhaṇa-maṇḍita-āyata-paṇhi,
cāmari-hattha-vibhūsita-paṇho,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My eyes’ delight, dear Rāhula, there comes the lion of a man, an [474] extraordinary person! The soles of his feet are ruby-red and distinguished by the characteristic marks; noble characteristic marks adorn the slender heels and his pair of feet have impressions of white umbrellas and golden yellow yak-fans, he is a lion of a man. That exalted reverential person receiving alms, surrounded by 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

3. Sakya-kumāro varado sukhu-mālo,
lakkhaṇa-vicitta-pasanna-sarīro,
loka-hitāya āgato nara-vīro,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My bosom son, Rāhula, he is a gentle noble prince, a descendant of the unbroken, peerless Sakya lineage, one who has a full handsome body with noble major and minor characteristic marks; one who has been born into this world for the welfare of the three spheres of existence, one whose industry excels that of all others, an extraordinary person and a lion of men. That exalted lion of a man, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

4. Āyata-yutta-susaṇṭhita-soto,
gopa-khumo abhinīla-netto,
inda-dhanu-abhinīla-bhamuko,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My sweet son, Rāhula, possessing a pair of handsome ears of proportionate size, soft eye-lashes like that of a new-born calf, a pair of eyes dark like the onyx, and dark-brown eyebrows shaped like the curve of Sakka’s bow. That exalted lion of a man, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

5. Puṇṇa-canda-nibho mukha-vaṇṇo,
Deva-narānaṁ piyo nara-nāgo,
matta-gajinda-vilāsita-gāmī,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My darling Rāhula, the serene face of that exalted monastic resembles a moon in full bloom on the fifteenth day of the month, who is worthy of deep veneration and true affection by all beings in the three worlds of humans, Devas and Brahmas, who may be likened to a great and powerful bull elephant with the elegant gait of an elephant king in must, he is a lion of a man. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

6. Siniddha-sugambhīra-mañjusa-ghoso,
hiṅgula-vaṇṇa-ratta-sujivho,
vīsati-vīsati-seta-sudanto,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My darling, dear Rāhula, one with a voice, deep, harmonious and exceedingly sweet, a tongue vermilion-red like the colour of the Chinese Rose (Rosa sinensis), two rows of clean white teeth, each consisting of 20 teeth, the lion of a man and an extraordinary person. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full [475] moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

7. Khattiya-sambhava-agga-kulindo,
Deva-manussa-namassita-pādo,
sīla-samādhi-patiṭṭhita-citto,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My darling, dear Rāhula, one of truly noble and royal ancestry, before whose feet beings of the three worlds bow in deep reverence, one with firm morality, concentration and tranquil state of mind which is imperturbable, the lion of a man. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

8. Vaṭṭa-suvaṭṭa-susaṇṭhita-gīvo,
sīha-hanu-miga-rāja-sarīro,
kañcana-succhavi-uttama-vaṇṇo,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

Dear son, Rāhula, one with a full round neck, shapely like a golden mayo drum, a rounded, well-developed jaw resembling the magnificent jaws of a lion king, and as if about to smile, like the twelfth-day waxing moon; a full-chested body like the fore part of a lion, the king of beasts; a radiant skin of the colour of the purest gold, and an unparalleled nobility of appearance; the lion of a man. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

9. Añjana-sama-vaṇṇa-sunīla-keso,
kañcana-paṭṭa-visuddha-nalāṭo,
osadhi-paṇḍara-suddha-su-uṇṇo,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My darling, dear Rāhula, having hair of dark shining greenish-black, an even, clear forehead like a plate of gold and like the morning star and a single strand of pure white hair growing, coiled between the eye brows, the lion of a man. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

10. Gacchanto nila-pathe viya cando,
tārā-gaṇa-parivaḍḍhita-rūpo,
sāvaka-majjha-gato samaṇindo,
esa hi tuyhaṁ pitā nara-sīho.

My darling, dear Rāhula, just as the chariot of the moon magnificently travels along the triple route through the air, so too the leader of monks, the King of Dhamma walks majestically amidst Arahat disciples; the lion of a man. That exalted reverential person, receiving alms in the company of 20,000 Arahats, like the full moon amidst stars and planets, was your father when he was a layman.

Having thus intimated the glory, the grace of the person of the Buddha to her son Rāhula, she approached King Suddhodana and said: “Your majesty, O father, your royal son, the Buddha, is reported to be going round for alms food in the company of 20,000 Arahats.” [476]

King Suddhodana Attains the First Path

King Suddhodana was shocked and agitated when he heard what Princess Yasodharā had said and with one hand holding up his nether garment, he rushed out of the palace to see the Buddha and stood in front of him and made this remark: “Most Fortunate One, why do you put us to shame by going round for alms food? Do you think that enough food for such a large number as 20,000 Arahats cannot be provided by your royal father?”

The Buddha said in reply: “Royal father, such a practice of receiving alms from door to door (sapadāna-cārika) is the precedent set by an unbroken line of Buddhas.”

King Suddhodana replied in these words: “My son, are we not descents of a noble (khattiya) lineage, great elected rulers in unbroken succession from the beginning of the aeon? And amongst this long line of great noble rulers, there was never anyone who went round begging for alms.”

The Buddha then made this reply: “Royal father, the lineage of noble rulers is your lineage; my ancestors are the Buddhas, in successive order of the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) from Dīpaṅkara, Koṇḍañña, Maṅgala down to Kassapa. Beginning with Dīpaṅkara and ending with Kassapa, my preceding elder brethren Buddhas, 24 in number, and with all the thousands of Buddhas, as many as the sands in the Ganges, have always gone to each house successively to receive alms. This very practice of receiving alms from one door to the next had always been our means of livelihood.”

And while stopping on the route for a moment, he uttered the following verse (Dhp 168):

Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, Dhammaṁ sucaritaṁ care,
Dhamma-cārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Royal father, a monastic, on receiving alms food after standing with seemly propriety at the door of each supporter, should be mindful of the receipt of the food; he should not receive or seek alms by improper means. He should practice going round for receiving alms in a commendable manner. A monastic, who cultivates this practice unfailingly in such a manner, will live in peace in this life and in the future life as well.

At the conclusion of this verse, King Suddhodana attained the stage of the Stream-entry fruition (Sotāpatti-phala).

After his attainment of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti), King Suddhodana himself took the alms bowl from the hands of the Buddha and holding it, invited the Buddha and the 20,000 Arahats to his palace where he offered seats of honour which were especially arranged in anticipation. On arrival at the palace, the Buddha uttered the following verse (Dhp 169):

Dhammaṁ care sucaritaṁ, na naṁ duccaritaṁ care,
Dhamma-cārī sukhaṁ seti, asmiṁ loke paramhi ca

Royal father, an improper or irregular way of seeking alms food should be avoided and a correct mode of receiving alms should be practised. A monastic who cultivates this practice unfailingly in such a manner will live in peace in this life and in the future life as well.

At the conclusion of this second verse, King Suddhodana became a Non-returner (Anāgāmī) and Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī, a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). [477]

Yasodharā’s Loyalty

When the food-offering was over, all the courtiers and maids of honour excepting Rāhula’s mother, Princess Yasodharā rallied at the feet of Buddha and paid their reverential respects to him.

Although her female attendants had requested her thus: “Your majesty, please do come out of the royal chamber and pay homage to the Buddha,” she gave the maids of honour this reply: “If I had ever rendered any special service worthy of gratitude, his reverence will come to me himself. Then and then only will I give homage to him,” and she remained unmoved and sedately stayed in her chamber.

With King Suddhodana carrying his alms bowl and accompanied by his two chief disciples the Buddha went into the parlour of the queen. At that time, 40,000 dancers were waiting upon her, of whom 1,090 were maiden princesses. On being told that the Buddha was on his way to her parlour, she ordered her 40,000 dancers to be dressed in dyed cloth and they did as they were told.

On arrival at Princess Yasodharā’s chamber, the Buddha said: “Let no one utter any word to hinder or restrain Princess Yasodharā while she is paying me homage to her heart’s content,” and then he took his seat at a place specially prepared for him in advance.

Princess Yasodharā came quickly into the presence of the Buddha and seizing his pair of insteps with both hands and with all her strength she held them close and tightly in her arms. She rested her forehead upon them, alternately left and right, and again and again made obeisance to him to her heart’s content, with deep, profound esteem and respect.

Whereupon, King Suddhodana addressed the Buddha: “Exalted Buddha, noble son, my daughter has worn dyed clothes ever since she heard that you were wearing dyed robes; when she heard that you lived on a single meal a day, she too subsisted on a single meal. Since she heard that you had given up luxurious beds, she slept on a couch of flat matted ropes; since she heard that you had given up flowers and scents, she went without anointing herself with fragrant paste and not wearing flowers. When you renounced the world, kindred princes sent messages proposing their honourable intentions to love and cherish and keep her under their tender care, to none of which did she ever cast a lustful glance. Such wonderful, praiseworthy and extraordinary virtues my daughter is replete with.” Thus did King Suddhodana make known to the Buddha the virtues and consistency of Princess Yasodharā’s love for him.

Whereupon the Buddha responded: “Royal father, it is not to be wondered that Yasodharā, mother of Rāhula, has maintained her loyalty and dignity now, because apart from the protection given by you, the mother of Rāhula is now ripe in wisdom and capable of protecting herself. More admirable still is the fact that the mother of Rāhula, Princess Yasodharā in a past existence, protected herself, when she was roaming all by herself at the foot of Canda mountain, even while still immature in wisdom and without a protector like your good self.”

Then, after relating the events in the past existence with the story of Canda-Kinnarī (Ja 485), the Buddha returned to the Nigrodha monastery accompanied by 20,000 Arahats.

The Ordination of Prince Nanda

On the third day after the arrival of the Buddha in the royal city of Kapilavatthu, King Suddhodana made the five auspicious ceremonial rites and rituals to be performed in honour of Prince Nanda:

On that occasion the Buddha went to the royal palace and after teaching a discourse on the virtues of meritorious deeds, as he wished to have Prince Nanda ordained, he purposely gave his bowl to Nanda and left for the monastery.

Because he had exceedingly great respect for his elder brother, the Buddha, Prince Nanda, dared not say a word about the bowl which was unexpectedly left in his care, though he had in mind to request: “Exalted elder brother, may you take back your bowl.” He had but to follow the Buddha up to the top of the stairs, thinking that he would be relieved of the burden there, but the Buddha did not do so.

Holding the bowl, he thus followed the Buddha to the foot of the stairway, but he still did not take back the bowl. He had to follow him, much against his will, thinking and hoping the bowl would be taken back and he eventually reached the open space outside the palace. The Buddha continued on his way without relieving him of the bowl. Prince Nanda, following unwillingly, wishing to turn back, but his extreme respect kept him silent, and hoping against hope that the bowl would be taken back at one place or another, he had to go along with the Buddha.

At that juncture, the female attendants of the Princess Janapadakalyāṇī brought the matter to her notice, saying: “Your Highness, the Buddha has taken away Prince Nanda to keep him separated from you.” When she heard this Janapadakalyāṇī was washing her hair. She hurried to the door of the balcony, her hair dripping wet and only half-combed, and made an earnest appeal: “Your Highness, may you come back quickly,” which weighed heavily in the mind of Prince Nanda.

The Buddha went on without taking the bowl from Prince Nanda, and on arrival at the monastery, he asked Nanda: “Would you like to receive ordination and become a monastic? Out of fear and respect, he could not express his unwillingness, saying: ‘No, I cannot,’ but had to give his assent, saying: ‘Very well, exalted brother, I will receive ordination.’ ” – “If that be the case: Monastics, you should see to it that my younger brother is ordained,” said the Buddha and the monastics did as they were told.

Rāhula’s Going Forth

Seven days after this event, the Buddha, accompanied by 20,000 Arahats, visited his royal father’s palace to partake of a meal. Princess Yasodharā had her 7-year old son, Rāhula, [479] tastefully dressed and confided to him: “My darling son, look at that gracious monastic, attended by 20,000 monastics, with a golden appearance and a body as graceful as that of a Brahma, he is your father. Before his renunciation, and becoming a monastic, there used to be four golden pots, named: Saṅkha, Ela, Uppala, Puṇḍarīka, which disappeared simultaneously with his renunciation. So approach your father and ask for your inheritance, saying: “Father, I am a young prince and I will, in due course, be crowned a Universal Monarch of the four islands and, as such, I am in need of wealth and treasures befitting such a king. I pray that those four golden pots may be given to me as my inheritance, in keeping with the tradition of a son always inheriting from his father.” She then sent the young prince to the Buddha.

When Prince Rāhula came close to the Buddha, he felt the warmth of the affectionate love of a father. Overwhelmed with joyousness, he addressed him: “Exalted father, the sphere of your protection is, indeed, so peaceful, calm and comfortable,” and after a moment of sweet childish chatter, he sat close to the Buddha. After finishing the meal, the Buddha gave a discourse on the merits of the provision of alms food and left the palace for the Nigrodha monastery, in the company of 20,000 Arahats.

Prince Rāhula immediately went along behind the Buddha, making the request: “Exalted father, may you give me my inheritance,” and repeating it all along the way to the monastery. The Buddha did not say a word to him, such as: “Beloved son, go back home,” and none of the king’s personnel dared hinder him as it was a matter of a son following his father. In this way, Prince Rāhula arrived at the monastery together with the Buddha, asking for his inheritance all the way.

On arrival at the monastery, the Buddha thought it over: “Prince Rāhula wants to inherit his father’s property. Worldly wealth and property simply leads to suffering as they are the cause of suffering in the round of rebirths. I shall give my royal son Rāhula the inheritance of the seven supermundane treasures of the noble ones: faith (saddhā), morality (sīla), conscience (hirī), concern (ottappa), learning (suta), charity (cāga) and wisdom (paññā) which I have won by vanquishing the five internal and external enemy forces of Māra. I shall make my royal son, Rāhula, the owner of these supermundane inheritances.” So deciding, the Buddha bade Ven. Sāriputta to him and said: “Sāriputta, Prince Rāhula has come to ask for his inheritance from me. Make arrangements for the going forth of Rāhula as a novice.”

According to AN 2.398, the seven treasures of the noble persons (ariya), as expounded by the Buddha are:

Saddhā-dhanaṁ sīla-dhanaṁ, hirī ottappiyaṁ dhanaṁ,
suta-dhanañ-ca cāgo ca, paññā ve sattamaṁ dhanaṁ.

In his Kokhan pyo, sacred verses in nine sections, Ven. Mahā Ratthasāra illustrated these seven supermundane treasures of the nobel ones (ariya), side by side with corresponding worldly properties:

In compliance with the express instructions of the Buddha, Ven. Sāriputta took the role of the preceptor (upajjhāya), whereas Ven. Mahā Moggallāna acted as the [480] instructor (pabbajjācariyā) attending to the shaving of the head, the offering of the robes and the administering of the three refuges, while Ven. Mahā Kassapa served as his advisor (ovādācariyā). Thus, Prince Rāhula was given the going forth and became a novice. Although the three great monks (mahā-thera) took individual roles in the procedure for the admission, the preceptor (upajjhāya) is the dominant figure in bringing about the going forth of Prince Rāhula; the functions undertaken by the instructor and the advisor are the bounden duties of the preceptor (upajjhāya); they are merely functioning as his deputies. Therefore the text says: Atha kho Āyasma Sāriputto Rāhulaṁ kumāraṁ pabbājesi, “then Ven. Sāriputta gave Prince Rāhula the going forth,” as if he had attended to all the various tasks necessary for the ceremony.

A Training Rule about Permissions

King Suddhodana was greatly disturbed and suffered intense mental and physical agony when he heard of the news that Prince Rāhula had been given the going forth.

While entertaining high hopes of seeing the grace and glory of his son, Prince Siddhattha, as a Universal Monarch, King Suddhodana only witnessed Siddhattha renounce the world and become a monastic, greatly to his disappointment, and he had suffered great mental and physical distress for the first time.

Again, after he had braced himself thus: “Only when my younger son, Nanda, becomes a Universal Monarch shall I see his grace and glory,” Prince Nanda was ordained as a monastic by the Buddha. King Suddhodana had suffered extreme weariness of heart and mind for the second time.

He had, however, observed great patience on these two previous occasions by consoling himself: “My last hope is to witness with full satisfaction the grace and glory of my grandson when he becomes a Universal Monarch.” He had set his mind on this. Now that Rāhula had been made a novice by the Buddha, it occurred to him: “Now the continuity of the dynasty of the Sakya monarchy has been severed. Wherefore can there be the glory and grace of a Universal Monarch?” King Suddhodana naturally suffered a misery more intense than ever before.

The pressing mental and physical agony grew beyond his power of endurance, so much so that he went to the Buddha and after paying homage and taking a seat at an appropriate place, he addressed the Buddha: “Most Exalted Buddha, my royal son, I would like to request a favour from you.” Whereupon, the Buddha responded: “Royal father of the Gotama clan, Fully Awakened Buddhas are past the stage of granting favours.”

Whereupon the king said: “I will only make a request which is fit and proper as well as faultless.” Only then did the Buddha allow him to make the request, saying: “Royal father of the Gotama clan, you may ask for any favour you wish.”

“Most Revered son, when you first renounced the world I suffered infinite sorrow and I suffered with the same intensity when my son, Prince Nanda, received ordination, and lastly, when Rāhula, my grandson, was made a novice, my misery was immeasurable. Most exalted son, the love of parents and grand-parents for their sons and grandchildren penetrates from the delicate film of the outer skin through to the thick inner [481] skin, sinews, nerves and bones and even up to the marrow.”

When King Suddhodana left the monastery after hearing a discourse, the Buddha, in consideration of King Suddhodana’s request, made a proclamation of a training rule at the assembly of the Saṅgha: Na, bhikkhave, ananuññāto mātā-pitūhi putto pabbājetabbo. Yo pabbājeyya, āpatti dukkaṭassa, “monastics, a child who has not the consent of both his parents should not be given the going forth nor higher ordination. For whoever should let such a person receive the going forth or higher ordination, there is an offence of wrong-doing.”

King Suddhodana Becomes a Non-Returner

On a certain day after this incident, when the Buddha went to the royal palace for meals in the company of 20,000 Arahats, King Suddhodana served him and his Arahats with gruel and sweet-meats before the main meal. During the interim period, the king enthusiastically recounted his experience with the Devas thus: “Most glorious son, when you were engaged arduously in austerity practices, certain Devas appeared in the sky and told me: ‘Your son, Prince Siddhattha, has died for not having sufficient food.’ ” Whereupon, the Buddha asked the king: “Royal father, did you believe the words of the Devas then?” The king replied: “No, I did not. I rejected the words of the Devas in the sky by saying: “It is impossible for my son to enter Nibbāna until and unless he attains omniscience on that pleasant plain under the Mahā Bodhi tree.”

Then the Buddha said: “My royal father not only in this life, but also in a previous existence, when you were the chieftain of Mahā Dhammapāla village, you have rejected the words of a far-famed teacher, Disāpāmokkha, who told you: “Your son, the young Dhammapāla is dead. These are the bones of your son,” exhibiting the bones of a goat as evidence. You had then refuted him by saying: “In our Dhammapāla clan, there is none who dies while still young.” You did not believe him at all. Now at the last lap of your transient existence, why should you believe the words of the Devas? You certainly would not.” Then at the request of his royal father, the Buddha delivered extensively the discourse telling the story, the Long Birth Story about Dhammapāla (Mahā-dhammapāla-jātaka, Ja 447).

After delivering the Birth Story, the Buddha continued to expound the main Dhamma points of the four noble truths (catu-sacca-dhamma-kathā). At the conclusion of this exposition, King Suddhodana was firmly established as a Non-returner (Anāgāmi).

Mahā Pajāpatī Gotamī Offers Robes to the Buddha

As stated above, the day after the arrival of the Buddha and his Arahats at Kapilavatthu, King Suddhodana, after having expressed his reasons for his intolerable displeasure and disapproval to the Buddha and his Arahats in the middle of their round for alms food, invited them to the royal palace.

When Mahā Pajāpatī Gotamī witnessed the grace and splendour of the physical appearance of the Buddha on the latter’s arrival at the royal palace, she could not help thinking: “How exceedingly comely is my son’s appearance!” and her mind was filled with the powerful feelings of exceeding joy.

Then again, she continued considering: “For fully 29 years when he was a layman, it was I who was solely responsible for my son’s well-being, regarding his food, clothing and residence, even to the extent of peeling off the skin of a banana for him. Now that he has blossomed forth as a Fully Awakened Buddha, it is right and proper that I weave a set of robes to offer him.”

She had a weaving house set up in the precincts of the royal palace, and bought fine quality cotton from the market. She undertook the work of ginning and spinning cotton into fine threads. She summoned expert weavers to the palace and asked them to weave a cloth for a set of robes, providing them with delicious soft and hard food from her own table, and paid them handsome rewards. She visited the place of work, in the company of her maids of honour and personally took part in the weaving of the cloth for the robes [482] as and when opportunity presented.

When the fine cloth had been woven and the weavers were given suitable rewards, she placed the cloth in a casket of sweet scents so that it might be infused with the sweet fragrance and when everything was set, she approached the king and said: “Your majesty, I wish to offer this newly woven fine cloth for a set of robes to your exalted son personally in the monastery.”

King Suddhodana caused the roadway between the palace and the monastery to be swept clean; every street was swept, pots filled with water were placed along the road, which was lined with decorative pennants and streamers. From the palace gate to the Nigrodha monastery the whole route was strewn with flowers.

With great pomp and ceremony, Mahā Pajāpatī Gotamī, bedecked with ornaments and in full ceremonial dress, proceeded to the monastery in the company of her maids of honour, carrying on her head the fragrant casket containing the piece of cloth for making robes and on arrival addressed the Buddha: “Most exalted glorious son I, your step-mother, intending it for you, have myself ginned and spun and woven a cloth for a set of robes. I pray that you accept this piece of cloth which I have woven and offered to you, out of compassion and sympathetic regard for me.”

The detailed story of the royal step-mother weaving the cloth for a set of robes and offering it to the Buddha is provided in the Analysis of Offerings (Dakkhiṇā-vibaṅga-sutta, MN 142).