19: The Ordination of 1,000 Sakyan Princes
Having thus established his father, King Suddhodana in the three lower fruition stages of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala), Once-returner (Sakadāgāmī-phala) and Non-returner (Anāgāmī-phala), the Buddha left Kapilavatthu in the company of 20,000 Arahats and journeyed towards Rājagaha. On arrival at the Anupiya Mango Grove of the country of Malla, the Buddha broke the journey for some rest.
At that time, King Suddhodana summoned an assembly of all the members of the royal Sakyan clan and addressed them: “You members of the royal Sakyan clan, if my son had chosen to remain as a sovereign ruler, seven treasures would have appeared and he would certainly have become a Universal Monarch ruling over the four island continents. And my grandson Rāhula, befitting the eldest son treasure of the seven treasures would have accompanied the Universal Monarch together with all the noble rulers on earth, attending to administrative matters wherever the wheel treasure rolled on.
When a sovereign ruler observed the moral precepts in fulfilment of the noble duties required of a Universal Monarch, there appeared to him the mighty wheel treasure. At that time he comes to possess seven precious treasures: the wheel treasure, the elephant treasure, the horse treasure, the gem treasure, the queen treasure, the rich-man treasure, and the eldest son treasure.
After being anointed as a Universal Monarch, he held a gold pitcher in his left hand, sprinkled water with his right hand on the wheel treasure, making the resolution: ‘May the august wheel treasure turn and roll on! May the august wheel treasure be triumphant.’ The wheel treasure rolled on towards the four island continents, in the four directions. The Universal Monarch followed it with his great army commanded by his eldest son treasure. Where the wheel came to rest, the Universal Monarch encamped with his great army. The rival kings of each region came to him, paid him homage and became vassals to the Universal Monarch.
All you Sakyan rulers are well aware of this. Now that my noble son has become a Buddha, the crown of the three worlds, he being a Buddha of royal descent, let only princes of royal blood attend upon him. I would urge you, therefore, that each and every royal household present me a prince. I will arrange for their ordination in the presence of my son the Buddha.”
They all readily signified their assent by saying: “Very well, your majesty,” and 1,000 princes of the royal families spontaneously went along with the king to the Anupiya Mango Grove and received ordination from the Buddha.
The Six Princes
At the ceremony of the palm-reading, after the birth of the Bodhisatta, all the members of the 80,000 royal families had made the promise: “Whether he becomes a Universal Monarch or a Buddha, we will see to it that he goes about duly attended on exclusively by the royal princes.” Although quite a number of Sakyan princes had received ordination, six princes: 1) Prince Bhaddiya, the one taking his turn to rule at the time, 2) Prince Anuruddha, 3) Prince Ānanda, 4) Prince Bhagu, 5) Prince Kimila, and 6) Prince Devadatta were discovered by other Sakyan families as not honouring the promise. They censured and expressed their disapproval saying: “We all have had our sons ordained but these six princes have behaved as if they are strangers and not relatives; how dare they remain without receiving ordination?”
Whereupon, Prince Mahānama went to his younger brother, Anuruddha and consulted with him saying: “My dear brother Anuruddha, no member of our family has yet received ordination, and it will be right and proper for either of us to receive ordination.” It is
Prince Anuruddha
One day, these six princes played a game of marbles with a stake that the loser should provide cakes. Anuruddha eventually lost the game and as previously promised he was obliged to send an attendant to his mother for a supply of cakes. His mother arranged to provide the cakes as requested.
The six princes happily enjoyed the cakes and went on playing, game after game. Anuruddha was the loser every time and his mother had to fulfil his request three times in succession. But when he sent his attendant for the fourth time, his mother was compelled to give the answer: Pūvā natthi, meaning “There are no cakes.”
As Prince Anuruddha did not understand the meaning of the word natthi, he thought it to be a cake of some sort, so he sent the attendant back with instructions to bring the natthi cakes. His mother, being well aware of the fact that his son was totally ignorant of the term natthi, considered that she would teach him the meaning of natthi. So, she expediently put one empty gold cup as a cover upon another and sent them to her son.
Whereupon, the guardian Devas of the city remembered the meritorious deeds of Anuruddha in a previous existence: “As Annabhāra, a poor person, he liberally offered his hard earned quota of a meal to a Paccekabuddha named Upariṭṭha, making this wish: ‘May I be free from want, not ever hearing the words ‘there are none (natthi),’ not knowing even the source of cooked rice.” The Devas were aware that they might not be allowed to attend the assembly of celestial beings should they let Anuruddha see the empty cups; above all their heads were liable to be split into seven pieces for such an act of omission. Therefore, they filled the empty gold cups with celestial cakes.
At the game pitch, as soon as the cup full of celestial sweet-meats was opened, the atmosphere of the whole city became laden with its fragrance; and the flavour of the ambrosia permeated 7,000 palatal nerves of Anuruddha as he placed a bit of it in his mouth.
Anuruddha thought to himself: “For such a long time my mother has not cooked me this natthi cake. She does not seem to love me. From now on, I will eat no other kind of cake except this kind.” On his arrival at the palace, he asked his mother: “Mother do you really love me or not?” His mother replied: “My dear son, Anuruddha, just as a man who has only one eye values and cherishes it most, so I love you more than anything else; more than my heart.” Then Anuruddha asked again: “Mother, why, though loving me so, have you never prepared such a natthi cake for me even over such a long period of time?”
When his mother heard this curious question, she summoned the young attendant and asked him: “Young man, was there anything in the cup?” he replied: “Dear mother, the cup was filled to its brim with a sort of sweetmeats which we have never seen before.” His mother then realised that her son must be a man of power and glory, who had accumulated much merit from his past good deeds. She rightly considered the truth of the matter that celestial beings must have put celestial sweetmeats in the cup and sent it to the prince.
Then Anuruddha told his mother: “Mother, from now on I shall not eat any edibles except these natthi cakes. Just cook only these natthi cakes for me.” Since that time, his mother simply sent an empty cup covered with another whenever a request came from her son for a supply of edibles. Before his ordination, all through his layman’s life, it was the celestials who sent the cakes to him. How then could Anuruddha, who did not even
Such being the case, Anuruddha asked his eldest brother, Mahānama: “Brother, what do you mean by ordination, what is it like?” Mahānama replied: “Dear brother, one who receives ordination is required to have his hair and beard clean shaven, wear dyed clothes, sleep on a wooden bedstead, or a couch of cane or bamboo, go on rounds for alms food; this is the life of one who receives ordination.” Anuruddha then made this reply: “Elder brother, I am a gentle and delicate person; I cannot lead the life of one who receives ordination.”
Mahānama said in reply: “My dear Anuruddha, if that is the case you had better learn the business of human affairs and stay back to manage our household because it is imperative that between we two brothers, one must receive ordination.” Anuruddha then enquired: “Elder brother, what is meant by the business of human affairs?” How would a man of high birth like Anuruddha, who had no knowledge of the source of his daily meals, understood the business of human affairs?
This will be clarified: three princes, namely, Kimila, Bhaddiya, and Anuruddha happened to discuss the source of food during a conversation. Prince Kimila had only seen the grains taken out of the king’s granaries; he had never seen the rice fields, and he maintained that a granary is the source of food! Prince Bhaddiya rejected his statement by saying: “You really do not know the actual source of food,” he had only seen food in the process of being cooked in a pot; he had never seen paddy being harvested in the fields or being taken out of the granaries, so he said: “A cooking pot is the actual source.” Prince Anuruddha had never seen paddy being taken out from the granaries, nor rice being cooked in a pot and ladled out from it, he had only seen a gold cup filled with cooked rice which was previously removed from the pot. He had therefore the fixed idea that food spontaneously appears in the cup when he feels like eating, so he took his turn saying: “Both of you are ignorant of the source of food; its source is a gold dish studded with fine jewels.”
These three princes were totally ignorant of the source of food and so Anuruddha asked his brother: “Elder brother, what is this business of human affairs?” in honest simplicity.
Elder brother Mahānama said: “My dear younger brother, Anuruddha, come, I will teach you the work and business of human affairs:
1. One must plough the land at the break of the rains.
2. Ploughing must be followed by sowing seeds.
3. After sowing, the field must be watered having due regard to the appropriate time.
4. Water must be led off or drained at the appropriate time.
5. After draining off the water, there must be a constant removal of weeds.
6. After frequent clearing away of weeds, crops must be harvested as soon as they are matured and ripened.
7. After harvesting, standing sheaves of paddy must be thrashed on the threshing floor.
8. The sheaves of paddy must be spread and piled for threshing.
9. After spreading the sheaves, threshing must be done thoroughly.
10. After threshing, stalks must be removed with thorough shaking.
11. Then the undeveloped grains must be sorted out.
12. Winnowing must be done after removing the undeveloped grains.
13. After winnowing, the paddy must be stored in granaries.
14. When everything is done as described above, the same work must be carried out routinely year after year.
On hearing this, Anuruddha told his brother: “Elder brother, all this business of human affairs is inexhaustible and never ending. When can all these worldly affairs be exhausted, when can we see the end to all these affairs? When shall we be able to enjoy the five sensual pleasures with ease and comfort, without having to encounter the anxieties of worldly life?” He muttered this with dismay and weariness.
His elder brother then told him: “Quite so, dear brother Anuruddha, worldly affairs are inexhaustible and without an end. Our fathers and grandfathers died before these human affairs could be exhausted or ended.” Whereupon Anuruddha said: “Elder brother, if this be so, since you understand the ways of human affairs, you had better remain and take charge of their management. I shall renounce the household life and lead the homeless life of a recluse,” thus he gave his assent to receive ordination.
Anuruddha then approached his mother and asked: “Mother, I wish to receive ordination; kindly grant me your permission to do so.”
Then the Queen Mother replied: “My dear son, Anuruddha, I love both my sons, you two brothers, with an exceedingly great love. Even when death separates us, it will be without my consent. How can I, while still alive, give both you brothers my permission to receive ordination, it is impossible.” Anuruddha made a second attempt to get his mother’s permission, but received the same answer. Again, for the third time, he requested his mother’s permission for his ordination.
At that time, the Sakyan Prince, Bhaddiya, was holding the reins of government over the Sakyan clan. King Suddhodana, who was by then approximately 90, was merely a guide and figure head. The ruling King, Bhaddiya, was Prince Anuruddha’s intimate friend. The Queen Mother thought to herself: “At present, my son Anuruddha’s friend, the Sakyan King, Bhaddiya, is still ruling over the Sakyan royal clan. That King Bhaddiya cannot, by any means, receive ordination, at least for the time being.” So she told Anuruddha: “My dear son, Anuruddha, you have my permission to receive ordination, if your playmate the Sakyan King, Bhaddiya, is also prepared to receive ordination.”
Anuruddha then approached his friend and requested: “My dear friend Bhaddiya, my receiving ordination is connected to you.” Bhaddiya then said in response: “Dear friend Anuruddha, if there is a relationship between your ordination and myself, let it no longer exist. You and I …” Here, what Bhaddiya actually meant to say readily with love for his friend, was: “You and I, both, will receive ordination together,” but being restrained by attachment to the luxury of kingship, he stopped short with: “You and I … ” and said: “You may happily receive ordination as you please.” Nevertheless, Anuruddha made a fresh request: “Come, my dear friend, let us receive ordination together.” Whereupon Bhaddiya gave his frank answer: “My dear friend, Anuruddha, I cannot receive ordination, but I am prepared to do whatever I can, in matters concerning a friend, other than receiving ordination. As regards ordination, do please receive it by yourself.”
Whereupon, Anuruddha asserted: “My friend, my mother had said: ‘If your friend, King Bhaddiya, is prepared to receive ordination, you may do so.’ Friend Bhaddiya, you said: ‘Friend Anuruddha, if there is a relationship between your ordination and myself, let that relation no longer exist. You and I … you may happily receive ordination as you please.’ Almost at the point of gratifying my wish you prevaricated and you have spoken evasive words to escape commitment. Friend, Bhaddiya, do let us go … let us both receive ordination.” Anuruddha thus persistently made refusal impossible.
People of that time spoke the truth; they admired the truth. They were noted for being as good as their words; they always stood by their words.
King Bhaddiya said: “My dear Anuruddha, please wait for seven years and we will both receive ordination then.” – “My dear Bhaddiya, seven years is too long; I cannot wait for such a long time,” replied Anuruddha. Bhaddiya said in reply: “Please wait for six years,” and then successively five, four, three, two, one year reducing a year each time. “At the
Bhaddiya then asked Anuruddha to wait for seven months; they would then both receive ordination. Anuruddha again replied that the period of seven months was a long time; he could not wait for such a long time. Bhaddiya eventually reduced the period of grace from seven to six, five, four, three, two, one and lastly half a month, but Anuruddha would not give in and again said fifteen days too was still a very long time and he could not wait that long.
At last King Bhaddiya as a final proposal asked for seven days grace to enable him to relinquish the duties of a king and hand over the affairs of the state to his son, elder and younger brothers. Anuruddha was satisfied and said: “My dear Bhaddiya, seven days is not too long a time; I will wait for seven days,” and they came to a mutual agreement.
Six Sakyan Princes and Upāli the Barber
The Group-of-Six princes comprising: 1) King Bhaddiya, 2) Prince Anuruddha, 3) Prince Ānanda, 4) Prince Bhagu, 5) Prince Kimila, 6) Prince Devadatta, the Buddha’s brother-in-law enjoyed earthly pleasures to the fullest, like Devas enjoying celestial luxuries, for full seven days before they went out of the city, as though going out for joyful garden sports, escorted by regiments of elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry.
On arrival at the border, the four regiments of the army were ordered to return while they went into the neighbouring country of Malla. Once inside the country of Malla, the six princes took off their ornaments, wrapped them up with outer garments and handed the bundle to their barber Upāli, by way of a parting gift, saying: “My dear friend Upāli, you may return home. This should keep you going to an advanced age.”
Upāli, the barber, wept, rolling on the ground at the feet of the princes, as he was loath to part from his masters but he dared not disobey their command. So he was obliged to make his way home carrying the bundle of gifts. When Upāli parted from his masters, there was a loud and fearsome noise, as if the large, thick forest wailed and the great earth quaked and trembled in lamentation.
A little while after Upāli had separated from the princes he stopped and thought to himself: “The Sakyan royal families are harsh and ruthless. They might misjudge and wrongly conclude: ‘This barber, Upāli, has dispatched the six princes,’ and they might order me to be killed. If even these princes could abandon kingly luxuries and splendour to receive ordination, discarding priceless ornaments as they would spittle, why would a lowly, wretched person like me not be able to receive ordination?” So thinking and realising, he took out the precious things he had brought and hanging them on a tree, said: “I have given up these properties through generosity. Anyone who finds them is free to take them as he pleases.”
As soon as the six princes saw the barber, Upāli, coming from a distance, they questioned: “Friend Upāli, why have you returned to us?” Then he explained all that had occurred to him and what he had done. Then the princes told him: “Upāli, not going back to the royal city According to Sri Lankan sources, your returning to us. is very good indeed! As you have thought, members of the royal Sakyan family are harsh and ruthless. Supposing you had returned, they might have had you executed under the false impression that you had done away with the six princes.”
The six princes took Upāli along with them to Anupiya Mango Grove where the Buddha was residing. On arrival, they respectfully paid homage to the Buddha, took their seat at places free from the six faults, and addressed him thus: “Most exalted Buddha, we Sakyan royalty, are harsh and stern with pride of birth! This man Upāli has been our servant for the many years past. We beseech you to give him priority in receiving ordination before anyone of us. By ordaining him in this way the rest of us would have to make homage to him, greet him when he approaches, and pay our respects with raised hands. By so doing, our Sakyan pride of birth, so harsh and stern, and our vanity, will be broken.”
Then the Buddha had Upāli, The story of Upāli and the Sakyan princes who became monks will be dealt with in more detail in chapter 43 on The Sangha Jewel. the barber, ordained first as requested and that was followed by the six princes.
The Buddha, accompanied by over 20,000 monastics, left the Anupiya Mango Grove, near the village of Anupiya, in Malla country, for Veḷuvana monastery, in Rājagaha, where he observed the second Rains Retreat together with 20,000 monastics.
Rains Retreat (Vassa): variously translated as Monsoon Retreat, Rains Retreat and Rains Residence. The Rains Retreat has to be observed for three out of the four months of the rainy season.
The Attainments of the Six Princes
[This section is moved here from the beginning of chapter 20, so as to keep the story together.]
The Buddha kept the second Rains Retreat (Vassa) at Veḷuvana monastery, Rājagaha. It was during this period that Ven. Bhaddiya became established as an Arahat accomplished in the three understandings (tevijja): knowledge of previous existences (pubbe-nivāsa-ñāṇa), knowledge of divine sight (dibba-cakkhu-ñāṇa) and knowledge of the destruction of the pollutants (āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa).
Ven. Anuruddha achieved the eight mundane meditation attainments (jhāna-samāpatti) during the first Rains Retreat after his ordination. Based on these attainments, he further developed divine sight (dibba-cakkhu-abhiññā), the supernatural power that enabled him to see the 1,000 world-elements. One day, he went to Ven. Sāriputta and told him (AN 3.130):
1. “Friend Sāriputta, in this Buddha’s Dispensation (sāsana), I can see the 1,000 world-elements by means of divine sight (dibba-cakkhu-abhiññā).
2. My effort is vigorous and resolute, not flagging. My mindfulness is clear and intent, wholly free from forgetfulness; my body is also calm and collected, completely free from anxiety; my mind is serene, fixed on a single object.
3. In spite of all this, my mind, though void of craving (taṇhā) and wrong view (diṭṭhi), is still not free from the grip of the pollutants (āsava).”
Meaning, he has not yet achieved Awakening. Whereupon, Ven. Sāriputta said: “Friend Anuruddha, 1) when you are preoccupied with the thought as described in your first statement, it is a case of pride (māna) arising in your mental continuum; 2) regarding the preoccupation described in your second statement, it is a case of distraction (uddhacca) arising in your mental continuum; 3) as regards your third statement, it means that you are being assailed by worrying over past commissions and omissions (kukucca). Let me beseech you, friend Anuruddha, to get rid of these three states of pride, distraction and worry, and to occupy your mind only with the thought of Nibbāna, the deathless state (amata-dhātu).” He then gave Ven. Anuruddha a discourse on the practice of meditation.
Having learnt the technique of meditation from Ven. Sāriputta, Ven. Anuruddha took leave of the Buddha and left for Ceti country and in the bamboo grove which lay east of where the Buddha was residing, he started practising meditation. He began practising in a walking posture for fifteen successive days without lying down. The strain was so severe that he became tired and weak. He could not help sitting down under a bamboo grove where he continued his meditation, contemplating on the eight thoughts of a great being (Mahā-purisa-vitakka). Having acquired seven of them, he became exhausted through strain at the eighth stage. When the Buddha knew of his distress, he came personally to the bamboo grove and helped him complete the eighth stage, by expounding the Discourse on Anuruddha’s Great Thoughts (Anuruddha-mahā-vitakka-sutta, AN 8.30) together with the Discourse on the Lineage of the Noble Ones (Ariya-vaṁsa-sutta, AN 4.28). Foreseeing that the very same forest would serve as a sufficing condition (upanissaya-paccaya) for the attainment of Awakening, the Buddha instructed him: “Anuruddha, carry on with your work during the next Rains Retreat also at this place.” After this, the Buddha left by means of psychic power (iddhi-vidha-abhiññā), and arrived immediately at the forest of Bhesakalā near the town of Susumāgiri in Bhagga country. On arrival there, the Buddha taught the discourse on the Discourse on Anuruddha’s Great Thoughts to the monastics residing in the forest there.
Ven. Anuruddha kept the next two Rains Retreat (Vassa) in the Bamboo Grove as instructed by the Buddha, and continued to practise meditation and eventually he attained the Arahat fruition stage.
Ven. Ānanda listened to the discourse given by Ven. Puṇṇa, son of a Brahmin woman named Mantāṇī, who explained the arising of the “I-concept” based on the five aggregates (khandha) with the illustration of a reflection of one’s own face from the clear surface of a mirror or a cup of water. He also taught Ānanda the triple-round discourse (teparivaṭṭa-dhamma-desanā) concerning the three characteristics of impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta) of the five aggregates. As a result of hearing these discourses from Ven. Puṇṇa and reflecting on them, Ven. Ānanda became a Stream-enterer (SN 22.83).
After all the elders (thera), as described above, had gained Awakening, the great elders Bhagu and Kimila also practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) and eventually they also became Arahats.
Ven. Devadatta also engaged himself in meditation practices but he was able to achieve only the eight mundane absorption (jhāna) attainments with the supernormal powers (iddhi) which is possible to those who are yet of the world (puthujjanika-iddhi). He was not a noble one but only an ordinary monastic with meditational power.
[A section here on the Rains Retreats observed by the Buddha has been moved to chapter 35a, where it summarises the 20 retreats up to that time, and the more steady Rains Retreats after that time, which were all spent in Sāvatthī.]