8. Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja
Aspiration in the Past
The future Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja was reborn in a family of lions during the lifetime of Buddha Padumuttara and lived, moving about for food at the foot of a mountain. One morning, when the Buddha surveyed the world, he saw the lion having the potential to attain the paths, the fruitions and Nibbāna. Accordingly, the Buddha made his alms round in
When the lion came back from his search for food and stood at the entrance of the den, he saw the Buddha miraculously sitting in midair and it occurred to him thus: “This man, who has come to my place, is able to sit in midair. This noble personage must be great and worthy of honour indeed! As he is worth honouring, he is able to sit cross-legged in midair in the cave. His body light also spreads and flashes everywhere. I have never seen such a miracle. This noble individual must be the best of all who ought to be honoured. I too should do honour to him to the best of my ability.” So thinking, the lion brought all kinds of terrestrial and watery flowers from the forest and spread them on the ground up to the height where the Buddha was sitting. Then he stood right in front of the Buddha, worshipping him. The next day, he discarded the withered flowers and replaced them with fresh ones to make a similar seat and with it, honoured the Buddha.
In this way, the lion made floral seats for seven days and he took great delight in it. At the same time, he acted as a guard at the entrance of the cave honouring the Buddha thereby. On the seventh day, the Buddha emerged from his attainment of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti) and stood at the cave’s entrance. Then the lion circumambulated him three times keeping him to his right and paid homage to him from the four cardinal points and stood still after stepping back. The Buddha, having realized that such a performance of meritorious deeds was efficacious enough for his attainment of the paths and fruitions, rose into the sky and returned to the monastery.
Life as Son of a Wealthy Merchant
As for the lion, because he was separated from the Buddha, he felt very unhappy and after his death took rebirth in the family of a wealthy (mahā-sāla) merchant in Haṁsāvatī city. On coming of age, he went along one day with other citizens and while listening to the Buddha’s teaching, he saw him declaring a monk, the best among those who spoke boldly on the paths and fruitions. As in the case of the pervious venerables, the merchant’s son performed a great alm giving (mahā-dāna) to the Buddha for seven days and aspired after a similar position in future.
Seeing that the man’s wish would be fulfilled, the Buddha predicted to that effect. After receiving the prophecy, the merchant’s son did good works till his death. When he passed away from that life, he was never reborn in the suffering states for 100,000 aeons but, instead, alternatively in the realms of Devas and human beings.
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
Having been reborn thus from the human realm to the Deva realm and vice versa, Piṇḍola was born into the family of a wealthy Brahmin, in the city of Rājagaha, during the lifetime of the present Buddha and was named Bhāradvāja.
When Bhāradvāja came of age, he studied the three Vedas and when he had accomplished his studies, he became a teacher, going from place to place and teaching 500 Brahmin youths. As he himself was a teacher, at every feeding-place he personally received the food rather aggressively. As he was somewhat greedy with regard to food, he emphatically looked for food together with his students, asking: “Where is gruel available? Where is rice obtained?” On account of his wandering and longing for food wherever he was, he came to be known as Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, “Bhāradvāja, the seeker of food.”
At a later time, Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja suffered economic misfortune and became poor. One day, the Buddha went to Rājagaha and gave a discourse. After listening to the discourse, the Brahmin developed faith and took ordination as a monastic.
Those who had joined the Buddhist Saṅgha were generally known by their clan name. Therefore, the monastic should have been known as Bhāradvāja. But he was not, instead he was called Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja. The reason for this was that he carried a pot-like bowl and ate a bowlful of gruel, or a bowlful of cakes and a bowl of rice. Then other monks told the Buddha of the monk’s gluttony.
The Buddha forbade his use of the bag for the bowl. So the poor monk had to keep it upside down under the couch. When he kept it, he pushed it under the couch causing a friction between the brim of the bowl and the rough ground. When he took it out the same thing happened. As time went by, because of the repeated frictions, the bowl which originally was big like an enormous pot became a bowl with the capacity of cooked rice from a small measure (ambaṇa) of uncooked rice. Then the monks reported the matter to the Buddha, who from that time onwards permitted Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja to use the bag. Thus Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja was like one who adopted monkhood for food, hence he was called Piṇḍola. Because he belonged to the Bhāradvāja clan, he was named Bhāradvāja. Therefore, after becoming a monastic he was called Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, a two-word name.
At a later time, when he strove to engage in development of the sense-faculties (indriya-bhāvanā), he became an Arahat (Arahatta-phala). After becoming an Arahat, he went from one dwelling place to another, from one monastic compound to another, carrying a curved iron rod used as a key and fearlessly roaring a lion’s roar: “Those who have doubt as regards the path and the fruition, let them ask me!”
A detailed account of this should be taken from the translation of the Discourse concerning Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja (Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja-sutta, SN 48.49).
One day, he brought down, A detailed account of this story may be read in chapter 33. by means of his supernatural power, the sandalwood bowl that was hanging in the air from the top of a bamboo pole which was supported by a series of other poles to the height of 60 cubits by a wealthy merchant of Rājagaha. Surrounded by applauding people, Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja went to the Veḷuvana monastery and placed the bowl in the hand of the Buddha. Although knowing about it the Buddha asked: “Dear son Bhāradvāja, from where did you get this bowl?” When Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja explained, the master said: “You, dear son, have shown a superhuman state (uttari-manussa-dhamma), the absorptions (jhāna), paths (magga) and fruitions (phala), that surpass the ten wholesome courses of action belonging to men (kusala-kamma-patha) just for an unworthy gain. You, dear son, have done something that should not be done!” Beginning with these words, the Buddha rebuked Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja in many ways and set up a rule that forbade the performance of miracles.
Afterwards, three kinds of talk occurred amongst the monastics with regard to his virtues:
1. Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja, who was also known as the great elder Sīhanādī, as he was in the habit of making bold speeches, on the day he became an Arahat, fearlessly announced: “Those who have doubts about the paths and the fruitions, let them ask me!”
2. He reported his attainment of Awakening to the Buddha whereas other venerables kept silent.
3. He flew up and brought down the sandalwood bowl of the Rājagaha merchant.
The monastics told the Buddha of these three virtues put together. As it was the nature of Buddhas to reproach what should be reproached and to admire what should be admired, the Buddha only selected what was worth admiring, and said in praise: “Monks, by developing his three faculties and by repeatedly reflecting on them, the monk Bhāradvāja declared his Awakening, saying: ‘I know that there is no more rebirth for me, I have practised the noble practice, that what was to be done has been done and I have nothing else to do concerning the path!’
What are the three faculties? The faculty of mindfulness (satindriya), the faculty of concentration (samādhindriya), the faculty of wisdom (paññindriya), by developing and by repeatedly reflecting on them, he declares he is an Arahat, saying: ‘I know that there is no more rebirth for me, concerning the
Monks, in what do these three faculties end? They end in bringing about destruction; but destruction of what? The destruction of rebirth, old age and death. Monks, as he knew full well that he had no more rebirth, old age and death, the monk Bharadvāja speaks of his being an Arahat: ‘I know that there is no more rebirth for me, that I have practised the noble practice, that what was to be done has been done, and that I have nothing else to do concerning the path!’ ” The Buddha spoke thus in praise of Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja. It was this very great elder who gave a discourse to King Udena of Kosambī and established him as a lay devotee in the Three Treasures (see the Discourse concerning Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja (Piṇḍola-bhāradvāja-sutta, SN 48.49).
Foremost Title Achieved
While holding a ceremony at a later time, the Buddha declared admiringly of Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja as follows:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
sīha-nādikānaṁ yad-idaṁ Piṇḍola-bhāradvājo.
Monks, of my disciple monastics, who fearlessly speak like a lion’s roar, Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja is the foremost (etad-agga)!
Thus the Buddha appointed Ven. Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja as the foremost (etad-agga) amongst those “making a lion’s roar” (sīha-nādika).