23. Ven. Vaṅgīsa

Aspiration in the Past

The future Vaṅgīsa was born into a wealthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. Like all other future great disciples, he went to the Buddha’s monastery. In the course of listening to a discourse, he witnessed a monastic being named by the Buddha as the foremost among those monastics who were endowed with quick wit. The son, the future Vaṅgīsa, admired that monastic and after making a great offering to the Buddha, he expressed his aspiration to him: “May I, for this good deed, become the foremost monastic among those endowed with quick wit, at some time in the future.” The Buddha saw that the aspiration of the supporter would be fulfilled and therefore, made the prediction before returning to the monastery.

Ascetic Life in His Final Existence

After a life of good deeds, the man passed away and was either reborn as a Deva or a human being. At the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn in a Brahmin family in Sāvatthī, by the name of Vaṅgīsa. When he came of age, he learnt the three Vedas. He served the teacher to the latter’s satisfaction so that he also received a secret formula or chant called the skull (chava-sīsa) mantra, by intoning which he could tell the destination of a departed one by gentle rapping on the skull of a dead person.

The Brahmins knew well how to capitalise on Vaṅgīsa’s art. So they put him in an enclosed carriage, and would encamp at the gate to a town or village, and when a crowd had formed, [1287] they advertised Vaṅgīsa’s greatness saying: “He who sees Vaṅgīsa comes upon wealth and fame and goes to the heavens at death.” Many people were taken in by such sayings and they would go to the visiting Brahmins: “Sirs, what is master Vaṅgīsa’s special knowledge?” Then the Brahmins would say: “Men, there is no wise one equal to master Vaṅgīsa because he can tell you the destination of a departed person. Just by rapping the skull of a dead person with his finger nails, he will tell you in what clan or in what realm he is reborn.” And Vaṅgīsa was actually able to make good the claim of his men. He called upon the spirit of the dead person, make it possess someone near him, and tell from that person’s mouth where the subject was, for instance where that dead person was reborn. For this miraculous feat, he reaped big sums of money from his clients.

Vaṅgīsa’s Time for Liberation

After a tour of the land covering cities, towns and villages, Vaṅgīsa’s men carried him to the city of Sāvatthī. Vaṅgīsa stopped near the Jetavana monastery and thought: “Ascetic Gotama is reputed to be wise. It would not be to my advantage just to carry on touring around Jambudīpa. I might as well go and see someone who is said to be wise.” So he sent his men away saying: “You go ahead. I do not want company when visiting the Buddha, let me go alone.” – “But sir,” the attendants of Vaṅgīsa protested, “by using his trickery, ascetic Gotama has a way of winning over people over who go to see him.” But, Vaṅgīsa paid no attention to those words. Going before the Buddha, and after saying courteous words of greeting, he sat at a suitable distance.

The Buddha asked Vaṅgīsa, the youth: “Vaṅgīsa, are you skilled in some art?” “Reverend Gotama,” said Vaṅgīsa, “I know a certain mantra called the skull (chava-sīsa).” – “What use do you make of that mantra?” – “Venerable Gotama, while chanting that mantra, if I rap with my finger-nails the skull of a dead person who had died more than three years ago, I can tell in which existence he is now reborn.”

Thereupon, the Buddha, by his powers, procured four human skulls: 1) One belonged to somebody in Niraya; 2) one belonged to somebody in the human realm; 3) one belonged to somebody in the Deva realm; 4) one belonged to an Arahat. Vaṅgīsa, rapping the first skull, said: “Reverend Gotama, the person, whose skull it once was, is now reborn in Niraya.” – “Good, good, Vaṅgīsa,” said the Buddha, “you see rightly.” The Buddha, pointing to the second skull, asked: “Where is this person now whose skull it once was?” – “Reverend Gotama, that person is now reborn in the human realm.” The Buddha made another test about the third skull, and Vaṅgīsa said: “Reverend Gotama, that person is now reborn in the Deva realm.” All three revelations were correct.

When, however, the Buddha pointed out to the fourth skull and tested Vaṅgīsa’s skill, the Brahmin youth was in a quandary. Although he repeatedly rapped the skull and reflected on it, he could make neither head nor tail of the present existence of the person whose skull it was.

The Buddha asked: “Vaṅgīsa, are you at your wit’s end?” – “Wait on, Reverend Gotama,” said Vaṅgīsa, “let me try again.” He made further attempts, with more recitals of his famous mantra and more vain rappings on the skull. He found that the matter was clearly beyond his capability. Beads of sweat flowed down from his forehead. Looking a complete fool, the great Vaṅgīsa remained silent.

“Do you find it tiring, Vaṅgīsa?” asked the Buddha. “Verily, reverend Gotama, I find it most tiring. I cannot say the designation of the person whose skull it was. If your reverence knows it, kindly tell me.” – “Vaṅgīsa,” said the Buddha, “I know this being, and much more, too.” Then the Buddha uttered the following two verses (Dhp 419-420):

Cutiṁ yo vedi sattānaṁ, upapattiṁ ca sabbaso,
asattaṁ Bhagavaṁ Buddhaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.

Vaṅgīsa, he who knows clearly the death and rebirth of beings in all respects, who is free from attachment, who has walked the right path and realized Nibbāna, who knows the four noble truths, him I call a Brahmin. [1288]

Yassa gatiṁ na jānanti, devā Gandhabba-mānusā,
khīṇāsavaṁ Arahantaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi Brāhmaṇaṁ.

Vaṅgīsa, he whose destination the Devas of the celestial abodes or the Gandhabbas of the terrestrial abodes, or men know, who has destroyed the four kinds of the pollutants, and is an Arahat, him I call a Brahmin.

In the present situation these verses, which are from the Dhamma Verses (Dhammapada), were uttered for the benefit of Vaṅgīsa to let him know that the fourth skull belonged to an Arahat whose destination after death is not found in any of the five kinds of destinations.

Then Vaṅgīsa, the youth, said to the Buddha: “Reverend Gotama, there is no loss to him who exchanges a mantra for a mantra. I will give you my skull (chava-sīsa) mantra in exchange for your Buddha-mantra which you have just uttered.” The Buddha replied: “Vaṅgīsa, we Buddhas do not make any exchange of mantras. We give it free, out of good will, to those who want it.” – “Very well, Reverend Gotama,” said Vaṅgīsa, “may the Reverend Gotama give the mantra to me,” and he made an unmistakable gesture of reverence to the Buddha, with his two palms together which resembled a young tortoise.

Then the Buddha said: “Vaṅgīsa, in your Brahminic customs, is there a period of probation as a comprehensive way of fulfilling an obligation by someone who asks for and receives a favour?” – “There is, reverend Gotama.” – “Vaṅgīsa, do you think there is no probationary period for one who wishes to learn a mantra in our teaching?” It was in the Brahmanic tradition not to be satisfied in learning mantras. Vaṅgīsa felt he must get the Buddha-mantra at any cost. So he said: “Reverend Gotama, I will abide by your rules.” – “Vaṅgīsa, when we teach the Buddha-mantra we do so only to one who takes on the appearance like that of ourselves.”

Vaṅgīsa had set his mind on learning the Buddha-mantra after fulfilling the condition required by the Buddha, so he said to his followers: “Now, do not take it amiss about my becoming a monastic. I must learn the Buddha-mantra. Having learnt it, I will become the greatest master in this Jambudīpa, and that will be a good thing for you too.” After consoling his associates thus, Vaṅgīsa became a monastic for the purpose of learning the Buddha-mantra.

The preceptor who sponsored Vaṅgīsa in the formal ceremony of admission was Ven. Nigrodhakappa, an Arahat, who happened to be near the Buddha at that time. The Buddha said to Ven. Nigrodhakappa: “Nigrodhakappa, Vaṅgīsa wishes to become a monastic. See to his admission into the Saṅgha.” Ven. Nigrodhakappa taught the meditation practice on the five aspects of the loathsomeness of the body to Vaṅgīsa and led him into the monastic life. This is from the commentary to the Anthology of Discourses (Sutta-nipāta).

Then the Buddha said to Ven. Vaṅgīsa: “Vaṅgīsa, now observe the probationer’s practice as a learner of the mantra,” and taught him how to reflect on the 32 parts of the body. Vaṅgīsa, being a man of keen intellect, uttering the 32 parts and meditating on the arising and dissolution of physical phenomena comprising the 32 parts, gained insight into physical phenomena and became an Arahat.

After Vaṅgīsa had become an Arahat, his Brahmin friends visited him to find out how he was progressing. They said to him: “Vaṅgīsa, how now? Have you learnt the mantra from ascetic Gotama?” – “Ah, yes, I have,” replied Ven. Vaṅgīsa. “Then let us go,” they said. “You go yourselves. I have no more business to be in your company.” On hearing this plain answer, the Brahmins said: “We had forewarned you that ascetic Gotama had a way of winning over his visitors by trickery. Now you have fallen under the spell of ascetic Gotama, What business is there for us with you?” Vituperating their erstwhile friend thus, [1289] they returned by the way they had come.

Ven. Vaṅgīsa was one of the most prominent of the monastic disciples of the Buddha. For his wonderful verses, refer to the Thematic Discourse concerning Vaṅgīsa (Vaṅgīsa-saṁyutta, SN 8).

Foremost Title Achieved

Ven. Vaṅgīsa was a born poet. Whenever he went before the Buddha, he always uttered verses in praise of the Buddha, comparing him in poetic similes to the moon, the sun, the sky, the great ocean, the noble tusker, the lion, etc. These verses which he sang extempore at the moment of casting his eyes on the Buddha, ran into thousands. Therefore, on an occasion when the Buddha mentioned the names of outstanding (etad-agga) monastics to the congregation, he declared:

Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
paṭibhānavantānaṁ yad-idaṁ Vaṅgīsa.

Monastics, among my monastic disciples endowed with quick wit, Vaṅgīsa is the foremost (etad-agga).”