28. Ven. Kumāra Kassapa
Aspiration in the Past
The future Kumāra Kassapa was born into a wealthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. As with future great disciples, he went to the Buddha and listened to his discourse, in the course of which he saw a monastic being declared by him as the foremost among the monastics who employ energy in expounding the doctrine. He was fired by a desire to become such a distinguished monastic, and after making a great offering, he made his aspiration known to the Buddha, that he would like to be honoured by some Future Buddha as the foremost monastic who employed energy in expounding the doctrine. The Buddha saw that his aspiration would be fulfilled, and made the prediction.
Meditating on Top of a Mountain
The future Kumāra Kassapa devoted himself to deeds of merit for the whole of his life and after that existence, he was reborn either in the Deva realm or the human world.
[The rest of this section is repeated from the story about Ven. Dabba above.]
During the waning years of the teaching of Buddha Kassapa, he was reborn as a worthy man and took up the monastic life. He found six other monastics who shared the view that living amongst people was not the correct way for gaining Awakening and that a real monastic must live in seclusion, and so they went up a high steep mountain by means of a ladder. Once at the top, they discussed among themselves: “He who has self-confidence, let him push away the ladder. He who clings to his life, let him go down by the ladder before it has been pushed away.” All seven monastics chose to remain on the mountain top until they attained Awakening and so they pushed away the ladder. “Now, friends, be diligent in your monastic practice,” they exhorted one another before choosing a place of their own on the mountain to strive for path-knowledge, ignoring the danger of death.
Of these seven monastics, the eldest became an Arahat on the fifth day. He knew he had finished what was required of the noble practice and went to Uttarakuru, the northern island continent, by means of his powers, to collect alms food. Having collected the alms food, he came back and offered it to his six monastic companions with these encouraging words: “Friends, have this meal. Let me be responsible for alms food collection. You devote yourselves to your meditation.” Then the remaining six replied: “Friend, have we made an agreement among us that he who first realises the supermundane Dhamma would be responsible to feed those who still have to reach that same goal?” The Arahat said: “No, friends, there was no such agreement.” Then the six monastics said: “Venerable sir, you have become an Arahat according to your past merit. We too would make an end of the suffering round of Saṁsāra if we could. May the venerable go wherever he pleases.”
The eldest monastic, being unable to persuade the six monastics into accepting the alms food, took the meal at a suitable distance and left them. On the seventh day, the second eldest monastic attained the state of Non-returner (Anāgāmi-phala). He too went to the northern island-continent by means of his powers and offered the alms food to the remaining colleagues. Being refused by his friends, he ate his meal at some suitable place and left. After the death and dissolution of his body, he was reborn in the Pure Abodes of the Non-returning (Anāgāmī) Brahmas.
The remaining five monastics did not achieve path-knowledge during that existence. After passing away from that existence, they were reborn in the Deva realm and the human realm throughout the long aeons in the interval period between Buddha Kassapa and Buddha Gotama. During the time of Buddha Gotama, they were reborn in various countries:
1. One was born in Gandhāra, in the city of Takkasilā, as a member of the royal family, and later became King Pukkusāti.
2. Another in Pabbateyya, also called the Majjhantika region, as the son of a female wandering ascetic, later he became Sabhiya, the wandering ascetic.
3. The third one, in a household in Bāhiya country, later became Ven. Bāhiya.
4. The fourth one, in a Rājagaha household was later known as Kumāra Kassapa.
5. The last in the Malla Country, in the city of Anupiya, in the royal family of a Malla Prince, later became Ven. Dabba.
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
That worthy man, the future Kumāra Kassapa, was never reborn in the lower realms throughout the interval of an infinite aeon between the two Buddhas, but in the Deva Realms and human realm. About the time of the appearance of Buddha Gotama, he was conceived in the womb of the daughter of a merchant. This young woman had always been inclined on becoming a recluse but her parents gave her in marriage to a son of another wealthy man and she had to live in her husband’s house. She became pregnant but did not know it. She pleaded with her husband to allow her to become a nun, and with her husband’s consent she went to the nunnery of female monastics who were disciples of Ven. Devadatta.
When the pregnancy became visible, the female monastics reported the matter to Ven. Devadatta and sought his advice. Devadatta said: “She is no more a nun,” and expelled her from his community. The young female monastic then went to stay in the nunnery of female monastics who were the disciples of the Buddha. There, the nuns reported her case to the Buddha who authorized Ven. Upāli to investigate and give a decision.
Ven. Upāli called up a group of respectable ladies of Sāvatthī, including Visākhā, and let them investigate into the case, to find out whether the pregnancy took place before or after becoming a nun. With sufficient evidence, the ladies reported to Ven. Upāli that the pregnancy took place during lay life. Ven. Upāli then gave the unequivocal ruling that since the pregnancy took place before entering the Saṅgha, she still stood as a pure nun. The Buddha praised Ven. Upāli for his competent judgment in the controversy.
This young nun gave birth to a bonny baby boy who looked like a golden statuette. King Pasenadi of Kosala took care of the child and brought him up in his palace like a princeling. The boy was named Kassapa, and at the age of seven, he was dressed finely and sent to the Buddha’s monastery for novitiation. For details of the story see the Birth Story about the Deer named Nigrodha (Nigrodha-miga-jātaka, Ja 12).
The Name Kumāra Kassapa
As the young boy entered the Saṅgha at the age of seven, he was referred to by the Buddha as Kumāra Kassapa: “Boy Kassapa,” in distinction to other novices by the name of Kassapa. In another sense, “Kumāra” also means: “Prince.” Since Kassapa was fostered by King Pasenadi, Kumāra Kassapa may also be taken to mean: “Prince Kassapa.”
The Discourse about the Anthill
[The following is based on the Discourse about the Anthill (Vammika-sutta, MN 23) and its commentary.]
Kumāra Kassapa started insight-meditation since he was made a novice in the Saṅgha, and
Ven. Kumāra Kassapa asked the Brahma: “Who has appeared here before me?” – “Venerable sir, I am a colleague of yours who previously during the time of Buddha Kassapa went into meditation in pursuit of knowledge, and have been reborn in the Pure Lands (Suddhāvāsa), after having attained Non-returning (Anāgāmi-phala).” – “What is your purpose of your coming to me?” The Brahma then made his purpose plain in the following words:
“Monastic, 1) this ant-hill 2) emits smoke by night; 3) by day it rises up in flames. 4) The Brahmin teacher says 5) to the wise pupil: 6) ‘Get hold of the sword and 7) dig diligently.’ The wise pupil does as is asked by the teacher and 8) discovers a door-bolt. And he reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a door-bolt.’
The Brahmin teacher then says to the pupil: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the door-bolt. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as asked by the teacher, and 9) discovers a toad. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a blown-up (uddhum-āyika) toad.’
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the blown-up toad. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as is asked by the teacher, and 10) discovers a forked road. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a forked road.’
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, abandon the forked road. Take hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as is asked by the teacher, and 11) discovers a water-strainer for sifting off soapy sand. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a water strainer for sifting off soapy sand.’
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the water strainer. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as is asked by the teacher, and 12) discovers a tortoise. ‘Sir, this is a tortoise,’ he reports to the teacher.
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the tortoise. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as asked by the teacher, and 13) discovers a knife and a mincing-board. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, these are a knife and a mincing-board.’
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the knife and the mincing-board. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as asked by the teacher and 14) discovers a lump of meat. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a lump of meat.’
The Brahmin teacher says again: ‘Wise pupil, cast away the lump of meat. Get hold of the sword and dig on diligently.’ The wise pupil does as asked and 15) discovers a Nāga. He reports to the teacher: ‘Sir, this is a Nāga.’ The Brahmin teacher then says to the wise pupil: ‘Let the Nāga remain. Do not intrude upon him. Worship him.’
Monastic, ask the Buddha for the answers to these questions. Note the answers as given by the Buddha. With the exception of the Buddha, his disciples, and someone who has heard the answers from me, I do not see anyone in the world of the various abodes with Devas, Māras and Brahmas, and the sentient world of
After saying so, the Brahma vanished. Early the next morning, Ven. Kumāra Kassapa went to the Buddha, made obeisance to him, and related the meeting with the Brahma the previous night. Then he asked:
1. Venerable sir, what is meant by the “ant-hill?”
2. What is meant by “emitting smoke by night?”
3. What is meant by “rising up in flames by day?”
4. What is meant by the “Brahmin teacher?”
5. What is meant by the “wise pupil?”
6. What is meant by the “sword?”
7. What is meant by “digging diligently?”
8. What is meant by the “door-bolt?”
9. What is meant by the “blown-up toad?”
10. What is meant by the “forked road?”
11. What is meant by the “water-strainer for sifting off soapy sand?”
12. What is meant by the “tortoise?”
13. What is meant by the “knife and the mincing-board?”
14. What is meant by the “lump of meat?”
15. What is meant by the “Nāga?”
To these fifteen questions that were puzzles to Ven. Kumāra Kassapa, the Buddha gave the answers as follows:
1. Monastic, ‘ant-hill’ is the name for this body.
2. Monastic, one ruminates at night what one has done in the day; this is ‘emitting smoke by night.’
3. Monastic, one does physically, verbal, mentally, deeds by day as one has thought out at night; this is the ‘rising of flames by day.’
4. Monastic, ‘Brahmin teacher’ is the name for the Realised One.
5. Monastic, the ‘wise pupil’ is a monastic who is still training himself for to become an Arahat according to the threefold training.
6. Monastic, ‘sword’ is the name for knowledge, both mundane (lokiya) and supermundane (lokuttara).
7. Monastic, ‘digging diligently’ means ‘persistent effort.’
8. Monastic, ‘door-bolt’ is the name for ignorance. ‘Cast away the door-bolt’ means ‘getting rid of ignorance.’ – ‘Wise pupil, take hold of the sword and dig diligently,’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to get rid of ignorance.’
9. Monastic, ‘blown-up toad’ is a name for wrath. ‘Cast away the blown-up toad’ means ‘get rid of deep anger.’ ‘Wise pupil, take hold of the sword and dig diligently,’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to overcome deep resentment.’
10. Monastic, ‘forked road’ is the name for uncertainty (vicikicchā). ‘Abandon the forked road’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to overcome uncertainty.’
11. Monastic, ‘water-strainer for sifting off soapy sand’ is the name for the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa) that stand in the way of absorption (jhāna) and path-knowledge, namely: sensual desire (kāmacchanda), ill-will (vyāpāda), sloth and torpor (thina-middha), distractedness (uddhacca-kukkucca) and uncertainty (vicikicchā). ‘Cast away the water-strainer’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to overcome the five hindrances.’
12. Monastic, ‘tortoise’ is the name for the five objects of clinging (upādāna), namely:
13. Monastic, ‘knife and mincing-board’ are the names for the five kinds of sense-pleasure that appear desirable, agreeable, attractive and lovely and that cause the arising of sensual attachment to them, namely: visual objects (rūpārammaṇa) cognizable by eye-consciousness (cakkhu-viññāṇa); sounds (saddārammaṇa) cognizable by ear consciousness (sota-viññāṇa); odours (gandhārammaṇa) cognizable by nose-consciousness (ghāna-viññāṇa); tastes (rasārammaṇa) cognizable by tongue consciousness (jivhā-viññāṇa); tangible objects (phoṭṭhabbārammaṇa) cognizable by body-consciousness (kāya-viññāṇa). ‘Cast away the knife and the mincing-board’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to get rid of the five kinds of sense-pleasure.’
14. Monastic, ‘lump of meat’ is the name for sensual attachment or craving (nandī-rāga-taṇhā). ‘Cast away the lump of meat’ means ‘strive well with knowledge to get rid of sensual attachment or craving.’
15. Monastic, ‘Nāga’ is the name for the Arahat. You are enjoined to let alone an Arahat without intruding upon him. You are also enjoined to revere the Arahat.
Some more elaboration:
1. The body is likened to an “ant-hill” because just as an ant-hill lets out snakes, mongoose, rodents, lizards and ants, the body discharges all kinds of loathsome matter through its nine holes.
There are also other reasons that explain the simile. Refer to the commentary on the discourse.
2. “Emitting smoke by night,” signifies the things thought out in the night for the next day’s activities.
3. “Flames rising up by day,” signifies physical, verbal, and mental actions that are performed in the day as thought out in the night.
4, 5, 6 & 7: These similes do not need elaboration.
8. The “door-bolt” at the city gate stops the passage of people. So also ignorance stops the arising of knowledge that leads to Nibbāna.
9. The “blown-up toad” exemplifies wrath: A toad gets angry and puffs itself up whenever something strikes against it. It may get overblown with anger and lie flat on its back, unable to move about, and it then falls a prey to crows or other enemies. Likewise, when anger begins to arise, one becomes muddled. If one is careful, one may curb it by wise reflection. If not checked in this way, the resentment shows in one’s expression, and if left unchecked, it leads one to evil verbalisation: cursing or using harsh speech. If anger is allowed to grow, one starts thinking of some dreadful physical action. At that, one is apt to look around to see if there is anyone to join the other side. Then one picks a fight, and unless one restrains oneself, one is apt to find some weapons to strike the other party. If there is no effective checking of oneself, one is apt to commit assault. In extreme cases death may result, either of the adversary or of oneself, or both.
Just as the blown-up toad renders itself immobile, lying on its back, and becomes a ready victim of crows and other enemies, so also a person, under the influence of deep anger, cannot concentrate in meditation and knowledge is thus hampered. Lacking knowledge, he is liable to be the ready victim of all kinds of wickedness (māra) and
10. When a traveller, carrying valuable possessions, comes to a forked road and wastes much time there, being unable to choose which way he should proceed, he is inviting highway robbers who would cause him ruin. Similarly, if a monastic, who has taken instruction from his teacher on the basic method of meditation and has started practicing, entertains doubts about the truth of the Three Treasures, he is incapable of meditating. As he sits alone with a mind troubled by uncertainty, he succumbs to defilements and other wicked forces.
11. When a washer-man pours water into a water-strainer to sift soapy sand, the water flows down the strainer freely. Not a cupful of water that is poured into it, be it 100 potfuls, remains in it; likewise, in the mind of a meditator which has the five hindrances, no merit can remain.
12. Just as a tortoise has five protrusions: the head and four limbs, so also all the conditioned phenomena, under the eye of knowledge, resolve into five aggregates which are objects of clinging.
13. Meat is minced with a knife on a mincing-board. Sensual enjoyment or the defilements seek the sense objects. The defilements are likened to the “knife” and sense objects to the “mincing-board.”
14. A lump of meat is sought after by everyone, high or low, kings or commoners, birds and beasts also like it. All sorts of trouble originate from pursuit of a lump of meat. Similarly, sensual attachment or craving is the source of all woes. But this truth is shrouded by ignorance. Craving or sensual attachment lures all beings into the cycle of rebirth which runs on relentlessly. Taken in another sense, a lump of meat becomes attached to anywhere it is placed. So also, sensual attachment tends to bind beings to the cycle of rebirth which is cherished by them, not realizing its suffering nature.
15. An Arahat is called a “Nāga” because an Arahat is not led astray by the four misleading factors: fondness or liking, hatred, fear and bewilderment (chandādīhi na gacchantī ti Nāga). In another sense, an Arahat never reverts to those defilements that have been got rid of at the four levels of purification (tena tena maggena pahīne kilese na āgacchantī ti Nāga). Yet in another sense, an Arahat is incapable of committing any kind of evil (nānappakārakaṁ āguṁ na karontī ti Nāga).
In paying homage to the Buddha, the Nāga, the Arahat, who is free from the pollutants, the commentary recommends this mode of veneration: [This is a versification of words found in the discourses, and doesn’t quote them literally, see the Short Discourse about Saccaka (Cūḷa-saccaka-sutta, MN 35): Buddho so bhagavā bodhāya dhammaṁ deseti, danto so bhagavā damathāya dhammaṁ deseti, santo so bhagavā samathāya dhammaṁ deseti, tiṇṇo so bhagavā taraṇāya dhammaṁ deseti, parinibbuto so bhagavā parinibbānāya dhammaṁ deseti.]
Buddho bodhāya deseti, danto yo damathāya ca,
samathāya santo Dhammaṁ, tiṇṇo va taraṇāya ca,
nibbuto Nibbānatthāya, taṁ loka-saraṇaṁ name.
The Buddha, the Awakened One, the refuge of the three worlds, the Arahat, having known the four noble truths by himself and wishing to enlighten others that deserve to be Awakened like himself; having tamed himself in respect of the six faculties and wishing to tame others that are fit to be tamed like himself; having attained peace himself and wishing others that are worthy to attain peace like himself; having crossed over to the other side of the ocean of Saṁsāra and wishing others that are worthy to cross over to the other shore like himself; having extinguished the fires of defilement at the four stages and wishing others who are worthy to extinguish the fires of defilement like himself; out of compassion, expounded the glorious Dhamma to Devas and humans for 45 years. To him, the Buddha, the Nāga, the refuge of the three worlds, I pay homage physically, verbally and mentally in all humility with joined palms raised.
Attainment of Awakening
The Ant-hill Discourse (Vammika-sutta, MN 23), the commentary notes, is the meditation lesson for Ven. Kumāra Kassapa. Ven. Kumāra Kassapa learnt the Buddha’s answer to the fifteen point puzzle, retired into seclusion into the Andhavana forest, meditated with diligence and not long after he became an Arahat.
Foremost Title Achieved
From the time of his becoming a monastic, Ven. Kumāra Kassapa in his discourses to the four classes of disciples: male monastics, female monastics, male lay devotees and female lay devotees, used a variety of similes and allegories.
When Ven. Kumāra Kassapa discoursed to Pāyāsi, who held wrong views, by employing fifteen similes, the Buddha, referring to the Discourse to Pāyāsi (Pāyāsi-sutta, DN 23), declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
citta-kathikānaṁ yad-idaṁ Kumāra-kassapo.
Monastics, among my monastic disciples who employ imagery in their discourses, Kumāra Kassapa is the foremost (etad-agga).