33. Ven. Bākula
Healing a Buddha
The future Bākula was born in a Brahmin family on the eve of the advent of Buddha Anomadassī, one incalculable period and 100,000 aeons before the present aeon. When he came of age, he learned the three Vedas and gained mastery in them. But he found that this learning lacked the essence of what he was looking for. “I will seek welfare in the hereafter,” he decided, and so he renounced the world, became a recluse and resorted to a remote mountain. After due diligence, he gained the five kinds of super knowledges (abhiññā) and the eight absorption (jhāna) attainments. He spent his time in dwelling in the bliss of absorption.
Then the Buddha Anomadassī appeared in the world and went from place to place in the company of a big number of noble disciples. The recluse, who was to become Ven. Bākula aeons later, was thrilled by the news of the appearance in the world of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha. He went to Buddha Anomadassī and on hearing his discourse, became established in the three refuges. He did not want to leave his mountain abode and remained a recluse, but often visited the Buddha to hear his Dhamma.
One day, the Buddha suffered from an attack of colic. On his visit to him, the recluse, the future Bākula, was told by the Buddha of his ailment. The recluse went back to his mountain gladly, grasping the opportunity of earning merit by collecting herbs to cure the Buddha. He delivered the medicine to the attendant monastic who then administered it to the Buddha. A single dose of the medicine completely cured the colic.
When the Buddha had recovered, the recluse approached him and made his solemn wish: “Venerable sir, I have brought the cure for the Fortunate One’s disease. For this deed of merit, may I be free of disease at all times in my farings in Saṁsāra, and never subject to the slightest ailment even for the duration of the milking of a cow.” This was the remarkable merit done by the future Bākula in that past existence.
Aspiration in the Past
After passing away from that existence, the recluse was reborn in the Brahma world, and after this Brahma existence, he was reborn only in the Deva realm and the human world over the entire length of one immeasurable period (asaṅkhyeyya-kappa). During the time of Buddha Padumuttara, he was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī. On one occasion, he saw the Buddha name a monastic as the foremost monastic in perfect health or freedom from disease, and so he aspired to that honour at some future time. He made great offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, as was usual with aspirants to such unique statuses, and later expressed his aspiration. The Buddha made the prediction that his aspiration would be realized.
Healing as a Recluse
The future Bākula spent the whole of his life doing deeds of merit and passed away to good destinations only. Then 91 aeons prior to the present aeon, he was born into a Brahmin family, in the city of Bandhumatī, on the eve of the appearance of Buddha Vipassī. As in his former existence during Buddha Anomadassī, he became a recluse and took up his dwelling at the foot of a mountain, enjoying the bliss of absorption.
Then Buddha Vipassī appeared in the world and went about in the company of 6,800,000 monastic Arahats, with Bandhumatī as the resort for collecting daily alms food, where he benefited his father, King Bandhuma, with discourses on the doctrine. Later he resided in the Deer Park known as Khemā, “the Sanctuary.”
The recluse, the future Bākula, heard the news of the appearance of the Buddha in the world. He approached Buddha Vipassī, and on hearing his discourse, became a disciple of his. Although he took refuge in the three refuges, he did not want to leave his mountain abode and remained there as a recluse, but frequenting the monastery of the Buddha to attend on him.
One day, the Saṅgha, with the exception of the two chief disciples and the Buddha himself, developed headaches, which was due to contact with poisonous pollen wafted in the air from a certain poisonous kind of plant growing in the Himavanta. When the recluse visited the Buddha and saw the infected monastics lying down with their heads covered, he inquired from a monastic about the cause of the ailment. On being told the cause, he thought that an opportunity presented itself for him to tend to the sick monastics and earn merit. He gathered the necessary herbs, prepared a medicine, and administered it to the sick monastics who were immediately cured.
Repairing an Old Monastery
After living the full lifespan as a recluse, he passed away and was reborn in the Brahma realm. After that existence, he was reborn only in the fortunate destinations for a period of 91 aeons (kappa) only, when Buddha Kassapa appeared. Then he was born a householder in Bārāṇasī.
One day, he went to a remote country together with a team of carpenters to fetch timber for repairing his house. On the way, he came across an old monastery in a state of disrepair. He considered that repairing his own house had no particular merit to his life hereafter, but by repairing the monastery he could earn much merit. Therefore he sent his team of carpenters to find timber from the countryside and had the old monastery fully renovated, adding a new kitchen, a new eating place, a new fire-house for the cold season, a new walkway, a new hot bathroom, a new larder, a new latrine, a new clinic, a store of medicines and medicinal requisites comprising drugs, ointments, snuffs, inhalants. All these he dedicated to the Saṅgha.
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
The worthy man, the future Bākula, devoted himself to good deeds till the end of his life. And for the whole of the interim period between the two Buddhas, lasting infinite aeons, he was reborn in the Deva realm and the human world only. During the era of Buddha Gotama, just before he attained Perfect Awakening, future Bākula was conceived in the womb of the wife of a merchant of Kosambī. His parents reached the height of fortune and fame from the time of his conception. His mother believed that her child was endowed with great past merit, and on the day she gave birth to him, she had the infant bathed in the River Yamunā for the sake of his health and long life. This was done with ceremony.
The reciters of the Collection of the Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima-nikāya) say that the infant was sent to bathe in the river on the fifth day after his birth.
The nurse, who took the baby to the Yamunā, amused herself by dipping the baby in and out of the water. As she was doing so, a big fish drew near it, mistaking the baby for food. The nurse was frightened and ran away, leaving the baby to be swallowed by the fish.
But, as the baby was endowed with great past merit, he suffered no pains in being swallowed by the fish, but felt quite comfortable in the stomach of the fish, as though he were lying in bed.
If it were any other child it would die instantly. But since this baby was destined to be an Arahat, the power of the path-knowledge (magga-ñāṇa) which was dormant in him, saved his life. This is the kind of super-natural power (iddhi) called the super-natural spreading of knowledge (ñāṇa-vipphāra-iddhi). The fish suffered great pain due to the power of the supposed victim inside it. It felt as if it had swallowed an iron ball and swam downstream for 30 leagues where, at Bārāṇasī, it was caught in a fisherman’s net.
Big fish usually do not die in the net but are beaten to death. In this case, due to the power of the baby inside it, it died on its own accord so that no beating was necessary. The usual practice of fishermen was to cut up such a big fish to pieces for sales. But, in this case, the child inside it had great power to prevent it from being cut. Therefore, the fisherman carried it on his shoulder by means of a yoke and went about calling for prospective buyers, declaring the price as 1,000 pieces of money. This was an unusually high price and the citizens of Bārāṇasī could not buy it.
In Bārāṇasī, there was a merchant, worth 800 million, who had no child born to his family. His household servants purchased the fish for 1,000 pieces of money. Normally, preparing of food such as cutting a fish was left to her servants by the merchant’s wife. But, in this case, she went into the kitchen and cut open the big fish, not at the stomach as was usually done, but at the back. This too was due to the great power of the baby inside. She was pleasantly surprised to find a bonny baby inside the fish. She took the baby, who was golden-hued, and carrying him in her arms crying: “I’ve got a baby! I got him from inside the fish!” She showed him gleefully to her husband, who had the strange find of the living baby announced with the beat of the drum in the city. Then he reported the matter to the king who said: “The baby, who has survived in the stomach of a fish, must surely be of a person of great past merit. Let it remain in your care.”
The Name Bākula
The natural parents of the baby in Kosambī learnt the news of a living baby being found in a fish in Bārāṇasī and they went to Bārāṇasī to investigate. They found the baby richly adorned, playing in the house of the rich man in Bārāṇasī. “What a lovely child this is!” the mother remarked, and said that it was her child. The foster mother disagreed and said: “No, it is my child.”
Natural mother: “Where did you get this child?”
Foster mother: “I got it from the stomach of a fish.”
Natural mother: “If so, this is not your child. It is mine.”
Foster mother: “Where did you get yours?”
Natural mother: “I conceived it and it was born out of my womb after ten months of pregnancy, I sent it to the River Yamunā to bathe and it was swallowed by a big fish.”
Foster mother: “Maybe it was another fish that swallowed your child. It is however true that I got this child from inside a fish.”
Thus the two mothers each claimed the child as their own. This matter was brought before the king for decision.
The King of Bārāṇasī gave his decision as follows: “The wife of the merchant of Kosambī is the natural mother whose claim to the child is unshakable. On the other hand, the wife of the merchant of Bārāṇasī is not groundless in her claim to the child. For, when one buys fish, it is customary that the entrails of the fish are not taken out by the seller so that the buyer gets the whole fish. The child she got from inside the fish is legally her property. The former has the right to the child as a natural mother. The latter has right to the child as a son by way of a gift. Each is entitled to claim the child, and he is entitled to inherit from both families.” From that day onwards, both the families enjoyed unprecedented fortune and fame. And the child was brought up in luxury by both families. His name was Bākula Kumāra, meaning the child of two families.
When Bākula came of age, his two pairs of parents built three mansions each; each for his seasonal residence at Kosambī and Bārāṇasī. He spent only four months at each of the two cities, attended by a big retinue of girls for entertainment. When he moved from one city to the other at the end of a four-month stay, he travelled in pomp in a grand barge with dancing girls. The entertaining girls at each city divided the transit period equally between them, so that the sending-off team served on the barge for two months after which they were relieved about half-way by the welcoming team. The merchant’s son then spent four months in great ease and comfort at the each place. He completed 80 years of age living in that manner.
Bākula’s Monastic Life and Awakening
When Bākula was 80 years old, Buddha Gotama had attained Perfect Awakening. After teaching his first discourse, the Dhamma Wheel, the Buddha toured the country and, travelling by stages, reached Kosambī. According to the reciters of the Collection of the Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima-nikāya), he reached Bārāṇasī. On learning of the arrival of the Buddha, his previous meritorious deeds prompted Bākula to go and see the Buddha. Making offerings of flowers and perfumes to the Buddha, he listened to his discourse which heightened his devotion so much that he took up the monastic life. As a monastic, he remained a worldling for seven days only because, at the dawn of the eighth day, he became an Arahat with the fourfold analytical knowledge.
At that time, the former ladies who waited upon him had returned to their parents’ homes in Bārāṇasī and Kosambī. They were devoted to Ven. Bākula and made robes for him. He wore their robes in turns; a half month using those offered from Kosambī, another half month on those from Bārāṇasī. Besides, the citizens of both the cities made special offerings to him of whatever fine food or articles which they had.
Foremost Title Achieved
During the 80 years of household life, Bākula never experienced any ailment, even for a fleeting moment such as it takes to hold a piece of solid unguent and savour its smell. On the completion of his 80th year, he became a monastic with great satisfaction and as a monastic, he also enjoyed perfect health. Moreover, he was never in want of any of the four monastic requisites. Thus, on one occasion, when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatthī, in a monastic congregation, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
appābādhānaṁ yad-idaṁ Bākulo.
Monastics, among my monastic disciples who enjoy good health, and are free from disease, Bākula is the foremost (etad-agga).
Wonders of Bākula
Some marvellous facts concerning Ven. Bākula, as mentioned in the Discourse concerning Bākula (Bākula-sutta, MN 124), are reproduced here.
Once, Ven. Bākula was staying in Rājagaha in the Veḷuvana monastery, when the naked ascetic Kassapa, who had been his friend during his lay life, visited him. After the usual exchange of greetings, he sat in a suitable place and said to Ven. Bākula: “Friend Bākula, for how long have you been a monastic?” – “Friend, I have been a monastic for 80 years.” – “Friend Bākula, during these 80 years, how many times have you had sexual intercourse?” This was a rude question. Then Ven. Bākula revealed some marvellous and extraordinary things about himself as follows:
1. “Friend Kassapa, you should not have put the question to me thus: ‘Friend Bākula, during these 80 years, how many times have you had sexual intercourse?’ Instead, friend Kassapa, you should have put the question to me in this way: ‘Friend Bākula, during these 80 years, how many times has perception concerning sense-pleasures (kāma-saññā) arisen in you?’ Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. Ven. Bākula’s age was 160 years by that time. All through these 80 years, never has there arisen in me any perception concerning sense pleasures.”
That no consciousness concerning sense-pleasures had ever arisen in Ven. Bākula is one marvellous fact about him.
2-3. “Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years, there never has arisen in me any perception concerning ill-will (vyāpāda-saññā) or any perception concerning harmful thoughts (vihiṁsa-saññā) towards anyone.”
That no perception concerning ill-will had ever arisen in Ven. Bākula is also a marvellous fact and that no perception concerning harmful thought towards others had ever arisen in him is yet another marvellous fact concerning him.
4. “Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years, there never has arisen in me any sensual thought.”
The fact that no sensual thought had ever arisen in Ven. Bākula is a marvellous fact concerning him.
5-6. “Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these years, no thought of harming has ever arisen in me.”
The fact that no thought of harming had ever arisen in Ven. Bākula is a marvellous fact concerning him.
7. “Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years, I have never accepted any robe offered by lay supporters who are not related to me.”
That he had not accepted robes offered by non-relatives is a marvellous fact concerning Ven. Bākula.
8. “Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years, I have never cut robe-material with a knife.”
This non-cutting of robe-material is a marvellous fact concerning Ven. Bākula.
“Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years:
9. I have never sewn a robe with a needle.
10. I have never dyed a robe.
11. I have never sewn a Cloth (Kaṭhina).
12. I have never taken part in the making of robes of companion monastics.
13. I have never accepted an offering of alms food at any lay person’s house.
14. I have never had any such thought as: ‘It would be well if somebody were to invite me.’
15. I have never sat in a house.
16. I have never taken a meal in a village or a town.
17. I have never cast my eyes on a woman, noticing her feminine characteristics.
18. I have never given a discourse to any woman, even a verse of four lines.
It is proper for a monastic to discourse to a woman in five or six words. If a doctrinal question be asked by a woman, a monastic may answer it in as many as 1,000 verses. Yet Ven. Bākula did not discourse to a woman. Discoursing to lay supporters is mostly the job of those monastics who have attachment to them.
19. I have never gone near a nunnery.
It is proper for a monastic to visit a sick female monastic. And yet Ven. Bākula did not do so. In such a rule, where exceptions are allowed, he never bothered with those exceptions.
20. I have never given a discourse to a nun.
21. I have never given a discourse to a probationer female monastic.
22. I have never given a discourse to a female novice.
23. I have never initiated anyone into the Saṅgha as a novice.
24. I have never acted as a preceptor to a candidate for full monastic life.
25. I have never given any instruction to any monastics.
26. I have never allowed myself to be served by a novice.
27. I have never bathed in a bath-house.
28. I have never used bath-powder.
29. I have never allowed myself to be massaged by a companion monastic.
30. I have never been ill, even for the duration taken to draw a drop of milk.
31. I have never taken even a bit of herbal medicine.
32. I have never leaned against a support.
33. I have never lain on a bed.
These are also marvellous facts about Ven. Bākula.
34. Friend Kassapa, I have been a monastic for 80 years. All through these 80 years, I have never taken up residence for the Rains Retreat period near a village.
This mode of dwelling in the forest throughout the whole period of the monastic life is another marvellous fact about Ven. Bākula.
35. Friend Kassapa, I remained in a defiled state as a worldling only for the first seven days of the monastic life, eating the alms food from the people. On the eighth day, knowledge of the Arahat fruition arose in me.
That Ven. Bākula became an Arahat on the eighth day of his monastic life is also a marvellous fact concerning him.
After hearing the marvellous and extraordinary facts about Ven. Bākula, the naked ascetic Kassapa requested Ven. Bākula to admit him into the Saṅgha as a monastic under this teaching. Ven. Bākula did not act as preceptor to him, but he found a suitable monastic to be preceptor to Kassapa, who was admitted into the Saṅgha. Not long after, Ven. Kassapa, by diligently engaging in the noble practice, became an Arahat.
36. Then one day Ven. Bākula, holding his key, went from one monastery to another and announced thus: “Venerable ones, come forth! Venerable ones, come forth! Today I shall realize Parinibbāna!”
The fact that Ven. Bākula was able to do so is also a marvellous thing concerning him.
37. When the Saṅgha was thus apprised and the companion monastics had gathered themselves, Ven. Bākula, reflecting that during his whole life he had never caused any monastics any inconvenience, and that at his death also he did not wish any monastic to bear the burden of his dead body, he wished that his body be consumed by fire. He sat in the midst of the gathering of monastics, entering into the absorption (jhāna) on the element of heat and passed away. As soon as he passed away his body was consumed by a flame which arose from the body and there was
This way of passing away in the midst of a gathering of monastics is also a marvellous thing concerning Ven. Bākula.