38. Ven. Mahā Kappina
Aspiration in the Past
The future Mahā Kappina was born into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. While he was listening to a discourse by the Buddha, he witnessed the honouring by the Buddha of a monastic as the foremost in admonishing other monastics. He aspired to that distinction at some future time. After making extraordinary offerings to the Buddha, he expressed his aspiration before the Buddha. The Buddha predicted that the aspiration would be fulfilled.
The following account of the future Mahā Kappina’s meritorious actions is taken from the commentary on the Dhamma Verses (Dhammapada, Dhp 79). The commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) gives only a brief description of his meritorious action during the time of Buddha Kassapa, and then proceedes to his last existence.
Life as a Chief Weaver
After passing away from the existence where he received the Buddha’s prediction, the future Mahā Kappina was reborn only in the fortunate destinations. In one such
On one occasion, the thousand Paccekabuddhas descended near Bārāṇasī and deputed eight among them to go and ask the King of Bārāṇasī to provide workmen for construction of monastic dwellings. It so happened that the time of this request was made when the king was preparing for the annual ritual of ploughing. As soon as the king heard the news of the arrival of the Paccekabuddhas, he went to meet them and asked about the purpose of their visit. Then he said: “Venerable sirs, there is hardly any time to start building monasteries immediately because tomorrow I shall be engaged in the annual ploughing ceremony. Therefore, may the venerables allow us to start on the third day from now.” After saying so, the king returned to his palace without remembering to invite the Paccekabuddhas to receive food offerings on the next day.
The Paccekabuddhas left the palace, thinking of going elsewhere. At that time, the wife of the chief weaver happened to be in the city on business. When she saw the Paccekabuddhas, she made obeisance to them and asked them why they were in the city at that untimely hour. The Paccekabuddhas told her about their meeting with the king. The weaver’s wife, being possessed of conviction in the Buddha and having innate wisdom, invited the Paccekabuddhas to accept her food offerings the next day. To which, they said: “Sister, we are rather too many.” – “How many, venerable sir?” – “There are 1,000 of us.” – “Venerable sir, there are 1,000 households in my village. Each household will offer food to each of the Paccekabuddhas. Just allow us to make the offerings. We shall also build monastic dwellings for your reverences, for which, I am going to take a lead.” The Paccekabuddhas agreed to accept the invitation.
The wife of the chief weaver then went about in the village announcing to everyone: “Brothers! O sisters! I have met 1,000 Paccekabuddhas and invited them to receive our food offerings tomorrow. Please prepare rice gruel and cooked rice for them.” The next morning she went to the Paccekabuddhas and led them to a big pavilion which was at the centre of the village. After having seated them in their respective places, the offering of choice food and delicacies was made. At the end of the meal, she and the other ladies from the village made obeisance to the Paccekabuddhas and said to them: “Venerable sirs, may the revered ones agree to dwell at this village for the Rains Retreat (Vassa) period of three months.” The Paccekabuddhas agreeing, the weaver’s wife went about in the village, announcing: “Brothers! Sisters! Let us build a monastery for the Paccekabuddhas. Let every household lend a hand in this work. Let a man from every house bring axes, adzes and necessary tools. Let them go into the forest and gather timber. Let them join in this construction.”
There was a very good response to her call for action, the whole village joined in the noble effort of putting up a humble monastic dwelling with thatched roofs for each of the thousand Paccekabuddhas, complete with living space for the night’s shelter and for spending the day time. Every householder was eager to serve the Paccekabuddhas, with requests that their services be accepted. Thus they happily arranged for the three month period, tending to the needs of the thousand Paccekabuddhas.
At the close of the Rains Retreat period, the weaver’s wife called upon the village: “Brothers! Sisters! Make ready the cloth for robes for each Paccekabuddha who had stayed at each of the monastic dwellings during the Rains Retreat period.” Thus each household, which had built a dwelling for a Paccekabuddha, donated robes to its respective Paccekabuddha. Each robe was worth 1,000 pieces of money. After the offering of robes, the Paccekabuddhas delivered a discourse in appreciation of the donations, wished them well, and returned to their Himālayan abodes.
Life as a Chief Householder
All the residents of the weaver’s village, after passing away from that existence, were reborn together in the Tāvatiṁsa Realm. After enjoying the full lifespan of a Deva, the whole group was reborn into families of rich householders in Bārāṇasī. The chief weaver was reborn into the family of the chief householder, and his wife of the former existence
One day, this community visited the monastery of Buddha Kassapa to listen to his discourse. As soon as they had stepped into the monastic compound, there came a deluge of rain. Then, those other people, who had members of the Saṅgha related to them, went into their premises for shelter from the rain. The thousand couples, who were householders, had nowhere to go for shelter but to remain in the monastic compound and were drenched thoroughly. Then the chief of these householders said to them: “Look, friends, how helpless we are. Considering our social standing, what we now find ourselves in is a total disgrace.” – “What good work do we need to do?” This question was raised by the community. “We meet with this disgrace because we are total strangers to the Saṅgha in this monastery. So let us build a monastery by our joint efforts.” – “Very well, chief,” the men agreed.
Then the chief householder started a fund with his 1,000 pieces of money. The rest of the householders put in 500 each. The wives of the householders donated 250 each. With this initial outlay they started constructing a big pinnacled monastery for Buddha Kassapa. It was a big project and the funds fell short. So they each donated an additional amount, which was half of what they donated initially. And in this way they were able to complete the project. Then they held a grand inauguration ceremony for seven days to mark the transfer of the monastery to the Buddha and his Saṅgha. They also offered a robe each to the 20,000 Arahats.
The wife of the chief householder had innate wisdom. She showed greater devotion to the good work undertaken by the community of 1,000 rich householders. When robes were offered to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, she also offered golden-hued flowers of the Asoka tree to the Buddha besides the golden-hued robe, which was made especially for offering to the Buddha, and which was worth 1,000 pieces of money. When Buddha Kassapa delivered a discourse in appreciation of the donation of the Great Monastery, the wife of the chief householder, placing her specially made robe at the feet of the Buddha, made her aspiration thus: “Venerable sir, in all my future existences, may I have a complexion as golden-hued as these Asoka (Anojā) flowers, and may I also have the name of that flower, Anojā.” And the Buddha replied: “May your wish be fulfilled.”
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
This community of householders filled their lives with good deeds. After passing away from that existence they were reborn in the Deva realm. At the time of the appearance of Buddha Gotama, they passed away from the Deva existence, and the chief of them was reborn into the royal family in Kukkuṭavatī and was called Prince Mahā Kappina. When he came of age, he ascended the throne as King Mahā Kappina. The remaining householders were reborn into the noble families and became courtiers at the court of King Mahā Kappina. The wife of the chief householder was born into the royal family at Sāgala in Madda country. Princess Madda had a golden complexion and she was called Princess Anojā, the golden-complexioned, as she had aspired.
When Princess Anojā came of age, she became the Chief Queen of King Mahā Kappina. The wives of the householders in their previous existence were again united with their spouses of the past existence. The thousand ministers and their wives enjoyed the same glories of life as the king and the queen. When the king and queen rode on elephant-back, the thousand ministers and their wives rode on elephant-back too. When the king rode on horseback, they also rode on horseback, and when the king rode on a chariot, they also rode on chariots. This was because all of them had done meritorious deeds together in their past existences.
Looking for Wonderful News
King Mahā Kappina had five thoroughbred horses: Bala, Balavāhana, Puppha,
Then one day, as King Mahā Kappina visited the royal gardens riding his horse, Supatta, accompanied by his 1,000 ministers, he saw a caravan of 500 merchants, all looking tired, enter the city. The king thought: “These merchants had a weary journey. Probably they must have some fresh news to tell.” He summoned them and addressed them: “Good men, where have you come from?” – “Great King, there is the city of Sāvatthī which is 120 leagues away from this city of Kukkuṭavatī. We have come from that Sāvatthī.” – “Good men, tell me if there is some special news, current in Sāvatthī.” – “Great King, there has appeared a Buddha at Sāvatthī.”
On hearing the word “Buddha,” the king was so overwhelmed by the five stages of delightful satisfaction that he was senseless for a short while. “What, what did you say?” – “Great King, the Buddha has appeared in the world.” For three times, the news had the same stunning effect on the king. This was due to his intense delight. For the fourth time, the king asked again: “What did you say?” – “Great King, the Buddha has appeared in the world.” – “Men, you have brought me the good news that the Buddha has appeared in the world. For bringing this precious news to me, I award you 100,000 pieces of money of silver.”
Then King Mahā Kappina further asked: “Any other strange news?” – “Yes, Great King, the Dhamma has appeared in the world.” On hearing the word “Dhamma,” the king was so overwhelmed by intense delight that he was senseless for a short while. Three times he repeated his question and three times be seemed to have lost his senses for a while. On the fourth time, after being told: “Great King, the Dhamma has appeared in the world,” the king said: “For bringing this precious news to me, I award you 100,000 pieces of money.”
Then the king further asked: “Good men, have you any other strange news?” – “Yes, Great King,” they said, “The Saṅgha has appeared in the world.” On hearing the word “Saṅgha,” the king was so overwhelmed by intense delight he became senseless for a while as before. This happened three times when he was told of the good news. On the fourth time, he said to the merchants: “Good men, for bringing this precious news to me, I award you 100,000 pieces of money.”
Renunciation of King Mahā Kappina
Then the king looked at his 1,000 ministers and said: “My good men, what would you do now?” The ministers repeated the same question to the king: “Great King, what would you do now?” – “Good men, now that we have been told that the Buddha has appeared, the Dhamma has appeared, the Saṅgha has appeared, we do not intend to return to our palace. We will go from here to the Buddha, and I will become a monastic as his disciple.” The ministers said: “Great King, we too will become monastics together with you.”
King Mahā Kappina had a gold plate etched with his order to disburse 300,000 pieces of money and handed it to the merchants. “Go, you good men,” he said to them, “present this message to the queen at the palace, and she will disburse to you on my behalf 300,000 pieces of money. Also tell Queen Anojā, that the king has relinquished the throne and the country to her and that she may reign supreme in the land. If she asks:
Mahā Kappina Welcomed by the Buddha
The Buddha, on his daily reviewing of the sentient world, saw that King Mahā Kappina had learnt of the appearance of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha from the merchants, that he had honoured the Three Treasures by making an award of 300,000 pieces of money, and that he was renouncing the world and would be arriving the next day. The Buddha also saw that King Mahā Kappina and his 1,000 ministers would become Arahats together with the four analytical knowledges. “It would be well if I go and welcome King Mahā Kappina,” reflected the Buddha. And like the Universal Monarch welcoming a vassal lord, the Buddha, taking his alms bowl and robes, left the monastery alone to welcome King Mahā Kappina on the way, at a distance of 120 leagues from Sāvatthī, where he sat underneath a Bodhi tree by the side of the River Candabhāgā, displaying the six Buddha-radiances.
King Mahā Kappina and his 1,000 ministers, mounted on horseback, went for renunciation when they came across a river. “What is this river?” he asked of his ministers.
“This is the river Aparacchā, Great King,” they said.
“How big is it?”
“Great King, it is one mile deep and two miles wide.”
“Is there any craft to cross?”
“There is none, Great King.”
The king pondered thus: “While we are looking for some boats to cross this river, birth is leading us to ageing, and ageing is leading us to death. I have implicit faith in the Three Treasures and have gone forth from the world. By the power of the Three Treasures, may this expanse of water prove no obstacle to me.” Then reflecting on the supreme attributes of the Buddha, such as: “The Buddha, the Arahat, the Perfectly Self-Awakened, the Fortunate One,” he uttered the following verse (Mahākappinatthera-apadāna, Th-ap 530):
Bhava-sotaṁ sace Buddho, tiṇṇo lokantagū vidū,
etena sacca-vajjena, gamanaṁ me samijjhatu.
The all-knowing Buddha indeed has crossed over the floods of the recurring existences in the three worlds. Having crossed over the floods, the Buddha has reached the end of the world and known all things analytically. By this asseveration of the truth, may my journey to the Buddha, on my renunciation be accomplished without any problems.
King Mahā Kappina, uttering this verse, crossed the river with his 1,000 ministers on horseback. The waters of the river which was two miles wide did not even wet the tips of the hoofs of their horses. As the king proceeded, he came across another river.
“What is this river?” he asked his ministers.
“This is the River Nīlavāhinī, Great King,” they said.
“How big is it?”
“Great King, it is half a league deep and half a league wide.”
The king’s further inquiry about boats and his pondering on the urgency of his journey should be read as before. Then reflecting on the supreme
Yadi santi-gamo maggo, mokkho caccantikaṁ sukhaṁ,
etena sacca-vajjena, gamanaṁ me samijjhatu.
The noble path (ariya-magga), the supermundane path, indeed leads to the peace of Nibbāna. The release attained through the noble path is absolute happiness. By this asseveration of the truth, may my journey to the Buddha on my renunciation be accomplished without any problems.
Uttering this verse, King Mahā Kappina crossed the river with his 1,000 ministers on horseback. The waters of the river which was half a league wide did not even wet the tips of the horses’ hoofs.
Beyond that River Nīlavāhinī lay another river to be crossed. He asked his ministers, “What is this river?”
“This is the River Candabhāgā, Great King,” they said.
“How big is it?”
“Great King, it is one league deep and one league wide.”
As with the previous two rivers, the king pondered on the urgency of his journey. Then reflecting on the supreme attributes of the Saṅgha, such as: “The noble disciples of the Fortunate One are endowed with right practice,” he uttered the following verse and crossed the river together with his 1,000 ministers:
Saṅgho ve tiṇṇa-kantāro, puññakkhetto anuttaro,
etena sacca-vajjena, gamanaṁ me samijjhatu.
The noble Saṅgha has indeed crossed the wilderness of Saṁsāra, and are the incomparable field for sowing seeds of merit. By this asseveration of the truth, may my journey to the Buddha on my renunciation be accomplished without any problems.
Uttering this verse, King Mahā Kappina crossed the river with his 1,000 ministers on horseback. The waters of the river which was one league wide did not even wet the tips of the horses’ hoofs.
The three verses uttered by King Mahā Kappina are taken from the Traditions about the Elder Mahā Kappina (Mahā Kappina-thera-āpadāna, Tha-ap 533).
Adoption of the Ascetic Life
As the king had crossed over the River Candabhāgā he saw, to his great wonder, the six Buddha-radiances emanating from the Buddha, who was sitting at the foot of a Bodhi tree. The entire tree, the trunk, the boughs, branches and foliage was awash with the golden glow. The king rightly knew that: “This golden glow is not the sun’s radiance nor the moon’s, nor that of any Deva or Māra or Nāga or Garuḍa, but must be that of Buddha Gotama, for the Fortunate One has seen me coming and is welcoming me!”
At that instant, King Mahā Kappina dismounted and bowing himself, approached the Buddha, being drawn towards the Buddha-radiance. He felt as though he were immersed in a mass of cool liquid realgar as he walked through the Buddha-radiance. He and his 1,000 ministers made obeisance to the Buddha and sat in a suitable place. Then the Buddha gave them a discourse by gradual stages of exposition, through the merit in giving, the merit in morality, the merit leading to the Deva realm, and the gaining of path-knowledge (magga-ñāṇa). By the end of the discourse, King Mahā Kappina and his 1,000 ministers attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala).
Then they all rose up and asked the Buddha to be admitted into the Saṅgha as monastics. The Buddha reviewed their past to find out whether they were fit to receive robes and alms bowl created by his supernormal powers and he saw that their past merit of having donated robes to 1,000 Paccekabuddhas and that, during Buddha Kassapa’s time, they had donated robes to 20,000 Arahats, were their merits, and that they could receive robes and alms bowls created by supernormal powers. Then the Buddha stretched out his right hand and said: “Come, monastics, receive the monastic life as you request. You have heard the doctrine. Now work out your release with diligence through the threefold training.” At that very instant King Mahā Kappina and his 1,000 ministers were transformed from laymen into that of monastics of seemingly 60 years’ standing, equipped with the monastic paraphernalia, such as alms bowls, which were created by the will of the Buddha. They rose into the air, then descended to the ground and, paying obeisance to the Buddha, sat at a suitable distance.
Queen Anojā
The merchants of Sāvatthī went to the court of Kukkuṭavatī and sought audience with Queen Anojā, informing her that they were seen by the king. Having obtained the queen’s assent to see them, they entered the palace, saluted her, and sat at an appropriate place. Then a dialogue took place between the queen and them:
Queen: Men, what brought you to our court?
Merchants: Queen, we are being directed to you by the king to claim 300,000 pieces of money as reward.
Queen: Men, you are making a big claim. What good turn have you done for the king so as to be granted such a rich reward?
Merchants: Queen, we have not done any good turn for the king except to impart some strange news, which gladdened him.
Queen: Will you be able to tell me what that strange news was?
Merchants: Yes, we can, queen.
Queen: Then go ahead.
Merchants: Queen, a Buddha has appeared in the world.
On hearing that news, the queen, was overwhelmed with delight and remained senseless for a short while, just like the king. This happened three times. On the fourth time that she heard the news, she asked the merchants: “Men, how much did the king reward you for bringing to him the news about the Buddha?” – “The king rewarded us 100,000 pieces of money for that.” – “The king’s reward of 100,000 for bringing such extraordinary and wonderful news is improper and inadequate. For my part, I reward you, as poor subjects of mine, 300,000 pieces of money.
But what further news did you tell the king?” The merchants told her that they also apprised the king of the appearance of the Dhamma and the appearance of the Saṅgha, one by one. The queen, being overwhelmed by delight, was senseless for a short while, for three times, on hearing each of those wonderful tidings. On the fourth time of mentioning the news about the Dhamma, and about the Saṅgha, the queen rewarded them with 300,000 pieces of money for each piece of wonderful news. Thus the merchants received 900,000 pieces of money as the queen’s reward, in addition to the King’s reward of 300,000, making a total of 1,200,000.
Then the queen asked the merchants where the king was, and they told her that the king had gone forth to become a monastic, as a disciple of the Buddha. The queen added: “What message did the king leave for me?” The merchants told her that the king was leaving the throne and the country to the queen who was to succeed him as sovereign. Then the queen inquired after the thousand ministers. The merchants told her that the ministers also had gone forth to become monastics.
The queen sent for the wives of the 1,000 ministers and a discussion took place as follows:
Queen: Dear sisters, your husbands have renounced the world and become monastics along with the king. What are you going to do now?
Wives: Great Queen, what was the message to us by our husbands?
Queen: Your husbands have bequeathed all their properties to you. You are lords of the household now.
Wives: Great Queen, what do you intend to do?
Queen: Sisters, my lord, King Mahā Kappina, was greatly delighted by the news of the appearance of the Three Treasures and rewarded 300,000 pieces of money to the conveyors of the news as token of honouring the Three Treasures, even while he was on his journey. Now he has renounced the world considering the glory of kingship as if it were saliva. As for me, the news of the appearance of the Three Treasures was equally welcome. I have rewarded 900,000 pieces of money to the merchants who brought me the news as token of honouring the Three Treasures. The glory of a sovereign is a source of suffering for me, as much as it is for the king. Now that the king has bequeathed sovereign power to me, if I were to accept it, it would be like receiving saliva with relish. I am not as foolish as that. I too will renounce the world and become a recluse, as a disciple of the Buddha.
Wives: Great Queen, we will also join you in going forth as recluses.
Queen: It is well and good, if you are capable of it.
Wives: Great Queen, we are capable of it.
Queen: Then let us go.
The queen mounted on a chariot, each of the wives of the ministers also mounted on their chariots and departed forthwith for Sāvatthī. On the way, they came across the first river. She inquired, as the king did before, about the possibility for crossing it. She asked her charioteer to look for the footprints of the king’s horses but no trace could be found. She rightly surmised that since her husband had a deep devotion for the Three Treasures and for the sake of which he was renouncing the world, he must have made some asseveration in getting across the river. “I too have renounced the world for the sake of the Three Treasures. May the power of the Three Treasures overcome this stretch of water and let the water lose its property as water.” And reflecting on the supreme attributes of the Three Treasures, she drove her chariot and accompanied by 1,000 other chariots, across the river. And lo! the water did not stay as water but hardened itself like a piece of rock so that not even the rims of the chariots were wet. At the two further rivers that lay across her path, she crossed them without difficulty, with the same devotion as the king.
The above material is gleaned from the commentary on the Dhamma Verses (Dhammapada). From this point on, we shall be drawing on the commentary to the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya).
After she had crossed over the River Candabhāgā, the third obstacle, Queen Anojā saw the Buddha sitting beneath a Bodhi tree. The Buddha knew that if these women were to see their husbands, they would be torn by attachment to them which would render them unable to listen to the discourse which he taught, which would be great disadvantage for attaining the path-knowledge. So, he employed his supernormal powers whereby the women could not see their spouses who were with him. Then he taught them a discourse, at the end of which, all of them attained Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-phala). At that moment, they were able see their spouses. The Buddha then willed that the elder nun Uppalavaṇṇā appeared where the women were sitting. The elder nun Uppalavaṇṇā admitted Queen Anojā and her companions into the Saṅgha of female monastics. After which, she took them to the nunnery. The Buddha took the 1,000 monastics to the Jetavana monastery by his psychic power.
Verse Spoken about Mahā Kappina
Then Ven. Mahā Kappina practised the noble path and became an Arahat. Knowing that he had finished his task as a monastic, Ven. Mahā Kappina dwelt most of the time in the Arahat fruition, and did not bother to discourse to his 1,000 followers, his erstwhile ministers. Resorting to seclusion, whether underneath a tree or elsewhere, he would utter words of ecstasy: “Blissful it is! Blissful it is!” When other monastics heard this they thought that Ven. Mahā Kappina was ruminating on his kingly pleasures and they reported to the Buddha what they had heard. The Buddha said to these monastics: “Monastics, Mahā Kappina is extolling the bliss of the paths and fruitions (magga-phala) only, and on that occasion he uttered this verse (Dhp 79):
Dhamma-pīti sukhaṁ seti, vippasannena cetasā,
ariyappavedite Dhamme, sadā ramati paṇḍito.
Monastics, he who drinks of the supermundane lives happily with a serene mind. The wise man always finds delight in the Dhamma, the 37 constituents of Awakening, expounded by the noble ones (ariya) such as the Buddha.
At the end of the discourse many listeners attained path-knowledge at various levels.
Ven. Mahā-Kappina’s Instruction to his Pupils
Then one day, the Buddha called the 1,000 monastics who had been ministers and asked them whether Ven. Mahā Kappina had given them any instruction. The monastics said that their teacher, Ven. Mahā Kappina, never gave them any instruction, but dwelt in the attainment of the Arahat fruition most of the time, and that he did not even give an admonition to any of his pupils.
The Buddha then asked Ven. Mahā Kappina: “Kappina, is it true that you do not give an admonition even to your close pupils?” Ven. Mahā Kappina replied: “Venerable sir, that is correct.” – “Kappina, do not remain like this. From now on, give discourses to your close pupils.” – “Very well, venerable sir,” replied Ven. Mahā Kappina. And, just by him giving a discourse, the 1,000 monastics became Arahats.
This is the achievement that entitled Ven. Mahā Kappina to be designated the foremost monastic.
Foremost Title Achieved
On one occasion, when the Buddha held a congregation of monastics, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
bhikkovādakānaṁ yad-idaṁ Mahākappino.
Monastics, among my monastic disciples who gives instruction to monastics, Mahā Kappina is the foremost (etad-agga).