40. Ven. Rādha
Aspiration in the Past
In describing the past aspiration of Ven. Rādha, we draw from the commentary on the Verses of the Elder Monks (Thera-gāthā, Thag 127) as it is more informative than the commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya).
The future Ven. Rādha was born into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time
Life as a Clansman during Buddha Vipassī’s Time
The future Rādha, after aspiring to the senior discipleship at the time of Buddha Padumuttara, and after many more existences of meritorious deeds, was reborn as a worthy man again during the time of Buddha Vipassī. When he came of age, he met Buddha Vipassī who was going on alms round. He had an intense devotion to the Buddha and offered him a mango of a very delicious type.
Ascetic Life in His Final Existence
Future Rādha was reborn in the Deva realm because of that meritorious deed. After the Deva existence, he was reborn only in the Deva realm and the human world, where he engaged himself in further deeds of merit. During the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn as a Brahmin youth by the name of Rādha, in the city of Rājagaha. He married and when he became old, he did not enjoy the usual care from his wife. Wishing to become a monastic, he went to the monastery but his requests for admission into the Saṅgha were refused by all the monastics because they were not interested in having an aged pupil who would not be able to serve them personally.
Rādha the Brahmin, already decrepit due to old age, looked even more aged because of his frustrations in being refused repeatedly to be admitted into the Saṅgha. He was a pitiful sight as he was being reduced to a mere skeleton, completely worn out, pale like a withered leaf with veins running over his whole body, like netting. One day, he went to the Buddha and after an exchange of courteous greetings, sat in a suitable place. The Buddha saw that the old Brahmin had sufficient merit to gain path-knowledge. And to start a dialogue, the Buddha asked: “Brahmin, are you being taken good care of by your wife and children?” The old Brahmin replied: “Gotama, I am far from being taken care of by my wife and children. In fact, they have been treating me as a total stranger because I am too old to be of any use to them.” – “Brahmin, in that case, had you not better take up the monastic life!”
Ven. Sāriputta’s Sense of Gratitude
“Gotama, who would admit me as a monastic? There is no monastic who is willing to be my preceptor due to old age.” The Buddha then asked the monastics why the old Brahmin looked so haggard and wasted. The monastics answered that he looked so desperate and forlorn because he could not find a preceptor. “Monastics, is there any monastic who, is in some way, obligated to this Brahmin?”
Thereupon, Ven. Sāriputta said: “Venerable sir, I remember a good turn done to me by this Brahmin.” – “What was that?” asked the Buddha. “Venerable sir, when I went on alms round in Rājagaha, he offered me a spoonful of cooked rice. I remember that good turn done to me.” – “Very good, Sāriputta, very good. Virtuous persons do not forget a good turn done to them, and they feel obliged to repay the debt of gratitude. In that case, Sāriputta, see that the Brahmin is made a novice and then admitted into the Saṅgha.”
“Venerable sir, by which mode of admission may I admit him?” the Buddha gave a discourse concerning the question of Ven. Sāriputta and declared thus: “Monastics, from now on, the mode of admitting a person into full monastic life by getting him established in the three refuges is to be discontinued. Henceforth, a novice should be admitted by a Saṅgha, after a formal proposal three times and, if there be no objection, then the novice shall be admitted.” This was the first instance of the new mode of admission called the admission following an announcement and three proposals (ñatti-catuttha).
The Buddha The following notes draw upon the commentary to the Vinaya Great Division (Mahā-vagga). attained Perfect Self-Awakening on the full moon day in May (Vesākha), 528 BCE. He passed his first Rains Retreat (Vassa) in the Isipatana Deer Park. At the end of that Rains Retreat (Vassa), he sent the first 60 of his monastic disciples, all Arahats, to the four corners of the land to propagate the Dhamma.
He admitted into the Saṅgha new monastics, first as novices, and then as full monastics, sponsored by these 60 Arahats, by having them established in the three refuges. The Buddha himself adopted the same mode. Later, considering the great distances the new entrants had to travel to the Buddha’s monastery, admissions by this mode were allowed by the Buddha by other members of the Saṅgha.
On the full moon day in January (Phussa) of the same year, the Buddha went to reside at Rājagaha. A fortnight later, the two chief disciples together with their pupils became monastics. On the seventh day of their monastic life, Ven. Mahā Moggallāna became an Arahat. On the fifteenth day in February (Māgha), Ven. Sāriputta became an Arahat. The Brahmin Rādha’s admission into the Saṅgha took place during the month falling between the full moon day in February and the full moon day in March (Phagguṇa).
Ven. Sāriputta had known that when the Buddha lived in the Isipatana Deer Park, admission as novices and as full monastics was done by getting the incumbent established in the three refuges. And yet why did he ask about the mode of admission in this case?
The answer is: Ven. Sāriputta, as a constant companion to the Buddha, knew the Buddha’s wishes, as was the usual competency of those companions. As a matter of fact, he was the most competent among those close companions. He had foresight that the Buddha was thinking of instituting a stricter mode of admission than the simple mode of getting the incumbent established in the three refuges. Since the Buddha’s residence at Rājagaha, the number of Arahats had also grown to more than 20,000.
The remarkable acuteness of Ven. Sāriputta’s understanding of the Buddha’s mind was revealed on another occasion too. It was in connection with Rāhula, the Buddha’s son. In 528 BCE, at the close of the year, the Buddha travelled to his native place, the city of Kapilavatthu. The journey took two months. On the seventh day, after arrival in that city, his son, Rāhula, who was aged seven, demanded his inheritance. The Buddha gave him the most worthy inheritance by requesting Ven. Sāriputta to admit Rāhula as a novice. On that occasion, Ven. Sāriputta, knowing well that being made a novice was done by making the incumbent established in the three refuges, asked the Buddha: “Venerable sir, by what mode shall I admit Prince Rāhula as a novice?”
The earlier practice adopted at the Deer Park was to give admission to novices as well as to full monastics by getting them established in the three refuges. But in the later case of Rādha, the admission into the monastic life was done by a congregation of the Saṅgha making formal proposal for admission by the preceptor thrice, and then if the Saṅgha agreed by remaining silent, admission was effected. But, in the case of making a novice, Ven. Sāriputta fathomed the Buddha’s intention that being made a novice should be done either by getting the incumbent established in the three refuges or by a formal Saṅgha. Otherwise, the Saṅgha might be under the impression that being made a novice would be valid only by congregation. Therefore, to get the express consent from the Buddha to perform making a novice by getting Rāhula established in the three refuges, Ven. Sāriputta put that question to the Buddha.
Ven. Rādha’s Ascetic Life and Awakening
Ven. Sāriputta, respectfully complying with the orders of the Buddha, acted as preceptor in the formal congregation which admitted Brahmin Rādha into the Saṅgha. He knew that the Buddha had a high regard for the Brahmin and so after the admission, he looked after the personal welfare of the aged monastic.
He took Ven. Rādha to a forest abode. A monastic, who is junior in monastic standing, has little privileges in the matter of the four requisites. Ven. Sāriputta, who was a senior monastic, enjoyed priority in receiving these requisites but he shared them with Ven. Rādha, while he himself lived on the daily alms food. Thus, sharing monastic dwellings and food with his preceptor, Ven. Sāriputta, Ven. Rādha recovered physically into a healthy state. Then taking instructions in the practice of the noble path from his preceptor, he worked with diligence and soon became an Arahat.
Then Ven. Sāriputta took Ven. Rādha to pay homage to the Buddha. Although the Buddha knew how Ven. Rādha was doing, he asked Ven. Sāriputta: “Sāriputta, I had given Rādha to your care. How is Rādha doing? Is he happy in the monastic life?” Ven. Sāriputta replied: “Venerable sir, if one were to point to a monastic who finds full satisfaction in the teaching, one has only to point to a monastic of Rādha’s type.”
Then words of praise by Ven. Sāriputta became common among the monastics, who said: “Friends, Ven. Sāriputta has a strong sense of gratitude and is also apt to repay the debt of gratitude he owes to others.” When the Buddha heard these words, he said to the monastics: “Monastics, it is not so great a wonder that Sāriputta, in his last existence, should remember his debt of gratitude and repay it. Even in the long past, when he was a mere animal, he had this sense of gratitude.” The monastics then requested the Buddha to relate to them a past-life story concerning Ven. Sāriputta. The Buddha related to them the Birth Story about Prince Alīnacitta (Alīnacitta-jātaka, Ja 156).
The Story about Prince Alīnacitta
Monastics, in the past, there lived 500 carpenters who used to fell trees in the forest at the foot of a hill. They would cut them into suitable sizes and then float the lumber downstream in rafts. At one time, an elephant was wounded in the forest by a piece of heavy bough which it tore off from the tree. The pointed piece of wood pierced its foot and he was in great pain.
After two or three days, the wounded elephant noticed that there were a big group of men passing its way everyday, and hoped that they might be able to help it. It followed the men. When the men saw it following them, they were frightened and ran away. The elephant then did not continue to follow them but stopped. When the carpenters stopped running, the elephant drew near them again.
The head of the carpenters, being wise, pondered on the behaviour of the elephant: “This elephant comes to us as we do not move on, but stops when we run away from it. There must be some reason.” Then the men went up the trees and observed the movements of the elephant. The elephant went near them and, after showing them the wound at its foot, lay down. The carpenters understood the elephant’s behaviour then, it was badly wounded and was seeking help. They went to the elephant and inspected the wound. Then they cut the end of the big wooden spike piercing into the elephant’s foot into a neat groove, tied a strong rope around the groove, and pulled the spike out. They washed the wound with herbs, applied medicinal preparations to the best of their ability and then dressed the wound. Soon the wound healed and the elephant was well.
Deeply grateful to its healers, the elephant thought about repaying the debt of gratitude. It went back to its den and brought back a young calf which was white all over. This was a most auspicious kind of white elephant one of the Gandha species. The carpenters were very glad to see the elephant returned with a calf. The elephant was not merely showing them the noble calf but it meant to make a gift of it to the benefactors. To make its intention clear, it left the place alone.
The calf followed it but the father elephant gave a signal to the calf to go back to the men. The calf obeyed. The men then said to the calf: “Dear boy, we have no use with you. Just go back to your father.” The calf went back but the father would not take him back. Three times the carpenters sent him back, only to be refused by the father. So they were obliged to keep it. The 500 carpenters each gave a handful of cooked
The commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) relates the story up to this point only, to show the sense of gratitude of Ven. Sāriputta when he was an elephant. We now continue the story as described in the Birth Story (Ja 156).
From that time on, the white elephant calf became part of the team of carpenters. Obeying their commands, he assisted them in all their tasks. The carpenters fed him with their share of cooked rice. At the close of the day’s work, the men and the calf went into the river to bathe and play together.
There is a noteworthy thing about noble elephants or noble horses or noble humans: they never defecate or urinate in the water, but go up to dry ground for the purpose.
One day, a great torrent came down from upstream to Bārāṇasī. In that current, there floated down a piece of dried dung excreted by the white calf, and was caught in a bush at the public washing place in Bārāṇasī. The tenders of the royal elephants brought to the river 500 elephants to be washed. These elephants sniffed around, got the smell of the dung of the white elephant and panicked. They dared not enter the water but tried to run away with raised tails. The elephant tenders reported the strange behaviour of the elephants to the physicians in charge of elephants. They knew that there must be something in the water that caused the panic of the king’s elephants. A close search was made and they discovered the piece of dung in the bush. Thus, the reason for the fright of the 500 elephants was ascertained. A big jar was filled with water and in it the white elephant’s dung was made to dissolve. The 500 elephants were then washed in that solution which had a pleasant odour. Then only the elephants would enter the water.
The elephant physicians reported their experience to the king and strongly suggested to him that the noble white elephant should be searched for. The king led the expedition in a big flotilla upstream until they reached the place where the carpenters were working, at the foot of the hill. The white elephant calf was then bathing in the river. He heard the sound of the royal drums and ran to its masters, the carpenters, who welcomed the king. “Great King,” they said, “you do not need to come up personally to obtain timber. You could send someone for that.” The king answered: “Friends, we have not come here for timber. We have come to take this white elephant calf that is in your possession.” – “Then, king, take it by all means.”
The young calf, however, was not willing to leave its masters, and would not budge from where it was standing. The elephant physicians were consulted. They explained to the king that the young calf would like to see its masters fully compensated for its upkeep. The king then ordered that 100,000 pieces of money in silver be placed at each of the six parts of the body of the calf, at the four feet, at the trunk and at the tail. Still the calf would not budge. It wanted the king to give personal presents as well. When every man in the party of carpenters, and their wives were given a piece of clothing and playthings for their children, who were his playmates, it then agreed to go with the king. It cast long parting looks at the men, their wives and children as it went along with the king.
The calf was escorted to the city which it was made to go round clockwise thrice in pomp and ceremony, the whole of the city and the elephant-yard was decorated. He was then housed at the elephant-yard, fitted with the paraphernalia of a royal mount. Then it was anointed as the king’s personal associate, as well as the royal mount. It was assigned half of the royal estate, with every aspect of regal status. From the day of its arrival, Bārāṇasī acquired the dominance of the whole Jambudīpa.
After some time, the Bodhisatta was conceived in the womb of the Chief Queen of Bārāṇasī. When the gestation period was due the king died. The news of the king’s demise was not revealed to the white elephant for fear that it might suffer a broken-heart.
However, the news could not be kept secret for long. For when news of the king’s death became known to the neighbouring province of Kosala, the king of Kosala besieged Bārāṇasī. The citizens of Bārāṇasī sent an envoy to the Kosalan King with the message
The queen gave birth to a son on the seventh day. The birth of the child was marked by the citizens of Bārāṇasī being in cheerful spirits, hence the boy was named Prince Alīnacitta, meaning “the Prince who brings good cheer.”
The war started, as mutually agreed, on the day of the birth of the prince. The warriors of Bārāṇasī, lacking a general on the field, fought bravely yet their morale was running low. The ministers confided with the queen that to avert defeat, the white elephant should be told of the death of the king, and the plight of the kingless city that was under siege by the Kosalan King. The queen agreed. Then fitting the royal infant in regalia, placing it on a piece of white cloth, she carried it to the elephant-yard accompanied by her ministers and put down the child near the foot of the white elephant. She said: “Great White Elephant, we have kept the news of the king’s death from you because we feared you might suffer a broken heart. Here is the prince, the son of your deceased friend, the king. Now our city is under siege by the Kosalan King, your little child, the prince, is in danger. The people defending the city are in low spirits. You may now destroy the child, or save him and his throne from the invaders.
Thereupon the white elephant fondled the baby with his trunk, took it up, and placing it on his head, wailed bitterly. Then he put down the baby and placed it in the arms of the queen. It made a signal of his readiness for action, which meant: “I will capture the Kosalan King alive,” then it went out of the elephant yard. The ministers fitted the white elephant with chainmail and, opening the city gate, led it out, surrounded by them. After coming out of the city, the white elephant gave out a shrill sound like that of the crane, and ran through the besieging forces, taking the Kosalan King by his hair knot, put him at the feet of the princeling Alīnacitta. Frightening off the enemy troops who threatened to harm the princeling, it seemed to say to the Kosalan King: “From now on, Kosalan King, be mindful. Do not take the princeling as someone to trifle with.” The Kosalan King was thus properly subdued.
From that time on, the suzerainty of the entire Jambudīpa became secure in the hands of Prince Alīnacitta. No rival king dared challenge the authority of the prince. When the prince, the Bodhisatta, was aged seven, he was anointed King Alīnacitta. He ruled righteously and at the end of his lifespan, he was reborn in the Deva realm.
The Birth Story about Prince Alīnacitta (Alīna-citta-jātaka, Ja 156) was originally related by the Buddha in connection with a certain monastic who was faltering in the observance of the noble practice. At another time, in connection with the sense of gratitude shown by Ven. Sāriputta in the case of Ven. Rādha, this episode was partially related, up to the noble tusker giving up its white elephant calf to its benefactors.
After discoursing on the story that had taken place in the past, the Buddha, in the present context, uttered these two verses (Ja 156):
Alīna-cittaṁ nissāya, pahaṭṭhā mahatī camū,
Kosalaṁ senāsantutthaṁ, jīvaggāhaṁ agāhayi.
Monastics, dependent on Prince Alīnacitta, the Bodhisatta, the big army of Bārāṇasī had captured alive, through the might of the royal white elephant, the Kosalan King who was unsatisfied with his own domain.
Evaṁ nissāya sampanno, bhikkhu āraddha-vīriyo,
bhāvayam kusalaṁ Dhammaṁ, yogakkhemassa pattiyā,
pāpuṇe anupubbena, sabba-saṁyojanakkhayaṁ.
Similarly, with the good fortune in having the virtuous ones, such as the Buddha and the noble ones, as friends, a monastic who puts forth earnest effort
After ending the discourse with the attainment of the deathless as its highest objective, the Buddha continued to show the four noble truths, at the end of which, the faltering monastic attained path-knowledge (magga-ñāṇa). The Birth Story ended with the usual identification of the personalities involved: The Chief Queen, the Bodhisatta’s mother, was Queen Māyā in the present existence; the King of Bārāṇasī, King Suddhodana; the royal white elephant, the faltering monastic; the noble tusker, the father of the white calf, Ven. Sāriputta; the Kosalan King, Ven. Mahā Moggallāna; Prince Alīnacitta, the Buddha.
The Buddha related the Birth Story (Jātaka) in connection with Ven. Sāriputta’s sense of gratitude, how in the past existence he repaid his debt of gratitude. As regards Ven. Rādha, the Buddha had made 46 discourses in connection with him (Rādha-saṁyutta, SN 23).
Further, when Ven. Sāriputta took Ven. Rādha before the Buddha after Ven. Rādha’s attainment of Awakening, both of them knelt before the Buddha, and the Buddha asked Ven. Sāriputta: “Sāriputta, does your close pupil Rādha take kindly to your admonition?” Ven. Sāriputta replied: “Venerable sir, Rādha is very amenable to admonition. Whenever a fault of his is pointed out, he does not show the slightest resentment.” – “Sāriputta, how many amenable pupils like Rādha would you be prepared to accept?” – “Venerable sir, if I am to receive pupils as amenable as Ven. Rādha, I would accept as many as they might come to me.”
Then, after relating the past story of Ven. Sāriputta, as described in the Birth Story about Prince Alīnacitta, how, even as an animal, Ven. Sāriputta had shown his sense of gratitude, which was the subject-matter of their fellow monastics’ remarks, the Buddha extolled the virtues of Ven. Rādha thus: “Monastics, a monastic should be amenable to admonition like Ven. Rādha. When the teacher points out a fault of the pupil, the latter should not show resentment but should take it as if rich treasures had been revealed to him.” In this connection, the Buddha uttered this verse (Dhp 76):
Nidhīnaṁ va pavattāraṁ, yam passe vajja-dassinaṁ,
niggayha-vādiṁ medhāviṁ, tādisaṁ paṇḍitaṁ bhaje,
tādisaṁ bhajamānassa, seyyo hoti na pāpiyo.
Monastics, if you should meet with a man of wisdom who points out faults and reproves you, you should associate with such a wise person as someone who reveals to you hidden treasures. It will be to the advantage, and not a disadvantage, of one who seeks the company of such a wise man.
By the end of the discourse, many hearers attained path-knowledge at various levels.
Foremost Title Achieved
On one occasion, when the Buddha named foremost monastics, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
paṭibhāṇeyyakānaṁ yad-idaṁ Rādho.
Monastics, among my monastic disciples who inspire me to amplify my discourses, Ven. Rādha is the foremost (etad-agga).
Ven. Rādha’s perspicacity and deep conviction in the doctrine was a source of inspiration to the Buddha to amplify his discourses. This fact may be
The designated term has been defined as: Paṭibhānaṁ janentī ti paṭibhāneyyakā, “those disciples who arouse the Buddha’s facility in giving discourses.”