Welcome to  Watchai

THE   BUDDHA  AND 
HIS  TEACHINGS

Continue  Last  Page
THE   BUDDHA'S  CHIEF   OPPONENTS AND SUPPOTERS
....................
"As a solid roch is not shaken by the wind 
Even so the wise are not ruffled by praise or blame."
DHAMMAPADA.

       The Buddha worked disinterestedly for the weal of minkind, making no distinction between the rich and the poor, the high and the low.      His followers and supporters were drawn both from
the highest and lowest rungs of the social ladder.    So spontaneous was the love and so profound was the veneration of the people, that kings, and nobles, millionaires and paupers, pious folk and 
courtesans, men and women of all ranks, vied with one another to be of service to Him and make
His noble mission a success.         The wealthy spent lavishly to erect suitable monasteries for Him, while the poor, full of faith, demonstrated their piety in their humble way.    With perfect equanimi
ty He accepted the gifts of the rich and the poor, but showed no partiality to nay.      Nevertheless, He showed more compassion to the poor and the lowly.      Like a bee that extracts honey from a flower without hurting it, He lived amongst His followers and supporters without causing the slightest inconvenience to any.             Offerings of diverse kinds were showered on Him, and He accepted them all with perfect non-attachment.
             Though absolutely pure in motive and perfectly selfless in His service to humanity, yet, in preaching and spreading His teaching, the Buddha had to contend against strong opposition.   He 
was serverly criticised, roundly abused, insulted and ruthlessly attacked, as no other religious teacher had been.    His chief opponents were ordinary teachers of rival sects and followers of here
tical schools those traditional teachings and superstitious rites and ceremonies He justly criticised.
His greatest personal enemy, who made a vain attempt to kill Him, was own brother in-law and an
erstwhile disciple - Devadatta.
The   Buddha  and  Devadatta
     Devadatta was the son of King Suppabuddha and Pamita, an aunt of the Buddha.   Yasodhara
was his sister.   He was thus a cousin and brother-in-law of the Buddha.    He entered the Order in 
the early part of the Buddha's ministry together with Ananda and other Sakya princes.     He could not attain any of the stages of Sainthood, but was distinguished for worldly psychic powers (pothuj
janika-iddhi).    One of his chief supportery was King Ajatasattu who built a monastery for him.
     During the early part of his career he led such an exemplary life that even Venerable Saripatta
went about Rajagaha extolling him.      Leter, overcome by worldly gain and honour, and growing 
jealous of the Buddha, Devadatta became so radically changed in his character that he proved to be
the greatest personal enemy of the Buddha.    Simultaneous with the arising of ill--will in his heart
towards the Buddha his psychic powers automatically ceased.
          Despite his evil ways and corrupt life, he had a large following and many admires, and some
even preferred him to Venerable Saripatta.
     On one occasion he approached the Buddha and requested Him to hand over the leadership of
the Sangha to him as the Buddha was advanced in age.    The Buddha straightway refused, saying;
"Not even to Saripatta or Moggallana would I hand over the Sangha.     Would I then hand it over
to thee?.    He was enraged at this refusal and vowed vengeance.     To safeguard and maintain the
dignity of the Sangha the Buddha caused a proclamation to be made that Devadatta alone was res-
ponsible for anything done by him in the name of the Buddha, the Dhamma, or the Sanngha.
   He therefore, conspired with King Ajatasattu to kill the Buddha.
Ajatasattu was advised to kill his father and usurp the throne, while he himself decided to kill the
Buddha and lead the Sangha.     Ungrateful Ajatasatta succeeded inkilling his devout father, and  Devadatta hired bowmen to murder the Buddha but, contrary to his expectations, all the hirelings
became the Buddha's followers.       Foiled in his attempt, he himself resolved to kill the Buddha. 
When the Buddha was walking on the slopes of Gijjhakuta he climbed the Peak and mercilessly hurled a rock at the Buddha.        Fortunately it struck another piece of rock and a splinter slightly
wounded His foot, causing the blood to flow.  Jivaka the physician attened on Him and cured Him.
        Devadatta made another unsuccessful attempt to kill the Buddha by dispatching the elephant
Nalagiri, after infuriating him with liquor, against the Teacher.       When the ferocious elephent approached the Buddha the Venerable Ananda stepped forward to sacrifice his for the sake of his
Master, but the Buddha subdued the beast by His loving-kindness (Metta).
    By this last wicked act Devadatta became extremely unpopular, and public opinion was so much
against him that the King was compelled to withdraw his patronage.    Devadatta fell into disrepute
and all his favours decreased.
        He now decided to live by deceit.   His fertile brain devised  anothet seemingly peaceful plan.
With the help of equally evil-minded Bhikkhus like Kakalika, he thought of causing a schism in the
Order.
      He requested the Buddha to enforce the following five rules among the Bhikkhus:
     i.  That monks should dwell all their lives in the forest.
     ii.  That they should live on alms begged.
     iii.  That they should wear Pamsakula robes (i.e. robes made from rags collected from the dust-
heap and emeteries).
     iv.   That they should live at the foot of a tree. 
     v.    That they should not eat fish or flesh throughout life.
      This he did, knowing fully well that the Buddha would not essent thereto.    He desired to make
Buddha's refusal a pretext for disparaging the Buddha, and thereby winning the support of the igno-
rant masses.
     When this request was made the compassionate and tolerent Buddha declared that His disciples
were free to adopt these rules or not, but would not make them compulsory for all.
     Devadatta made tthis refusal a cause for a schism in the Order.    He appealed to the Bhikkhus,
saying:    "Brethren, whose words are the nobler, the words of the Tathagata or the words which  I
myself have uttered?.    Whoever desires release from suffering, let him come with me."
     Newly ordained monks, who were not conversant with the Dhamma, apparently approved of his
demands and went over to him.    Aecompanied by them, he went to Gayasisa.    But Venerable Sariputta and Mogallana, on the advice of the Buddha, went there and succeeded in winning them
back after explaining the Dhamma to them.
   Thereafter evil days fell upon Devadatta.     He fell grievously ill, and
before his death he sincerely repented and desired to see the Buddha.    But his bad Kamma inter-
fered and he had to die a miserable death without seeing the Buddha.    However, he sought refuge
in the Buddha at the last moment.
       Although he suffers in a woeful state for his heinous crimes, yet as a result of the Holy Life he 
led during the early part of his career, it is stated that he would become a Pacceka Buddha named
Atthissara in the distant future.

ANATHAPINDIKA

           The chief supporter of the Buddha was Anatthapinsika the millionaire.    Amongst His  lay-
followers he was regarded as the foremost alms-giver (dayaka).
     The original name of Anathapindika, which means the  "Feeder of the Helpless," was Sudatta.
Owing to his unparallelled generosity he was latterly known by his new name.   His birthplace was
Savatthi.
      One day he visited his brother-in-law in Rajagaha to transact some business.    He did not come
forward as usual to wemcome him but Suddatta found him in the backyard making preparations for
a feast.    On inquiry, to his indescribable joy, he understood that those arrangements were being made to untertain the Buddha on the following day.      The utterance of the mere word "Buddha" 
roused his interest and he longed to see Him.   As he was told that the Buddha was living in the Sita
vana forest in the neighbourhood and that he cound see Him on the following morning, he went to
sleep.   His desire to visit the Buddha was so intense that he had a sleepless night and he atose at an
unusual hour in the morning to start for the Sitavana.       It appears that, owing to his great faith in the Buddha, a light emanated from his his body.         He proceeded to the spot passing through a cemetery.   It was pitch dark and a fear arose in him.    He thought of turning back.  Then Sivaka, a
Yakkha, himself invisible, encouraged him, saying:
      "A hundred elephants and horses too.
       Ay, and a hundred chariots drawn by mules.
      A hundred tousand maident, in their ears
      Bejewelled rings: all are not worth
      The sixteenth fraction of a single stride.
      Advance,  O citizen, go forward that !
      Advance for thee is better than retreat"
 
 

CONTINUE    NEXT   PAGE


 


 
Click  Next Click  Main
( October,  1,  2007)