The Great Chronicle of The Buddhas
by Tipitakadhara Mingun Sayadaw
Edited and Translated by
U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin
CHAPTER TWO
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PLOUGING CEREMONY
King Suddhodana performing the ploughing ceremony and saluting the Bodhisatta for the second time
The day arrived for King Suddhodana to perform the ploughing ceremony which was a regular seasonal festival held every year. On that day, the whole royal city of Kapilavatthu was decorated like the abode of Devas. All the people of the city including workers dressed in their best attire, having perfumed and adorned themselves with flowers, assembled in the palace square. In the fields where the ploughing ceremony was to be held, one thousand ploughs were kept in readiness, eight hundred of them being meant for the king and his ministers. Seven hundred and ninety-nine ploughs to be manned by the ministers were decorated with silver ornaments and equipped with ploughshares together with yokes, oxen and driving rods. The plough to be ridden and driven by the king was fully ornamented with red gold.
When King Suddhodana left the royal city with a great retinue of ministers, courtiers, bodyguards and other followers, he brought his son, the Bodhisatta, to the ceremonial sites and kept him under the delightfully cool shade of a big rose-apple (Eugenia Jambolana) tree in full foliage. The ground underneath the tree was well-carpeted with the best velvet cloth on which the royal child was placed. And above him was fixed a crimson red velvet canopy embroidered with gold and silver stars above; the whole place was screened off with heavy curtains, and guards were posted for security. The king then dressed himself in the regal accoutrement customarily put on for the ploughing ceremony and accompanied by ministers and courtiers proceeded to the auspicious field where the ploughing ceremony would be held.
On arrival at the auspicious field, King Suddhodana, mounted the golden plough which was specially prepared for him. The seven hundred and ninety-nine courtiers taking part in the ceremony also rode and drove their respective silver ploughs. The remaining two hundred ploughs were handled by two hundred royal farm workers who proceeded to plough the field thoroughly, going back and forth many times across the field. King Suddhodana ploughed the field only once to bring auspicious blessing to the ceremony by driving across the field from one side to the other. The ceremony was magnificently performed.
So the nursing attendants and security guards assigned to look after the Bodhisatta Prince left their posts and came out of the royal enclosure, saying, "Lets us watch the grand spectacle of our lord performing the ploughing ceremony."
The Bodhisatta Prince's attainmet of the First Anapana Jhana
In the meanwhile, the Bodhisatta, on looking around and seeing no one, quickly rose and sat cross-legged quietly and calmly. He then practised Anapana meditation, concentrating on the inhaling and exhaling breath, and thereby attained the first Rupavacara Jhana. (In this matter, it should be understood that the Bodhisatta achieved the first Rupavacara Jhana within a short time as a result of the habitual practice of Anapana meditation throughout many existences of successive aeons.)
The attendants who left their charge loitered around the food stalls enjoying themselves for quite a while. All the trees with the exception of the rose-apple under which the Bodhisatta was sitting, cast their shade in a natural manner in line with the movement of the sun. When was past noon, the shades of the trees fell on the east. However, the shade of the rose-apple tree under which the Bodhisatta was resting did not move with the sun, even after noontide, strangely remaining in a round shape as before.
The nursing attendants, eventually remembering, "Oh, the son of our lord has been left behind alone', hurried back and on getting inside after parting the curtains of the enclosure, saw with their own eyes and to their amazement the Bodhisatta Prince sitting cross-legged in the place of glory; and saw also the miracle (patihariya) of the shade of the rose-apple tree remaining fixed in the same position and in the same round shape. They went speedily to the king and reported, "Your Majesty, the royal son is sitting quietly and calmly in a certain strange posture. And though the shadow of other trees moved with the changing position of the sun, the shade of the rose-apple tree under which the prince reposed stood unchanged even after noontide, retaining its circular shape."
King Suddhodana quietly came along and observed; on seeing with his own eyes the two strange miracles, he uttered, "O Noble Son, this is the second time that I, your father, salute you," and made obeisance to his son lovingly and adoringly.
Sakka the King of Devas Sent Visukamma Deva to create an auspicious royal lake for the Bodhisatta
In this manner, when the Bodhisatta Prince reached the age of seven, having grown up happily amidst the luxury like that of Devas, King Suddhodana one day asked his ministers, "O men, what kind of sport pleases the children of tender age?" When the ministers informed him, "Your Majesty, young children like to play in the water," King Suddhodana sent for artisans and ordered them to select a suitable site to dig a magnificent royal lake.Thereupon, Sakka the Deva King, becoming aware through reflection that steps were underway to select a lake-site, thought to himself "It is not proper at all for the Bodhisatta to use a lake built by human beings; only the lake created by Devas will be appropriate for him." He summoned Visukamma Deva and assigned him the task of digging a lake, saying, "Go now, to the human abode, O Deva and create a suitable lake for the Bodhisatta to play about." To the question, "What kind of lake would you like me to create?" Sakka replied thus: "The lake that you will create should be free of mud and slime; its bed should be strewn with rubies, pearls and corals; it should be surrounded by walls made of seven kinds of precious stones. The descending steps leading into the lake should be made with planks of gold, silver, and rubies; the hand-rails should be of rubies and the main balusters supporting the rails should have their tops encrusted with corals. Inside that celestial lake, for the Bodhisatta to play water-throwing, you should create a golden boat equipped with a silver throne, a silver boat with a golden throne, a ruby boat with a coral throne and a coral boat with a ruby throne. They should also be furnished with golden bowls, silver bowls, ruby bowls and coral bowls for water-throwing. The said lake should be beautifully covered and graced with five kinds of lotus."
Visukamma Deva, after giving assent, descended to the human abode that very night and created a lake, complete in all details of the Sakka's instruction, on the site chosen by King Suddhodana. (Here, it may be questioned as to how the five kinds of lotus could grow and blossom in the lake which was devoid of mud. The answer is as follows: Visukamma Deva created small golden boats, silver boats, ruby boats and coral boats in such and such places in the said mud-free lake and made the solemn wish: "Let these small boats be filled with slime and thick mud and let five kinds of lotus grow and bloom in these mud filled boats." Thus created and resolved by Visukamma Deva, five kinds of lotus thrived and bloomed in the royal lake.) The pollen from the lotus flowers spread over the surface of the lake moving with the gentle breeze and rippling waves. Five species of bees in five different colours buzzed and droned merrily as they bustled from flower to flower. In this manner, Visukamma Deva created the royal lake as instructed by Sakka and returned to the celestial abode.
When the new day dawned, thousands of citizens saw the awe-inspiring magnificent lake; they exclaimed joyously, "Surely, this lake must have been created by Sakka and Devas for the Noble Bodhisatta Prince!" And so, with joy and delight, they went and reported the matter to King Suddhodana. King Suddhodana accompanied by a vast retinue went to see the lakes. When he saw the magnificence and splendour of the lake, he exclaimed with delight: "This lake verily is the creation of divine beings because of the power and glory of my son!"
Thereafter, the Bodhisatta Prince went to play in the water of the lake which was a requisite for celestial pleasures. (These are the words quoted from the exposition of the Sukhumala Sutta, Devaduta Vagga, Tikanipata, , Anguttara Commentary, Volume II.)
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