The Great Chronicle of The Buddhas
by Tipitakadhara Mingun Sayadaw
Edited and Translated by
U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin
CHAPTER FOUR
REMOVING THE HAIR AND BECOMING A RECLUSE
Crossing the River Anoma and cutting off the hair
Having reached the other bank of the River Anoma, the noble Bodhisatta brought the royal horse to a halt at the edge of the river and asked Minister Channa: "What is the name of this river?" When the minister replied that it was Anoma, the Bodhisatta took it as a good omen, saying, "My being a recluse will not be of poor quality; in fact, it will be a superior one," (for the word Anoma means 'not inferior'). Then by striking him with the heel he gave Kandaka the signal for crossing the river, and Kandaka jumped over to the other side of the eight usabha wide Anoma and stood there. After getting off from the back of the horse, and while standing on the pearly sandbank, the Bodhisatta addressed Minister Channa: "Friend Channa, take the horse Kandaka together with my ornaments and return home. I will become a recluse." When Channa said that he would also like to do the same, the Bodhisatta forbade him three times saying: "You cannot have permission to become a recluse, Friend Channa. Just go back to the city." And he handed over Kandaka and the ornaments to Channa. Thereafter, considering. "These locks of mine do not suit a recluse; I shall Cut them with my sword," the Bodhisatta, with the sword in his right hand cut off the hair-knot and and seized it together with the diadem by his left hand. His hair of two finger-breadths in length that was left behind curled to the right and lay close to the head. The length of the hair remained two finger-breadths till the end of life with no further cutting. The beard and the whisker also existed for the whole life with their length good enough to look beautiful like the hair. There was no necessity for the Bodhisatta to shave them again. Throwing up the severed locks into the sky with a solemn resolution The Bodhisatta holding the hair-knot together with the diadem, made a solemn resolution thus, "If I am one who will become a Buddha, let this hair-knot stay in the sky. If not, let it fall to the ground," and threw them up into the sky. Thereupon, the hair-knot together with the diadem went as far up as one yojana and marvelously remained in the sky like a hanging festoon of flowers. Erection of the Culamani Cetiya in Tavatimsa by Sakka At that time, Sakka the King of Devas saw the Bodhisatta's hair by means of his Divine Eye; and received it and the diadem with a jewel casket, one yojana in size, and took them to his abode of Tavatimsa. He then enshrined them in the Culamani Cetiya which he erected and embellished with seven kinds of precious gems and which was three yojanas high. Becoming a recluse with the requisites offered by Ghatikara Brahma Again, the Bodhisatta reflected: "These garments of mine made in the country of Kasi are priceless. They are not proper to one who is an ascetic." Then Ghatikara Brahma, who happened to be an old friend in the lifetime of Buddha Kassapa, considered with his genuine and noble metta that had remained throughout the whole Buddhantara Kappa: "Ah, today my friend the Bodhisatta, seeing danger in such miserable phenomena as birth, etc., has gone forth on noble renunciation Mahabhinikkhamana. I shall go, taking the requisites of a recluse for this old friend of mine, the Bodhisatta Prince)." So he brought the eight requisites, namely, (1) a big robe, (2) an upper robe called ekacci, (3) a lower robe, (4) a girdle (the four requisites that are close to and go along with the body,) (5) a needle and thread, (6) an adze, a kind of knife for making teeth-cleaning sticks and for peeling sugar-cane), (7) a bowl with its bag, and (8) a water-strainer, (the four external requisites,) and offered them to the Bodhisatta. Thereupon, the Bodhisatta assumed the appearance of a noble recluse by putting on the robes properly—the robes which may be termed the banner of Arahattaphala and which were offered by the Brahma. Then he threw up also the set of his (lay man's) garments into the sky. (The intervening period of time between the rise of one Buddha and another Buddha is called Buddhantara Kappa. The Buddhantara Kappa in this episode of the Brahma's offerings was the intervening period between the time of Buddha Kassapa's appearance and that of Buddha Gotama's. After Buddha Kassapa appeared at the time when the life-span of beings was twenty thousand years, it gradually dwindled down to ten years and from that stage it rose again up to asankhyeyya. On its decline it went down to a hundred years when Buddha Gotama appeared. Therefore the intervening period in this case was more than one antara kappa long. Though there was nobody who would instruct the Bodhisatta Prince how to use the robes, etc., it should be understood that he knew the manner of using the requisites because he was experienced in so doing as he was a recluse in the presence of former Buddhas and as he was of great intelligence.) Erection of the Dussa Cetiya in Akanittha Brahma Abode Thereupon, Ghatikara Brahma seized the Bodhisatta's garments that were thrown up into the sky; and he erected a cetiya, twelve yojanas in size and finished with various kinds of gems where he kept those garments in reverence. As the cetiya contains the garments, it is called Dussa Cetiya. (Here in connection with the location and the height of the cetiya, it is explicitly written by the Monywe Zetawun Sayadaw in the Samantacakkhu Dipani, Vol. 2: "Since the garments were brought by Ghatikara Brahma who was of Akanittha Abode, it should be taken that the Dussa Cetiya exists in the same Abode." And quoting the Jinalankara Tika and other works he adds; "The Dussa Cetiya which is twelve yojanas in height should be considered to have been existing in the Suddhavasa Akanittha Brahma World".) (With reference to the eight requisites offered by Ghatikara Brahma, the first volume of the Apadana Commentary explains differently: "Brahmuna anite iddhimaye kappassa santhanakale padumagabbhe nibbatte atthaparikkhare patiggahetva pabbajtiva", The Bodhisatta became a recluse after accepting the eight requisites which, by the power of his meritorious deeds of Perfections, appeared in the lotus cluster* on the mound of the Mahabodhi at the beginning of the world and were brought therefrom by the Brahma." It is relying on this statement of the Apadana Commentary that the incident is versified in The Samvara Pyo. In the Jinatthapakasani too it is - said, "These eight requisites appeared in complete set in the lotus flower that blossomed as an omen when the world first came into existence.") * in the lotus duster: This is the author's rendering of the word Padumagabbhe (In the exposition of the Mahapadana Sutta in the Sutta Mahavagga Commentary, however, it is stated: "The region of the Mahabodhi disappears last at the time of the dissolution of the world and rises first at the time of its origination. When the world originates a lotus cluster comes out as an omen at the site of the Bodhimandala. If Buddhas are to appear in that existing kappa, the lotus cluster blooms; if Buddhas are not to appear, it does not bloom. If it is the kappa of only one Buddha, a single flower blossoms; if it is the kappa of two Buddhas, two flowers blossom; if it is that of three, four or five Buddhas, three, four or five flowers blossom; respectively from the same cluster. Thus mention is made only of whether flowers blossom or not, but there is no mention of the requisites readily borne in the flowers. Although the robes donated by Ghatikara Brahma are explained in the Apadana Atthakaha katha as "iddhimaya parikkhara, the requisites which appeared by the power of the Bodhisatta's meritorious deeds", the Mahathera Buddhaghosa in his Sutta Nipata Commentary, Vol. II, says: " Devadattiyam pamsukulacivaram parupitva mattikapattam gahetva pacinadvarena nagaram pavisitva anugharam pinda-ya acari, · "After putting on the robes offered by Ghatikara Brahma and taking the earthen bowl, the Bodhisatta entered the city by the eastern gate and went round for alms from house to house." Taking into consideration this statement of Maha Buddhaghosa, it should be understood that the robes donated by Ghatikara Brahma was not iddhimaya (i.e, the robes that appeared by the power of the Bodhisatta's acts of merit) but only Devadattiya (i.e., the robes given by a celestial being) as opined by Maha Buddhaghosa. All this is mentioned for pondering the question whether it is a fact or not that the requisites donated by the Brahma were those contained in the lotus cluster that appeared as an omen on the mound of the Mahabodhi at the beginning of the world.) Sending Minister Channa back to the city After thus becoming a recluse, the Bodhisatta sent back Minister Channa, saying: "Friend Channa, convey these words of mine to my mother (meaning stepmother Mahapajapati Gotami) and father that I am in good health." Then Channa, after doing obeisance respectfully to the Bodhisatta and circumambulating him, took the bundle of the Bodhisatta's ornaments along with the horse and departed. Rebirth of Kandaka in Deva world after death Since he overheard the Bodhisatta's conversation with Minister Channa, Kandaka the horse had been lamenting with the thought thus: "From now on I shall have no opportunity of seeing my master." When be went beyond the seeing distance of the Bodhisatta, he could not bear up the grief that rose from the suffering of separation from one's beloved 'piyehi vippayoga, as he was leaving behind the Bodhisatta whom he loved so dearly; thus he died broken-hearted and was reborn in Tavatimsa a celestial being by the name of Kandaka. As for Minister Channa, he had at first a single grief caused by his separation from the Bodhisatta; now that Kandaka had died, the second grief occurred in him. Oppressed by the double sorrow, he made his way home to the city of Kapilavatthu, weeping and crying. (On his death Kandaka was reborn a Deva by the same name amidst great luxury and retinue in the Deva World of Tavatimsa. Since he had been closely associated with the Bodhisatta and at his service in many existences, he died being unable to withstand the misery of separation from the Bodhisatta. His rebirth in Tavatimsa was not due to that sorrow. In the Bodhisatta's speech made to him while he was about to be mounted immediately before his master's renunciation, he heard "Kandaka, I am giving up the world in order to gain Omniscience." On hearing the words of the Bodhisatta's renunciation which had nothing to do with sensual pleasures, he became filled with joy and satisfaction that accompanied his clarity of mind leading to development of merit headed by faith; as a result of this merit his rebirth as a deity took place in Tavatimsa. Later on, when he visited the Buddha and listened to the Dhamma, he became a Sotapanna—all this is mentioned in the Vimanavatthu Commentary. Those who wish to have a detailed account are referred to the same Commentary.)
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