A Discourse on Paticcasamuppada

by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw | 62,614 words

The Paticcasamuppada refers to “The Doctrine of Dependent Origination”. This is the English translation done by U Aye Maung Published by U Min Swe Buddhasasana Nuggaha Organization Rangoon, Burma....

Chapter 13 - The Fame Of The Buddha

The fame of the Buddha pervaded the whole universe. It spread to all parts of the universe through the inhabitants of some realms who came to hear the Buddhas sermons or through the sermons which the Buddha himself gave in some realms or through the former disciples who had landed in some higher realms after hearing the sermons.

We need not dwell on the first way in which the fame of the Buddha spread. As regards the other two ways, in the course of his long wanderings in samsara, the bodhisatta had been to all the realms except the five suddhavasa realms which are meant only for those who have attained anagami stage. The bodhisatta usually attains all the four stages on the path only in his last existence. So the Buddha had never been to suddhavasa realm before and on one occasion he paid a visit to it by means of his psychic powers. On arriving there, he received the homage of millions of brahmas, who told him about the former Buddhas and their landing in suddhavasa realm as the result of their attainment of anagami stage. Among these brahmas, there were also those who had practised the dhamma as disciples of Gotama Buddha.

The Buddha visited all the five suddhavasa realms. It is easy to see how he became famous in the realms that were the abodes of his former disciples. But the question arises as to how his fame spread to the formless (arupa) realms. It was not possible for the formless brahmas to come to the Buddha or for the Buddha to go to them. Those who practised the Buddha dhamma in the sensual or the material world, attaining the first three stages on the path and dying with arupa (formless) jhana might land in the formless worlds if they so desired. These noble ones were aware of the sublime attributes of the Buddha and the possibility of attaining new insights through the practice of mindfulness. So through mindfulness of all mental events, they finally became Arahats and passed away in vinnanancayatana realm or akincannayatana realm or the highest realm called Nevasannanasannayatana. In this way, the fame of the Buddha spread throughout the whole universe.

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