Part 3 - The Buddha proceeding to Migadaya

Summary: The Buddha proceeding to Migadaya to deliver The Sermon of Dhammacakka (The Wheel of The Dhamma).

After Sahampati Mahā Brahmā had left, the Buddha reflected: “To whom should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand the Dhamma to be taught by Me?” Then it occurred to him: “The Sect-Leader, Āḷāra of Kālāma clan, is one endowed with the three paññās, namely, knowledge of birth (jāti-paññā), knowledge of meditation (bhāvanāpaññā), and knowledge of perservation (pārihārika-paññā). He is also an individual whose eye of wisdom has been free from the dust of kilesa (apparajakkha-punggala) for a very long time. It would be good if I were to teach him the Dhamma first. He will quickly discern the Dhamma to be taught by Me.”

Thereupon, one deva, without making himself visible, addressed the Buddha: “Glorious Buddha, it has now been seven days since the Sect-Leader Āḷāra of Kālāma clan died.” The Buddha, however, without readily accepting the mere words of the deva, looked through His sabbaññutā-ñāṇa and confirmed that Āḷāra had indeed died seven days ago as informed by the deva and that he had been reborn since in ākiñcaññāyatana, the third of the four planes of the Arūpa Brahmā World.

After musing, “It was indeed a great loss for the Sect-Leader Āḷāra of Kālāma clan to miss the opportunity of realising magga-phala which he deserved: if he could have listened to the Dhamma to be taught by Me, he would have quickly discerned the Four Noble Truths.” The Buddha again reflected further: “To whom should I then teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand the Dhamma to be taught by Me?” Then it occurred again to him: “The Sect-Leader Udaka, son of Rāma, is one endowed, like Āḷāra, with the three paññās. He is also an apparajakkha-puggata, his eye of wisdom having been free from the dust of kilesa for a very long time. It would be good if I were to teach the Dhamma first to him, he will quickly discern the Dhamma to be taught by Me.”

Thereupon, another deva, without making himself visible, addressed the Buddha: “Glorious Buddha, the Sect-Leader Udaka, son of Rāma, had already died at about midnight yesterday.” The Buddha, however, without readily accepting the mere words of the deva, looked by means of His sabbaññutā-ñāṇa and confirmed that the Sect-Leader Udaka had died in the middle of the previous night, as informed by the deva, and that he had been reborn since in Nevasaññā-nāsaññāyatana which is the fourth (called Bhavagga) of the four planes of the Arūpa Brahmā World.

Thereupon, (musing): “It was indeed a great loss for the Sect-Leader Udaka, son of Rāma, to miss the opportunity of realising magga-phala which he deserved. If the Sect-Leader Udaka could have listened to the Dhamma taught by Me, he would have quickly discerned the Four Noble Truths.” He again reflected further: “To whom should I teach the Dhamma first? Who will quickly understand the Dhamma to be taught by Me?”

Then the Buddha thought: “The Group of Five Ascetics (Pañcavaggī), had been very helpful to Me. They stayed with Me and attended to My needs when I was practising dukkaracariya for six long years in Uruvelā Forest. So, it would be good if I were to teach the Dhamma first to the Group of Five.” On reflecting, “Where are the five Ascetics living at present?” and with His dibbacakkhu-abhiññā, He saw them dwelling in Migadāya, a huge Deer Park also called lsipatana, near Bārāṇasī City.

(In this connection, the Buddha took into consideration and reflected on the services rendered by the Group of Five Ascetics because He was especially mindful of the gratitude He owed to them. It was not that He did not want to teach the Dhamma to those who had not rendered service to Him.)

After intending: “I will proceed to the Deer Park and deliver the Sermon of Dhammacakka,” He went round for alms near Bodhimaṇḍala mound and stayed there till the fourteenth waxing moon of the month of Āsāḷha. And then on the full moon day of the month, quite early in the morning, arranging and carrying His robes and alms-bowl and thinking: “I will proceed to Bārāṇasī City”, He began the journey of eighteen yojanas on foot.

(The distance between Mahābodhi and Gayā (Buddhagaya) was three gāvutas. The distance between Mahābodhi and Bārāṇasī City was eighteen yojanas. The Buddhas of the past travelled to Migadaya, by their jhāna power, to deliver the Sermon of Dhammacakka. As for our Buddha, He went eighteen yojanas on foot, as He foresaw that an ascetic, Upaka, was soon to become an anāgāmin by virtue of his past deeds of merit. He knew thus: “Upaka is now travelling the same route. That Upaka will meet Me, converse with Me and go his way. Later on, being weary of the world, he will come back to my presence to listen to the Dhamma and become an anāgāmī-ariya in the present life and also become an arahatta in his second existence after reaching Avihā bhūmī, the twelfth. Brahmā plane.”)