Apadana commentary (Atthakatha)

by U Lu Pe Win | 216,848 words

This is the English translation of the commentary on the Apadana (Atthakatha), also known as the Visuddhajana-Vilasini. The Buddhist stories known as apadanas refer to biographies of Buddhas, Buddhist monks and nuns. They are found in the Pali Canon (Khuddaka Nikaya), which is the primary canon of Theravada Buddhism. Alternative titles: Visuddhaja...

Commentary on the Biography of the thera Anuruddha

3-4.1. The stanzas, starting with Sumedham bhagavantāham, constitute the biography of the thera Anuruddha. This one also who had done devoted service and made his aspiration in the presence of previous Buddhas, accumulating merit conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths in this and that existence, was reborn in a house-holder's family-estate, endowed with wealth, at the time of the glorious One, Padumuttara. On coming of age, he went one day to the monastery, and while listening to the preaching of dhamma in the presence of the Master, saw a monk being placed at topmost position among the bhikkhus who had divine eye by the master, himself also aspired for that position, promoted a big charitable offering for seven days to the glorious One and His retinue of a hundred thousand bhikkhus, offered, on the seventh day, most excellent garments both to the Glorious One and the congregation of bhikkhus and made his resolution. The Master also, having seen the condition of his accomplishment without any interval (or lapse), prophesied thus:- "He will become, in future, chief among possessors of divine eye during the dispensation of the Omniscient Buddha Gotama. He also making meritorious acts there and on the demise of the Master, in His honour, he made an enormous lamp-lighting offering with trees of lighted lamps, rows of lighted lamps, and many copper vessels at the gold solid shrine seven yojanas high, praying thus:- "Let this be conducive towards my gaining divine eye". Having done meritorious deeds as long as he lived, going through his rounds of repeated rebirths amongst divine and human beings, he was reborn in the house of an estate-owner in Benares at the time of the Glorious One kassapa, and attained the age of intelligence. When the Master's entire passing away to nibbāna was completed, he had His shrine surrounded, having filled up many copper vessels with clear-clean ghee, placed a lump of molasses each in the middle also, causing the mouths of vessels touched up to the rim at the tops of their rounded mouths, at the gold solid-shrine, a yojana in height. he filled the brass-bowl taken by himself with pure ghee, had a thousand wicks lighted in it, placed it on his head and went round and round the shrine continuously the whole night.

3-4.2. thus, in that existence also, having done good deeds, he was reborn in the divine world; lived there as long as his span of life lasted and passing away hence, he came to be reborn in a poor family in Benares, even before the appearance of buddha. He was known by the name of "Annabhāra, the bearer of food." He led his life doing household work in the house of the banker Sumana. One day, he saw the silent buddha named Uparittha, who having risen up from cessation trance (nirodha-samāpatti), went through the sky from the Gandhamādana hill, descended down at the city-gate of Benares, put on his upper robe, and wandering about for alms food, he became pleasingly pious, took hold of the begging-bowl, into which he threw down the share of meal put by for his own benefit and began to be desirous of offering to the silent buddha. his wife also in that self-same manner threw down into the bowl her own share of meal. He took that filled-up bowl and placed it into the hand of the silent buddha. the silent buddha took over that bowl, made thanks-giving and departed. That day the divinity who resided in the umbrella of the banker Sumana offered his congratulations with a loud voice thus:- "Wonderful is the offering of exalted charity!" Having heard that congratulation, the banker sumana pondered thus: "This alone, congratulated by the divinity in this manner, is the most excellent charity," and there he asked for the share of offering. Annabhāra, on his part, gave the share of his offering. Pleased and pious at heart, with that share of merit, the banker Sumana gave him a thousand and said thus: "Beginning from now onwards, there is no more of doing manual work with your own hand; build a suitable house and live there forever".

3-4.3. Just because alms-food was offered to the silent buddha who had risen from cessation-trance (nirodha-samāpatti) there was on that self-same day an immense result, therefore the banker, Sumana as he went to the king's presence, did so, taking the donor along. The king, on his part, looked at the donor in the manner of respect. The banker having said thus:- "O great king! This one is but fitted to be looked upon", spoke then about the deed done by that donor, and the fact of his having given the donor a thousand by himself also. Having heard about it, the king became pleased with him, gave him a thousand and passed orders to him about his house-site thus:- "At such a place as that you build a house and live there". When he was making that house-site clear and clean, big and large jars of gold treasure sprang up. On having seen those treasure-jars, he informed the king. The king had all the buried wealth dug up, saw the heap piled up and asked thus:- "In whose house, in this city, is there so much wealth?" The answer was: "Your majesty! Not in the house of anybody". That very day even, the king raised for him the banker's umbrella with these words:- "Well then, indeed! Let this Annabhāra be known as the banker of large wealth, Mahādhanaseṭṭhi, in this city".

3-4.4. He, having become a banker, did good deeds as long as he lived and was reborn in the celestial world. For a long period of time he underwent his repeated rounds of rebirths amongst the divine and human beings, and finally took conception in the house of the Sakyan Suddhodana in the city of Kapilavatthu at the time of the appearance of our Glorious One. When he was born, they gave him the name Anuruddha. He was the youngest brother of the Sakyan Mahānāma, the son of the Glorious One's paternal uncle;he was extremely delicate and of high merit. His meal would spring up only in the gold vessel even. Then his mother, one day, considered thus: "My son does not know such an expression as 'There is nothing; I shall let him know" sent to him a gold vessel simply empty even, after covering closely with another gold vessel. In between the journey, divinities filled that empty vessel with heavenly delicacies. In this way, the great lord of merit throughout the three seasons, enjoyed pompous prosperity, like a divine-being, surrounded by decorated damsels in the three palaces.

3-4.5. Our bodhisatta also, on that occasion passed away from the heavenly city of Tusita, came to be reborn in the womb of the chief queen of the great king Suddhodana, grew up gradually and came of age, lived his life in the midst of household for twenty-nine years, made the great renunciation, in due course having penetrated the Omniscient knowledge properly, spent seven times seven days at the terrace of the bodhi tree, made the wheel of dhamma turn at the deer-park in Isipatana, went to Rājagaha, performing the protection of the world, and dwelt at the bamboo grove, Veḷuvana. At that time, the great king Suddhodana said to himself: "They say that my son has arrived at Rājagaha; O my ministers! You all should go and bring my son#, and then sent ten ministers, one at a time, with a retinue of a thousand each. They all became monks by means of Come! Bhikkhu! ordination. When requested by the thera Udāyī, amongst those ministers for Buddha' going on His wandering round, the Glorious One, surrounded by twenty thousand arahants departed from Rājagaha, went to the city of Kapilavatthu, showed many a miracle on the coming-together of relatives, preached the truth (dhamma) variegated with miracles, let the great crowd of people drink the drink of immortality (amata) stood at the city gate after taking His bowl and robe on the second day and on pondering: "What, indeed, is the regular custom of all Buddhas who had arrived at their family-home city?", came to that it was their wont to go from house to house in serial order continuously (sapadāna) for alms-food, and wandered about from door to door (sapadāna). The king heard that his son wandered about for alms-food, came with all hurried haste, listened to the truth (dhamma), within the streets, requested Buddha to enter his residential palace, and made great honour and offering. The Glorious One, having done such benefits as should be done to relatives there, novitiated the young prince Rāhula, not long afterwards, wandered about going on His journey from the city of kapilavatthu towards the kingdom of Malla, arrived at Anupiya grove.

3-4.6. On that occasion, the great king Suddhodana had the organisation of Sakyans assembled and said thus: "If my son had lived on a household life, he would have become a world-king, endowed with seven gem's, surrounded by a retinue of the Sakyan organisation; my grandson, prince Rāhula also, would have surrounded his father, together with the organisation of Sakyans and wandered about; you all also know about this matter; now, however, since my son has become Buddha, let His retinue be simply and purely of princely (khattiya) clan; you all give Him a boy each from each of your families". When he said so, at a single stroke even, eighty-two thousand youths of warrior clan (khattiya) renounced the world; they become bhikkhus(monks).

3-4.7. On that occasion, that Mahānāma, the lord of family estate, approached Anuruddha, the Sakyan and spoke thus:- "Dear Anuruddha! At the present moment, well-known and reputed Sakyan youths have followed the Glorious One in His renunciation and become monks;from our family, however, there is not any one at all, who has gone from household life to houseless life and become a monk; well then, indeed, either you rather become a monk or I shall do so". Having heard that news Anuruddha did not make himself to be pleased with household life, went away from the household life to the houseless life and became himself the seventh too become monk. That serial order of his becoming monk has but come in the main section on breakage of bhikkhu organisation (saṅghabheda). Having thus gone to Anupiya, when, however, they had become monks, in that very rainy season, the thera Bhaddiya attained arahantship; the thera Anuruddha made divine-eye spring up in him; Devadatta produced eight self-attainments of effective meditation (samāpatti); the thera Ānanda established himself in the fruition of the first stage of sanctification (sotāpatti);the thera Bhagu and the thera Kimila attained arahantship afterwards. The former desire and aspiration of all those theras also, for the positions they reached, each for himself, will become revealed. This thera Anuruddha took guidance for his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) in the presence of generalissimo of dhamma, went to the east bamboo forest in the kingdom of Citīya, and going his monk's duties there, made an emphatic way of thinking at the eight inception of a great man; he became tired at the eighth stage. The Master came to know thus: "Anuruddha has become tired at the eighth inception" of a great man (mahāpurisavitakka); I shall fill up his intention"; went there, sat Himself down on the excellent Buddha-seat, prepared for Him, filled up the eighth inception of a great man, preached the proper practice of generations of highly noble lineage (ariyavaṃsa) rose up into the sky and went to the bean grove, Bhesakalavana, even.

3-4.8. The very moment the Tathāgata had gone away, the thera became a;great cankerless arahant endowed with three kinds of enlightened knowledge (vijjā), and said to himself thus:- "The Master came to know my mind, and having come to me, He gave me by having filled up the eighth inception of a great man; that desired object of mine also has reached its highest limit".

He uttered these stanzas of solemn utterance in connection with the Buddha's preaching of dhamma and his own proper penetration of truth (dhamma).

“The Master, the peerless in the world, having known my intention, approached with His mind-made body by means of magical power. As and when there was my intention (saṅkappa), beyond that He preached to me. Buddha who took delight in the absence of impediments preached me to become free from hindrances. Having comprehended his dhamma, I dwelt being delighted in the dispensation, (sāsana). I have accordingly attained three kinds of enlightened knowledge, (vijjā), and carried out Buddha's instruction.”

3-4.9. Then the Master, dwelling in the great Jetavana monastery subsequently, placed him at the topmost position thus: "Anuruddha is the chief among bhikkhus who possess divine eye".

421. Thus, having obtained the topmost position among the divine-eyed, from the presence of the Glorious One, uttered this stanza starting with Sumedham Bhagavantaham, in order to make manifest the deeds done previously by way of his delight after remembering his own former deeds. There, that Glorious One to whom there is wisdom (medha), reckoned to be such as excellent knowledge of devotional service, knowledge of the right noble paths and fruitions, knowledge of spiritual insight (vipassanā), the four kinds of analytical knowledge and so on, such a One is Sumedha; that Sumedha because of His being endowed with glorious power is bhagavanta; and He is jeṭṭha (eldest), the best of the world and has become the main, who first of all went out of the rounds of rebirth, who was the big bull among men and who had the credit of having previously practised;vūpakaṭṭham (stood alone) became secluded, I saw Him living, having gone out of the ashram (ārāma) of association with the crowd;thus, is the connection.

422. Sambuddham (Omniscient Buddha), self-enlightened because He became, Buddha, the Awakened One, having knowledge of all truths (dhamma), all by Himself; Upagantvāna (having approaches) having gone near; thus, is the meaning. Añjalim paggahetvāna (having raised (my) clasped hands) having made to form a hollow serving as container with his tenfingers clasped and placed on (his) head; thus, is the meaning. The rest is but clear.

430. Divārattiñca passāmi (I see day and night) at that time, when I sprang up in the divine world as well as in the human world, I could see with my flesh-eyes (or normal eyes) a yojana all round; thus, is the meaning.

431. Sahassalokam nāṇena (the thousand world with knowledge) I could see the thousand universes (cakkavaḷa), with my eye of knowledge; thus, is the meaning. Satthu sāsane (in the dispensation of the Master) now, in the dispensation of the Glorious One, Gotama. Dīpadānassa (of lamp charity) this fruition is of the offering in honour of lighted lamps; by this fruitful result, has, the consequent attainments, proper gain of divine eye, been promoted; thus, is the meaning.

The Commentary on the biography of the thera Anuruddha has ended.

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: