Buddha Chronicle 1: Dīpaṅkarā Buddhavaṃsa

(The author discusses briefly the Myanman word Buddhavan derived from the Pāli Buddhavaṃsa. Then he goes on to say as follows:) The definition of Buddhavaṃsa is this: Ito heṭṭhā kappasatasahassādhikesu catūsu asaṅkhyeyyesu uppaññānam pañcavisatiyā Buddhānam uppaññākappadi paricchedavasena paveniviṭṭhārakathā Buddhavamso nāma.

From this definition the meaning of Buddhavaṃsa should be understood as “a description and exposition of the lineage of the twenty-five Buddhas, who had come into being over the past four asaṅkhyeyya and one hundred thousand aeons, with their thirty-two particulars, such as the aeons concerned, their names, clans, families, etc., is Buddhavaṃsa.”

Though the chronicle of all these Buddhas with their particulars, such as the aeons, etc., is called Buddhavaṃsa, when each of them is spoken of, the same term ‘Buddhavaṃsa’ is applicable to the life-story of each Buddha. (For example) though the word Sangha is a term for the whole Order of Noble Ones, each and every one of them can also be called Sangha.

Therefore, it should be understood that in this section called Dīpaṅkarā Buddhavaṃsa, the life story (with the aeon to which He belonged, etc.) of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā will be dealt with.

In the Buddhavaṃsa Text, the account of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā does not contain in detail the events that took place at the time of His conception and birth. Only this much is mentioned about Him in the Sumedhakatha, Story of Sumedha.

Evam me siddhipattassa vasibhutassa sāsane
Dipankaro nāma jino uppajji lokanāyako.
Uppajjante ca jāyante bujjhante dhammadesane
caturo nimitte nāddasim jhānarati samappito.

[The Bodhisatta Sumedha the Hermit says:]

“When I have thus become accomplished in asceticism (jhānas and abhiññās) there appeared Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, Lord of the whole world.

“Being totally absorbed in the bliss of jhāna, I have not seen the wondrous phenomena that took place on the four occasions of His conception, birth, Enlightenment and delivery of the First Sermon.”

Thus the Buddhavaṃsa Text refers only briefly to the appearance of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā in the story of Sumeda. It is only in the Buddhavaṃsa Commentary that we find the full story of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, with details of events in chronicle order, starting from the episode of His rebirth in the abode of Tusitā Gods.

Four asaṅkhyeyya and one hundred thousand aeons before the present bhadda-kappa^[1], there appeared in one saramanda-kappa three Buddhas, namely, Tanhankara, Medhankara and Saranankara, one after another. After that came an antara-kappa, an aeon of decrease, with the human life span of one hundred thousand years. Then, in the city of Rammavati, reigned King Sudeva. During his reign, Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkarā was enjoying life in the celestial abode of Tusitā after his fulfilment of the Perfections. Deities from the ten thousand world-system approached him with a request. In compliance with which, the Bodhisatta took conception in the womb of Sumedhā, Queen of Sudeva, on the full-moon day of Āsāḷhā [June-July] when the moon was in conjunction with the planet of Uttarāsalha. Having been tended upon by a great retinue and after ten full months, the Bodhisatta was born.

At the moments of His conception and birth, there appeared thirty-two portentous phenomena such as trembling of the thousand world-systems, etc.

(These thirty-two phenomena usually take place on the four occasions of every Bodhisatta’s conception, birth, Enlightenment and teaching of the First Sermon. These phenomena, common to all Bodhisattas, will be described when we come to the Chronicle of Buddha Gotama. In the Buddhavaṃsa Commentary, however, these thirty-two phenomena and their subsequent happenings are elaborately told in the chapter on Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkarā’s conception.)

Thereafter, Prince Dīpaṅkarā was brought up in luxury, and when he came of age, he ascended the throne.

As a king, he lived in three golden palaces, namely, Hamsa Palace (Haṃsa Pāsāda), Heron Palace (Koñca Pāsāda) and Peacock Palace (Mayūra Pāsāda), by rotation for ten thousand years. There were about three hundred thousand well ornamented female attendants. His Chief Consort was Padumā and his son, Prince Usabhakkhandha.

Enjoying a divine-like kingly life in the three palaces, Prince Dīpaṅkarā went out to the royal garden to enjoy himself. On the way, he saw an old man, a sick man and a dead man who were deva messengers. Overcome by religious emotion (saṃvega), he returned from the garden and entered the city. When he wanted to go out again to the garden for the fourth time, he summoned his elephant-keeper and said: “Today, I will visit the royal garden for sightseeing. Get the elephants ready.” “Very well, Your Majesty,” said the royal elephant-keeper and he had eighty-four thousand elephants prepared. Dressed in a costume offered by Deva Vissakamma and accompanied by eighty-four thousand elephants and a large army of troops, he entered the garden riding the state elephant. Having descended from the elephant’s back, he roamed, sightseeing all over the garden, sat on a cool and pleasant stone slab and aspired to go forth from the world. Then Mahā Brahmā, an arahat of Suddhāvāsa abode, brought the eight requisites and appeared at a place where he could be seen. Seeing the eight requisites, the Bodhisatta asked what they were and when told that they were the paraphernalia of a monk, he took off his royal attire and handed it over to the royal treasurer. Then he cut off his hair with his sword and threw his hair up into the sky.

Then, Sakka, King of Devas, took the hair knot in a golden receptacle and enshrined it in a cetiya called Makuṭa, which is three yojanas in size and built of emerald stones on Mount Meru.

The Bodhisatta then put on the robes offered by the Brahmā and threw up into the sky his old raiment which was received and enshrined by the Brahmā in a cetiya (called Dussa), which is twelve yojanas in size, in the Suddhāvāsa Brahmā abode.

A crore of people, who had heard of the prince’s donning of the robe, followed his example and became monks themselves.

Together with these monks, who had thus followed in his footsteps, Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkarā practised austerity called dukkaracariya. On the full-moon day of Vesākha, on which he was to become a Buddha, he entered a town for alms-food. It was the day that townsfolk happened to be making pure milk-food for propitiating gods. Nevertheless, the food was offered to the Bodhisatta and his one crore of followers.

Having taken the milk-food, the Bodhisatta spent the day-time in the sāla grove of the neighbourhood and in the evening, leaving behind all his followers, he headed alone to the Mahābodhi tree.

Enlightenment and Teaching of The Dhammacakka Discourse

On the way, the Bodhisatta accepted eight handfuls of grass from an heretic, Sunanda by name, and no sooner had he spread out the grass at the foot of the Bodhi tree, the Aparājita Pallanka (Unconquered Seat), which was fifty-three cubits in size, appeared.

(With regard to the size of the seat which was fifty-three cubits, some say the size means the height and others say it means the breadth as found in the Sub-Commentaries of the Inwa Period. These commentarial statements in detail will be dealt with when we come to the story of Buddha Gotama.)

Sitting cross-legged on the “Unconquered Seat”, under the Bodhi tree (pipphala, Ficus religiosa), the Bodhisatta put forth energy of four levels^[152] and overcame Mara and his army. He gained Pubbenivāsa ñāṇa (Wisdom that enables one to know the series of previous existences) in the first watch of the night; Dibbacakkhu ñāṇa (Wisdom that helps one see even the most subtle form from a far distance, like a divine eye) in the middle watch; and contemplated, in the last watch, the doctrine of Paṭicca-samuppāda (Dependent Origination) in the forward order, revolving of the wheel of saṃsāra and in the backward order, stopping of it. Thereafter, he entered upon the fourth jhāna through Ānāpāna Meditation; emerging from it and reflecting on the five aggregates, he discerned the fifty characteristics concerning rise and fall of these aggregates and developed Vipassanā Insight, up to the stage of Gotrabhū ñāṇa^[153]. As soon as the sun rose, this Vipassanā development led to the penetration of the Path and Fruition of Arahantship, of all the attributes of a Buddha and to the incomparable Buddhahood which is supreme in the three worlds.

After attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha spent seven days at each of the seven sites around the Bodhi Tree, enjoying the bliss of Fruition (phala-samāpatti). Having granted the Brahmā’s request for His Teaching, the Buddha delivered the First Sermon, Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, at Sunandārama and one hundred crores of devas, humans and Brahmās realized the Four Truths.

At the time of His Enlightenment and that of His teaching the Dhammacakka-pavattana Sutta, thirty-two portentous phenomena occurred.

These phenomena (on the four occasions), when Bodhisatta Dīpaṅkarā was conceived, born, attained Buddhahood and taught the First Sermon, occurred unknown or unseen by Sumedha the Hermit as he was absorbed in the bliss of jhānas. (This has been stated above.)

The Buddha’s Journey

After teaching the First Sermon, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā set out on a journey for the benefit of devas, humans and Brahmās. While staying at Sudassana Monastery in Rammavati, at the invitation of the citizens, the Buddha went out to accept the alms-food offered by them. While He was partaking of the food, there took place a violent earthquake as a result of Sumedha’s contemplation of the Perfections. The people, present on that occasion, were frightened and asked the Buddha about the cause of the earthquake. On hearing from the Buddha that there was nothing to fear as the cause was Sumedha’s contemplation of the Pāramīs, they visited and acclaimed him, who thereafter entered the forest. All this has been told in the story of Sumedha. What remains to be told is the following:

When the citizens of Rammavati had finished their offering of alms-food to Buddha Dīpaṅkarā and His four hundred thousand bhikkhus, they paid obeisance to the Buddha with flowers, scents, etc., and assembled to listen to His sermon. Buddha Dīpaṅkarā then addressed the assembly:

(1) Dānaṃ nāma sukhādīnaṃ nidānam paramaṃ mataṃ
dibbānaṃ, pana bhogānaṃ patiṭṭhāti pavuccātī.

Dāna should be understood as the noble cause of human, divine and Nibbānic happiness; it is said to be the basis of divine enjoyments.

“Beginning with these words the pleasant talk on the practice of dāna (dāna-kathā) was given.”

(2) Sīlam nām etaṃ idhaloka-paraloka sampattīnaṃ mūlaṃ.

Sīla means the root of various forms of prosperity in this life and the next.

In this and many other ways, the talk on morality (sīla-kathā) was given in detail.

(3) Next, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā gave a talk on divine abodes (saga-kathā) to explain as to which sīla leads to which divine happiness. “This divine abode is desirable, pleasant and delightful, and indeed happy. This abode provides constant merriment and gaiety. Cātumahārājika Devas enjoy celestial happiness for nine million years in terms of human reckoning.” In this way, the benefit of heavenly attainment was taught.

(4) After persuading, convincing and inspiring the people with this teaching so that they might be inclined to perform dāna and sīla, the Buddha proceeded to teach that even such heavenly bliss was not permanent and that one should not crave for it very passionately. In this way, the Buddha pointed out the disadvantages, unworthiness and foulness of sensual pleasures and also the advantages of emancipation from them. He ended His discourse with a talk on Deathless Nibbāna.

With this discourse given to the people, the Buddha established some of them in the Three Refuges, some in the Five Precepts, some in the Sotāpatti-phala (Fruition of the ‘Stream-Winner’), Sakadāgāmi-phala (Fruition of the ‘once Returner’), Anāgāmi-phala (Fruition of the ‘non-Returner’) and Arahatta-phala (Fruition of Arahantship). Some in the threefold knowledge, the Sixfold Higher Knowledge, or the eight attainments^[2]; the Buddha then left the city of Rammavati and entered Sudassana Monastery.

Three Occasions of The Buddha’s Teaching (Dhammābhisamaya)

Having spent forty-nine days in the neighbourhood of the Bodhi Tree after His Enlightenment, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā delivered the First Sermon of Dhammacakka at Sunandārāma at the request of Mahā Brahmā and administered the Dhamma, Elixir of Immortality to one hundred crores of devas and humans.

(This was the first Dhammābhisamaya.)

Next, knowing that His son Prince Usabhakkhandha had become intellectually mature, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā gave a sermon and administered the Dhamma, Elixir of Immortality, to ninety crores of devas and humans headed by the Prince (just like our Buddha taught His son, Rāhula, the Cūla Rāhulovāda Sutta that led him to Fruition of Arahantship).

(This is the second Dhammābhisamaya.)

Finally, after defeating the heretics near the Sirīsa tree at the city-gate of Rammavati and displaying the Twin Miracle of water and fire, the Buddha taught the Abhidhamma, sitting on the stone slab of Paṇḍukambala at the foot of Pārichattaka tree in Tāvatiṃsa Abode, and administered the Dhamma, Elixir of Immortality, to ninety crores of devas and Brahmās headed by a deva who, in his previous existence, had been the Buddha’s mother, Sumedhā Devi.

(This is the third Dhammābhisamaya.)

Three Occasions of The Disciples' Meeting (Sannipāta)

There were three occasions of meeting of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā’s disciples, one of them being at Sunandārama, where arahats, numbering about one hundred thousand crores from all regions, specially met for the first time.

(This was the first sannipāta.)

Next, the Disciples' meeting took place on Mount Nārada. Once, while wandering from place to place with four hundred thousand bhikkhus, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā arrived at the delightful Mount Nārada which was full of marvellous features.

The mountain was occupied by a divine yakkha named Naradeva. People brought annually, even human beings as sacrificial offering in his honour.

Seeing that the people were endowed with the merits of their past deeds to rely upon, the Buddha ascended the mountain alone, leaving behind His bhikkhus. Thereupon, the yakkha became furious and caused the trembling of the mountain to scare the Buddha away. On seeing the Buddha serene and undisturbed although he had used all his might to frighten Him, it occurred to him thus: “This great monk is indeed wonderful! Powerful indeed is He! The evil consequences of what I have done will come back to me. There is no refuge for me other than this great monk. Like a man, who slips and falls onto the ground, has to rely on the same ground to get up, I will now take refuge in this very monk.”

With this thought, he bowed before the Buddha, touching his head on the Buddha’s feet, the soles of which were adorned with one hundred and eight signs. He also begged the Buddha’s pardon and took refuge in Him. Then the Buddha taught him Dāna-kathā, Sīlakathā, etc., in serial order. By the end of which, Naradeva and his retinue of ten thousand yakkhas were established in sotāpatti-phala.

On the day Naradeva thus became a sotāpanna, people from all over Jambudīpa brought a man from each village to make sacrificial offering to the yakkha. They also brought with them large quantities of sesame, rice, beans of various kinds, butter, ghee, honey, molasses, etc. Naradeva handed back all these food-stuffs to the people and entrusted the men, originally meant for sacrifice, to the Buddha.

Then the Buddha ordained these men by the “Ehi bhikkhu” formula and helped them achieved arahantship within seven days. On the full-moon day of Magha (January-February), staying in the middle of one hundred crores of arahats, the Buddha gave instructions of Pāṭimokkha at the Disciples' meeting of four features.

An ehi-bhikkhu does not need to seek the bowl, robes, etc., to become a recluse. On being invited by the Buddha, “Come, O monk”, his appearance of a lay man vanishes, and he assumes the appearance of a monk of sixty years' standing in the Order. The four features of a Disciples' meeting are:

(1) all participants are ehi-bhikkhus;

(2) all participants have attained Chaḷabhiññā (Sixfold Higher Knowledge);

(3) all participants come together without being summoned by the Buddha, and

(4) the congregation takes place on the full-moon day of the month, the fifteenth day Uposatha.

The above mentioned story of the divine yakkha, Naradeva, comes from the Buddhavaṃsa Commentary.

In the Buddhavaṃsa Text, however, just this simple narration is given: “Again, when Buddha Dīpaṅkarā had gone into quietude on the top of Nārada Mountain, there gathered one hundred crores of arahats who were free from defilements.”

(This was the second sannipāta.)

Once, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā observed vassa (rains retreat) on Mount Sudassana. When the vassa was over, people of Jambudīpa went to the mountain to celebrate their annual mountain-top festival. They then happened to encounter the Buddha. They listened to His sermon and were so delighted with it that they became monks. When the Buddha taught them again on the Mahā Pavāraṇā Day [the full moon of Assayuja (September-October)] the newcomers attained arahantship through the stages of Vipassanā Insight and of the Path, as a result of their contemplation of conditioned things in the three planes of existence. The Buddha held Pavāraṇā ceremony^[5] with ninety thousand crores of arahats.

(This was the third sannipāta.)

The ordinary sermons, given by Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, led to realization of the Four Truths (attainment of Liberation) by thousands of beings, by countless individuals.

At that time, the thoroughly purified Teaching of the Buddha spread far and wide; it was understood by innumerable beings, such as devas, humans and Brahmās; it was full and complete with exhortation on noble sīla and such virtues.

Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, the Knower of the Three Realms, was always attended upon by four hundred thousand arahat-disciples who were immensely powerful with the sixfold abhiññās.

During the Dispensation of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, those who died as learners (sekkhas) while trying for arahantship in vain, become the scorn of all.

The Teaching of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā spread throughout the whole world and remained glorious forever with arahats who had extirpated their foe, namely defilements, and who were not disturbed by various sense objects and thus free of impurities and āsavas.

Particulars of Buddha Dīpaṅkarā

Buddha Dīpaṅkarā’s birth place was the city of Rammavati.

His father was King Sudeva and His mother was Queen Sumedhā.

His two male Chief Disciples were Sumaṅgala Thera and Tissa Thera. His attendant was Sāgata Thera.

His two female Chief Disciples were Nandā Therī and Sunandā Therī. His Bodhi tree was a pipphala tree.

His male supporters were Tapussa and Bhallika. His female supporters were Sirmā and Sonā.

His height was eighty cubits. He was a splendour like a pillar of blazing light and a great sāla tree in full bloom.

(The advantage of giving these particulars is this: Had they not been given, He might have been mistaken for a deva, māra, a demon, or a Brahma. One could think, it is not strange at all that the wonderful events should occur to such a divine being. This would have led to the wrong notion that it was not worthwhile to listen to His Teaching. Then there would have been no possibility of realization of the Truth (attainment of Liberation). On the other hand, the particulars would give rise to the right belief that “Powerful thus is indeed a human being.” With this belief, beings would listen to His Teaching and could understand the Truth (or could attain Liberation). Hence such details.)

Buddha Dīpaṅkarā’s rays spread by themselves (i.e. without His exercising of power) to all the directions reaching twelve yojanas. His life span was one hundred thousand years.

(This much is given in the Pāli Text.)

There are also some more particulars in the Commentaries which are not contained in the Text but which, the Commentaries state, much be told.

While leading a lay man’s life, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā had three palaces: Hamsa, Koñca, and Mayūra.

He had three hundred thousand female attendants. His Chief Consort was Padumā Devī, His son Usabhakkhandha. The duration of His reign was ten thousand years.

When He renounced the world, He went forth on an elephant. When He became Buddha, He lived at Nandārāma (Nanda Park).

Living throughout such a long period, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā saved large numbers of beings (from suffering).

Having made the three divisions of the True Dhamma, such as Learning (Pariyatti), Practice (Paṭipatti) and Penetration (Paṭivedha), shine forth throughout the world, and having liberated beings, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā and His Disciples realized final Peace, the way a mass of fire went out after blazing with bright flames.

Contemplation on Impermanence, etc. (saṃvega)

The glory of that Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, His assemblage of four hundred thousand arahats, etc., who were all His Disciples, and the signs on both His feet, had all ceased to exist. Impermanent are all conditioned things! They are indeed unsubstantial!

Erection of A Cetīya

In this way, Buddha Dīpaṅkarā, who had penetrated all the Four Noble Truths without exception, attained Parinibbāna at Nandarama Park. In the same Park was erected a cetiya, thirty yojanas in height and dedicated to Him. It was made of powdered red orpiment mixed with oil and butter, and in it were enshrined His relics which were in an indestructible and undispersed mass, a natural phenomenon common to all long-lived Buddhas. People of Jambudīpa came together and completed the cetiya with decorations of seven kinds of gems.

Here ends Dīpaṅkarā Buddhavaṃsa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bhudda kappa: for kappa in general, read Anudipanī Chapter I, II,III.

[2]:

Energy of four levels: the levels where one would be reduced to (i) skin, (ii) sinews, (iii) bones and (iv) where one’s flesh and blood would dry up. Read also Anudīpanī, Chapter VI.

[3]:

Gotrabhū ñāṇa: the wisdom that helps one cut off the heritages of kāma-consciousness and evolve the lineage of the rūpa-class of exalted consciousness.

[4]:

Eight attainments: eight samapatti-attainments of four rūpa-jhānas and arūpa-jhānas.

[5]:

Formal ceremony concluding the rains-retreat in which each bhikkhu invites criticism from his brethren in respect of what has been seen, heard or suspected about his conduct.