The Great Chronicle of Buddhas

by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words

This page describes Sumana Buddhavamsa contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as the chronicle of twenty-four Buddhas. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).

Buddha Chronicle 4: Sumana Buddhavaṃsa

In this way, Buddha Maṅgala, by means of His physical rays, outshone the various rays of the sun, the moon, stars and planets, devas and Brahmās throughout the ten-thousand world-system of Jāti-khetta[1], making no difference between day and night and then passed away into Nibbāna as though He had simultaneously created massive darkness.

The life span, which was ninety thousand years in Buddha Maṅgala’s time, gradually decreased to ten years; and again the life span increased therefrom and when it reached ninety thousand years, Bodhisatta Sumana, having fulfilled the Perfections, was reborn in Tusitā, a practice common to all Bodhisattas. Consenting to the request made by devas and Brahmās, He descended to the human abode and took conception in the womb of Sirīmā, Queen of Sudatta, in the city of Mekhala.

At the time of his conception, thirty-two prophetic phenomena became manifest. At his birth, which took place after ten months, similar phenomena also took place, and all miracles, associated with all Bodhisattas, occurred.

When he came of age, Prince Sumana occupied three golden palaces, namely, Canda Palace, Sucanda Palace and Vatamsa Palace, where he enjoyed for ninety thousand years, a blissful life resembling that of devas, with his Chief Consort Vatamsikā (so named because she was comparable to a flower that is worn on the crown of each and every person) who was waited upon by beautifully adorned maids of honour, six million and three hundred thousand of them.

(With regard to the number of these maids, it should not be taken that they all waited upon the Princess at the same time; it was the total number of all those ladies who served her in turn.)

When Princess Vatamsikā gave birth to a son, Aṇupama, the Bodhisatta saw the four omens of the aged, the sick, the dead and the recluse, and he renounced the world, following the tradition of all Bodhisattas, in the clothings offered by devas and, riding an elephant. His example of renunciation was followed by thirty crores of people who became recluses like Him.

Bodhisatta Sumana with the thirty crores of recluses engaged in the practices of austerity (dukkaracariyā). On the full moon day of Vesākha (April-May), having partaken the milkfood offered by Anupamā, daughter of a wealthy man of the village of Anoma, he spent the daytime in the local sāla grove. In the evening, he left all his followers and went alone to the Bodhi tree. On the way, he accepted the eight handfuls of grass offered by Anupama, a heretic, and spread it under the (nāga) Bodhi tree; suddenly there appeared the Aparājita Seat of thirty cubits in height.

Sitting cross-legged on that seat (as has been described in Maṅgala-Buddhavaṃsa), he dispelled Mara and his hordes, attained Perfect Self-Enlightenment, the crowing glory of the three worlds, and uttered the verse of elation, beginning with Anekajātisaṃsarām, which was also uttered by each and every Buddha.

Three Occasions of The Buddha’s Teaching (Dhammābhisamaya)

After the attainment of Buddhahood and spending forty-nine days in the neighbourhood of the Bodhi tree, the Buddha accepted a Brahmā’s request and contemplated as to whom He should teach first. Then He discerned the thirty crores of recluses who, with Him, had renounced the world, His half-brother, Prince Sarana and His Purohita’s son, the youthful Bhavitatta, who were endowed with the merits of their past deeds that would lead them to the Path, Fruition and Nibbāna. Thinking: “I shall teach them first,” He contemplated as to their whereabouts and saw that they were living in Mekhala Park of the city of Mekhala which was eighteen leagues away from the Mahābodhi tree. Accordingly, taking His bowl and robe, the Buddha, by His psychic power, immediately appeared in Mekhala Park, the residence of those bhikkhus.

On seeing Buddha Sumana approaching them, the thirty crores of bhikkhus, with faithful hearts, welcomed the Buddha, taking His bowl and robe, prepared the seat and did obeisance respectfully. When all these were done, they took their appropriate seats surrounding Him.

Then Buddha Sumana sent the gardener to fetch Prince Sarana and the youth, Bhavitatta, son of the Purohita. To the Prince and the youth with their thirty-seven crores of followers, to the thirty crores of bhikkhus who were His companions on His renunciation and as well as to several crores of devas and humans, the Buddha taught the Dhammacakka-pavattana Sutta, which were taught by previous Buddhas too, and hence beat the drum of His Dispensation of Nine Constituents[2], accompanied by the conch of the Four Noble Truths.

What should be particularly mentioned is this: Having attained Omniscience, Buddha Sumana was desirous of fulfilling the Brahmā’s request. In order to liberate beings, such as devas, humans and Brahmās, from the bondage of existences and to protect those who were robbed of their treasures of meritorious deeds by the robber of defilements, He built the Deathless City of Nibbāna with the walls of morality (sīla), the moats of concentration (samādhi) that encircled the city and adorned it with the gate of Insight Wisdom (Vipassanā ñāṇa), the doors of mindfulness (sati), the grand pavilions and mansions, etc., of jhāna attainments (samāpatti) and was inhabited by the noble citizens of a group of Dhammas pertaining to Enlightenment (Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhammas).

Having thus built the City of Nibbāna, Buddha Sumana created the (unbroken, straight, tidy, beautiful, broad, and long) boulevard of four Methods of Steadfast Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna). On either side of the boulevard, He laid out peaceful and pleasant rows of shops of Dhamma where those who wanted the precious things of Fourfold Fruition (phala), Fourfold Analytical Knowledge (patisambhidā-ñāṇa), Sixfold Psychic Power (abhiññāna) and Eight Jhānas Attainments (samāpatti), could buy them to their hearts content with mindfulness (sati), energy (vīriya), moral shame of doing evil (hirī), and moral dread of doing evil (ottappa).

Having thus built the great City of Dhamma and laid out the Market of Dhamma, Buddha Sumana beat the Drum of Dhamma by delivering the First Sermon, the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, and provided the means of Liberation to one hundred thousand crores of devas, humans and Brahmās.

(This was the first Dhammābhisamaya.)

In order to subjugate the wrongful conceit of the intoxicated and arrogant heretics in Sunandavati, Buddha Sumana once performed the marvellous Twin Miracle of water and fire near a mango tree and administered the Dhamma, the Elixir of Immortality, to devas, humans and Brahmās. Then one hundred crores of beings realized the Four Noble Truths. (This was the second Dhammābhisamaya.)

On another occasion, devas and Brahmās of the ten-thousand world-system came and met devas, humans and Brahmās of this universe and discussed Nirodha-samāpatti. “How can one enter upon Nirodha-samāpatti? How can one attain it? How can one arise from it?” Since they could not solve such problems, all of them, up to the nine abodes of Brahmās, had doubts (as to the right answers) and they divided themselves into two groups. Along with King Arindama, Lord of people, they approached Buddha Sumana, Chief of the three worlds, and put forward the aforesaid questions. The Buddha solved them by giving appropriate Dhamma discourses, and ninety crores of devas, humans and Brahmās penetrated the Four Noble Truths.

(This was the third Dhammābhisamaya.)

Three Occasions of The Disciples' Meeting (Sannipāta)

There were three occasions of meeting of Buddha Sumana’s disciples. Of these three, the first took place when, having observed vassa with Mekhala city as the resort for food, together with one hundred thousand arahats who were all ehi-bhikkhus, Buddha Sumana held Pavarana ceremony on the full moon day of Assayuja, the end of vassa. (This was the first sannipāta).

At one time when Buddha Sumana was sojourning on the mountain of pure gold, one league in size, which appeared, as the result of King Arindama’s act of merit, He admonished, by means of His excellent discourses, ninety thousand crores of royal servants who accompanied the King on his visit. The Buddha made them all ehi-bhikkhus and being surrounded by all these bhikkhus, who attained arahatship on the same day, He recited the Pāṭimokkha at the meeting complete with four features.

(The four features are not given in the Buddhavaṃsa Commentary. However, as mentioned in the exposition of the Dighanakha Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya Commentary, these should be understood as follows: (1) the meeting is held on the full-moon day of Magha (Jan-Feb); (2) the meeting is held by arahats on their own accord without being summoned by anyone;(3) bhikkhus (at the meeting) are all arahats, who are endowed with Six Abhiññānas; and (4) they are all ehi-bhikkhus.)

(This was the second sannipāta.)

At another time, Sakka went to pay homage to Buddha Sumana. Being surrounded by eighty thousand crores of arahats, the Buddha recited the Patimokkha.

(This was the third sannipāta.)

Bodhisatta Gotama, as Nāga King Atula, received prophecy from Buddha Sumana

In the lifetime of Buddha Sumana, Bodhisatta Gotama was reborn as Atula, the powerful Nāga King. Learning that a Buddha had appeared in the three worlds and accompanied by all His kith and kin, he came out of his residence and performed acts of merit towards the Buddha and His one hundred thousand crores of bhikkhus by making celestial music in their honour, and by performing a great act of alms giving in the form of food and drinks. He also offered a set of robes to each bhikkhu and was established in the Refuges.

Then Buddha Sumana prophesied: “This Nāga King will become Buddha Gotama in future.”

Hearing Buddha Sumana’s prophecy, Atula the Nāga King became all the more heartened and resolved firmly to increase his effort in fulfilling of the Ten Perfections.

Particulars of Buddha Sumana

Buddha Sumana’s birth place was Mekhala City.

His father was King Sudatta and His mother was Queen Sirīmā.

He reigned for nine thousand years and His three palaces were Canda Palace, Sucanda Palace and Vatamsa Palace.

His Chief Consort was Vatamsikā who had six million three hundred thousand maids of honour. His son was Prince Anupama.

His two male Chief Disciples were Sarana Thera and Bhāvitatta Thera. His attendant was Udena Thera.

His two female Chief Disciples were Sonā Therī and Upasonā Therī.

His Bodhi tree was a Nāga tree.

His distinguished male supporters were the wealthy men Varuṇa and Sarana. His distinguished female supporters were Cālā and Upacālā.

Buddha Sumana’s height was ninety cubits. Resembling a golden pillar created as an object of worship, the Buddha was of great splendour with His physical rays shining forth throughout all universe.

The life span during His time was ninety thousand years and throughout these years, He saved large numbers of devas, humans and Brahmās from saṃsāric waters and placed them on Nibbānic shores.

Having liberated those who deserved liberation out of the great ocean of saṃsāra and taught those who deserved teaching the Four Noble Truths, Buddha Sumana attained Parinibbāna like the setting moon.

Those noble ones, who had become arahats after eradicating their moral intoxicants (āsavas), and that Buddha Sumana, who was unmatched in the three worlds, brightened the peerless light of Dhamma. Having done so, the most glorious, famous Buddha and His arahat-disciples attained Parinibbāna.

Saṃvega

Buddha Sumana’s unrivalled Omniscience, His matchless Dhamma treasures, such as the Four Fruitions, the Fourfold Analytical Knowledge, etc., had all disappeared. Unsubstantial and futile indeed are all conditioned things!

Cetiya

In this manner, the attainment of Parinibbāna by Buddha Sumana, who had realized the Four Noble Truths without any exception and who had achieved great fame, took place in the Park called Anga. In that very Park was constructed a cetiya, four yojanas high. It was made of powdered red orpiment mixed with oil and butter and dedicated to Buddha Sumana.

As it was customary with long-lived Buddhas, the relics that were unbreakable remained like golden statues. These relics were enshrined in that cetiya which was decorated with seven kinds of jewels and completed by people of Jambudīpa.

End of Sumana Buddhavaṃsa

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

There are three regions associated with the Buddha, namely, (I) Jāti-khetta, the ten-thousand world-system that quaked at the time of his conception, birth, Enlightenment, giving up of the lifesustaining mental process and attaining Nibbāna; (2) Āṇā-khetta, the hundred-thousand worldsystem throughout which His Teaching spread; and (3) Visaya-khetta, the infinite world-systems which form the field of investigation of His Omniscience.

[2]:

Nine Constituents of Buddha’s dispensation, Navaṅga Sarthu Sāsana: (1) Sutta–Discourses such as Maṅgala Sutta, Ratana Sutta etc. in plain prose. (2) Geyya–Discourses interspersed with many verses such as these in Saḷāyatana Samyutta. (3) Veyyākarana–Teaching without any verses such as Abhidhamma Piṭaka. (4) Gāthā–Teaching with verses only such as Dhammapada, Thera-gāthā, Therī-gāthā. (5) Udāna–Joyful utterance in 28 discourses such as Anekajāti samsāram. (6) Itivuttaka–18 discourses beginning with the expression: "Thus said the Bhagava". (7) Jātaka–550 birth stories. (8) Abbhūta Dhamma–Discourses describing the marvellous attributes of such persons as Ānanda etc. (9) Vedalla–Discourses with questions and answers such as Cūla Vedalla Sutta, Mahā Vedalla Sutta, Sammaditthi Sutta.

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