Buddha Chronicle 7: Anomadassī Buddhavaṃsa

After the lapse of the aeon in which Buddha Sobhits lived, came incalculable aeons of suñña-kappas, aeons devoid of Buddhas. Again, after these had passed, there appeared in a certain aeon three Buddhas, namely, Anomadassī, Paduma and Nārada. The first of these was the Buddha Anomadassī.

Having fulfilled the Perfections for sixteen asaṅkhyeyya and one hundred thousand aeons, like other Bodhisattas, he was reborn in Tusitā. At the request of devas and Brahmās, he descended to the human world to be conceived in the womb of Queen Yasodharā of King Yasavā, in the city of Candavatī.

A strange event happened then. As soon as Prince Anomadassī was conceived, because of his meritorious deeds, light spread out to the extent of eighty cubits and unsurpassed by the light of the sun and the moon.

When ten months had elapsed, Queen Yasodharā gave birth to Prince Anomadassī in Sucandāna Park.

On his naming day, he was given the name of Anomadassī by wise men because, while he was in the womb, there was incessant falling from the sky of the jewels called Anoma.

Royal Household Life

When the Bodhisatta, Prince Anoma, came of age, he lived a divine-like household in three palaces, namely, Sift, Upasirī and Vaḍḍha, with his Consort Sirīmā, and being entertained and waited upon by twenty-three thousand female attendants for ten thousand years.

Renunciation

While he was thus living, Princess Sirīmā gave birth to a son, named Upavāna. Seeing the four omens, the Bodhisatta Prince Anomadassī went forth from household life on a palanquin and became a recluse. Three crores of men, who were inspired by his act of renunciation, also became recluses like him. Surrounded by these recluses, the Bodhisatta practised dukkaracariyā for ten months.

Attainment of Buddhahood

Having practised thus, he went on alms-round on the full moon day of Vesākha, which was the day of his Enlightenment, to the brahmin village of Anupama. He partook the milk-rice offered by Anopamā, daughter of a wealthy man, then he passed the day in the local sāla grove and proceeded alone to the Mahābodhi tree in the evening. On the way, he was given eight handfuls of grass by Anoma, the heretic. As soon as he spread the grass at the foot of Ajjuna tree, there appeared, under the tree, the Aparājita Seat, which was thirtyeight cubits in size. Sitting on it cross-legged, he mobilized his resources of fourfold energy and dispelled Mara’s forces and, above all, he attained Buddhahood, the state of a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, Chief of the three worlds.

Having cut off the strings of attachment to saṃsāra and having overcome with His pathwisdom called Kamma-kkhaya, the deeds leading to the three kinds of existence, Buddha Anomadassī was able to expound the doctrine, from the Eightfold Noble Path to Nibbāna.

The Buddha was like an ocean, being endowed with virtues that could not be disturbed. With attributes that made it difficult for insincere persons to approach Him, He was also like Mount Meru. He was also like the vault of heaven because His qualities are boundless. Magnificent with His characteristic marks, large and small, He was like a great sāla tree in full bloom.

People were delighted with Buddha Anomadassī. Hearing the Buddha’s Teaching they attained Nibbāna which is deathless.

Three Occasions of The Buddha’s Teaching (Dhammābhisamaya)

Having attained Buddhahood, Buddha Anomadassī stayed around the Bodhi tree for forty nine days; then He accepted a Brahmā’s entreaty for His Teaching and He surveyed the world of beings with His Buddha’s Eye, namely, Āsayānusaya ñāṇa, knowledge of inclination and latent tendencies of beings, and lndriyaparopariyatti ñāṇa, knowledge of mature or immature controlling faculties of beings. He saw the three crores of His followers who had become recluse together with Him and who were endowed with the merits of their past deeds, which were conductive to attainment of the Path, Fruition and Nibbāna. Reflecting their present whereabouts, He saw them in Sudassana Park near the city of Subhavatī. He immediately appeared in the park by His psychic power. Being surrounded by the three crores of recluses, He taught the Dhammacakka-pavattana Sutta amidst the audience of devas and humans. In that occasion, a hundred crores of beings realized the Four Truths and attained liberation.

(This was the first Dhammābhisamaya.)

At another time, when He had performed the Twin Miracles near an asana tree, close to Osadhi city, sitting on the emerald stone slab under it, He caused the rain of Abhidhamma to fall for the three months of the vassa. Then eighty crores of beings penetrated the Four Truths and attained liberation.

(This was the second Dhammābhisamaya.)

Still at a later time, when the Buddha gave an analytical discourse with regard to maṅgala (auspiciousness), seventy-eight crores of beings attained liberation through the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths.

(This was the third Dhammābhisamaya.)

Three Occasions of The Disciples' Meeting (Sannipāta)

There were also meetings of Buddha Anomadassī’s disciples. In the first meeting, Buddha Anomadassī recited the instructive Pāṭimokkha in the midst of eight hundred thousand arahats, who had already become ehi-bhikkhus out of great faith, at the time when He taught the Dhamma to King Isidatta in the city of Soreyya.

(This was the first sannipāta.)

Again, when the Buddha was teaching King Sundarindhara (Madhurindhara) in the city of Rādhavati, He recited the instructive Pāṭimokkha in the midst of seven hundred thousand arahats who had already become ehi-bhikkhus out of faith.

(This was the second sannipāta.)

Still again, the Buddha uttered the instructive Pāṭimokkha in the midst of six hundred thousand arahats, who had already become ehi-bhikkhus, together with King Soreyya in the city of the same name.

(This was the third sannipāta.)

Future Buddha Gotama, as Yakkha General, received Prophecy from Buddha Anomadassī

During the Dispensation of the Buddha Anomadassī, our future Buddha was a Yakkha General commanding several crores of powerful yakkhas. Hearing that “a Buddha has appeared in the world”, he visited the Buddha and created a magnificent pavilion decorated with very beautiful gems, in which, he performed a great alms-giving of food, drink, etc., to the Sangha headed by the Buddha, for seven days.

While the Yakkha General was listening to the sermon given by the Buddha, in appreciation of the meal, the Buddha made a prophetic declaration, saying: “One asaṅkhyeyyas and a hundred thousand aeons from the present kappa, this Yakkha General will definitely become a Buddha by the name of Gotama.”

Particulars of Buddha Anomadassī

Buddha Anomadassī’s birthplace was Candavatī City. His father was King Yasavā and His mother was Queen Yasodharā.

He reigned for ten thousand years. His three palaces were Sirī, Upasirī and Vaḍḍha.

His Chief Consort was Sirīmā Devī who had twenty-three thousand maids of honours. His son was Prince Upavāṇa.

It was a golden palanquin that he used as a vehicle, when he renounced the world after seeing the four omens. He practised dukkaracariyā for ten months.

His two male Chief Disciples were Nisabba Thera and Anoma Thera. His attendant was Varuṇa Thera.

His two female Chief Disciples were Sundarī Therī and Sumanā Therī, His Bodhi tree was a Ajjuna tree.

His lay male supporters were Nandivaḍḍha and Sirivaḍḍha. His female supporters were Uppalā Upāsikā and Paduma Upāsikā.

Buddha Anomadassī’s height was fifty-eight cubits. Like the newly rising sun, the rays from His body shone as far as twelve yojanas.

The life span during the time of Buddha Anomadassī was a hundred thousand years. He lived throughout the period equal to four-fifth of this life span, rescuing beings, such as devas, humans and Brahmās,from saṃsāric currents and placed them on Nibbānic shores.

Buddha Anomadassī’s Dispensation consisting of His noble Teaching was resplendent with Noble Ones who were arahats, undisturbed by pleasant and unpleasant conditions of the world and free of passions and other defilements.

Saṃvega

Buddha Anomadassī, who possessed boundless retinue and fame, and His two Chief Disciples and others, who were possessors of peerless qualities, had all vanished. Unsubstantial and futile indeed are all conditioned things!

Cetīya

Buddha Anomadassī, conqueror of the five Maras, attained Parinibbāna in Dhammarama Park. The cetiya built and dedicated to Him, in that very park, was twenty-five yojanas high.

(Two persons, who would become Mahātheras Sāriputta and Moggallāna, wished in the presence of Buddha Anomadassī for the state of Chief Disciples. This will be narrated later in the section on Gotama Chronicle.)

Here ends Anomadassī Buddhavaṃsa