The Great Chronicle of Buddhas

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

This page describes War between the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu and of Koliya 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 founding of Vesali. 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).

Part 6 - War between the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu and of Koliya

Summary: War between the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu and of Koliya over River Rohini’s Water.

There was a small river by the name of Rohini between Kapilavatthu and Koliya. The two kingdoms took turns, in perfect harmony, to water their respective arable lands by controlling the flow of the channel with a single dam.

The level of the water in the channel was at its lowest in the month of Jetthamasa and the crops usually withered. The farmers of the two countries called a meeting to discuss the matter of sharing the water in the channel.

At the meeting the farmers of Koliya said:

“Friends, if the small amount of water in the reservoir were to be divided and shared by both of us, none of us would receive sufficient amount to water our fields. One more flood of water would suffice to bring maturity to our crops. We request you therefore to let us make use of this small amount of water.” Farmers of Kapilavatthu had their say also in this manner:

“Friends, we can't go from door to door of your houses carrying baskets and our purses filled with gold, silver and precious jewels in search of paddy, in a dejected manner, while you all sat down with your minds at ease having filled your granaries with paddy to their full capacities. Our early crops, too, are about to mature and need watering in like manner.”

Heated arguments ensued, one side saying ‘we are not going to yield’, the other side retorting in the same words. Exchange of words eventually led to blows, a farmer on one side starting to attack a farmer from the other side and the latter retaliating in a like manner. The affray that started between the farmers on both sides ultimately grew into hostilities (like a small bush fire which grows fierce and finally burns down a palatial mansion) to the extent of decrying the royal clans on both sides.

The Koliyan farmers began the quarrel:

“You have threatened us by placing your reliance on the royal clan of Kapilavatthu. These Kapilavatthu royal clan you depend upon behave like common dogs and jackals of the forest making their own sisters their wives[1]. What harm can their elephants, horses and armours can do to us?”

The Kapilavatthu farmers retaliated in no less acrimonious tone:

“You threatened us by relying on your little lepers inflicted with horrible leprosy. The Koliya descendents on whom you lean for support are themselves in a miserable plight ever since they were banished from the city and lived like animals in the hollow of Kola trees[2]. What harm can their elephants, horses and armours can do to us?”

The farmers returned to their respective cities and reported the matter to the Ministers of Agriculture, who in turn, brought the state of affairs to the notice of their chiefs.

Consequently, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu prepared to wage war on Koliyas and came out of the city, shouting the war cry: “The husbands of their own sisters will demonstrate their feat of arms.” The rival royalties on the side of Koliyas also prepared for war and came out, their war cry being: “Those taking shelters in the hollows of Kola trees will display their feat of arms.”

At that time, the Buddha was still residing in the Jetavana monastery of Savatthi. On the very day on which the two rival communities of Kapilavatthu and Koliya were all prepared to go to the battlefield, He surveyed the world early at dawn and perceived that a bloody battle was imminent between the two opposing sides that very evening. He further perceived that He would be able to avert the war by going to the scene of hostilities and expounding three Jātakas, namely, Phandāna, Duddaba and Lathukika. This would bring about peace, after which, He will have to teach the two Jātakas of Rukkhadhamma and Vattaka and lastly, followed by Attadanda Sutta to bring home the benefits of unity and harmony. Having heard the discourses, the Sakyans and Koliyans will each give Him two hundred and fifty youths to enter the Order: “I will ordain them to become bhikkhus culminating in the convening of the Great Assembly of Mahā Samaya.”

Having perceived thus, the Buddha decided to go to the place of hostilities and save the warring kinsmen from mutual destruction. He went early for the usual round of receiving alms-food and stayed the whole day in the Scented Chamber. Towards evening, He left the Chamber, carrying the big robe and alms bowl himself, for the scene of strife all alone, without informing anyone. On arrival at the spot, He sat cross-legged in the sky in the middle of the rival groups, and caused dark-blue rays to be emitted from His hair so that darkness prevailed all over, although the sun had not yet set. This was meant to cause contrition in the heart of the warring factions.

While all the people were greatly frightened by the strange phenomenon, the Buddha, sending out six-coloured rays from His body, manifested Himself to them.

Peace

When members of the Sakyan clan saw the Buddha, they began to contemplate thus: “The Buddha of our own blood has come, perhaps He has full knowledge of our strife.” They discussed among themselves and decided: “It is not right and proper for us to let our weapons fall upon the bodies of others in the presence of the Buddha; let Koliyans kill us or take us captives, should they desire to do so.” By mutual consent they abandoned all their weapons and sat down respectfully making homage to the Buddha.

The Koliyans also arrived at the same decision among themselves. They too abandoned their weapons and sat down paying obeisance to the Buddha who then descended from the sky and sat on a reserved seat on the delightful sandy plain, with all the grace and glory of a Buddha.

Discourse on End of Strife

The Buddha knowingly asked: “Why have you all come to this place?” The kings of both the countries replied: “Most Exalted Buddha, we have not come just to see the river, nor to sport in the river; as a matter of fact we have come to wage war upon one another on this sandy plain.”

The Buddha again asked: “Your Royal Highnesses.... what is the actual cause of your strife?” Then they replied: “Water of this Rohini stream is the actual cause of it.”

The Buddha then asked: “Your Royal Highnesses.... what is the value of water of this Rohini stream?” They replied: “Exalted Buddha, it is of small value.” The Buddha asked an additional question: “What is the value of the earth?” “Its value is limitless,” was the reply. Whereupon, the Buddha made this direct question: “How would you evaluate the noble royal Khattiya race?” They replied: “The value of noble royal Khattiya race is unlimited.” The Buddha then made this address:

“Your Royal Highnesses... For some water of this Rohim channel that is of small value, why do you wish to destroy the priceless royal race of Khattiya by fighting one another. Not the slightest amount of pleasure could be found in worthless conflicts and wasteful strifes. O! Your Royal Highnesses... there was a glaring instance where the seed of enmity sown by a tree deva and bear remained potent throughout the Bhadda world-system.”

The Buddha then went on to expound the Phandāna Jātaka (of Tesasa Nipata), the brief account of which is as follows:

[Discourse on Phandana Jātaka]

[Discourse on Duddubha Jātaka]

[Discourse on Laṭukika Jātaka]

[Discourse on Rukkhadhamma Jātaka]

[Discourse on Vattaka Jātaka (or Sammodamāna Jātaka)]

Discourse on Attadaṇḍa Sutta

The Buddha after expounding the five Jātakas, proceeded to teach the Attadanda Sutta[3] of Sutta-nipatta Pāli Text, as the final discourse.

The members of the royal families of the two countries finally reconciled and appeased, and, with devotional faith and full of gratitude, agreed amongst themselves: “Had not the Buddha come and intervened, we would certainly have destroyed one another and made the blood flow in a stream. We have been saved from mutual destruction only because of Him. Above all, had He not chosen to renounce the world, He would have been enjoying the life of a Universal Monarch, ruling over the Four Continents surrounded by two thousand smaller islands. Accompanied by thousands of His sons of great intellectual and physical strength, He would have roamed over all His dominions followed by a large retinue. But our royal kith and kin of noble blood, the Buddha, had renounced all the pleasures and luxuries of a Universal Monarch to become a recluse and He had blossomed forth as a Fully Self-Enlightened Buddha. It would be only right and proper, now that He had become a Buddha, we should let Him have bhikkhus of royal blood to attend upon Him.” With this unanimous decision, the royal members of the two countries offered two hundred and fifty princes, from each country to the Buddha, for ordination.

The Buddha accepted them and ordained them as ehi-bhikkhus and took them to Mahāvana Grove near the city of Kapilavatthu. From the following day onwards, He took alternate turns to receive alms-food from Kapilavatthu and Koliya in the company of these five hundred bhikkhus. The people of the two countries offered the Sangha large amount of alms-food.

Five Hundred Bhikkhus are Unhappy in The Sāsana

These five hundred bhikkhus had taken up the ascetic life not out of their own volition, but because they were unable to refuse the request of their parents and relatives. Thus, within a few days, the five hundred bhikkhus found their life tedious, uninteresting, and boring. News from their homes also did not help to make them happier in the monastery. “We beseech you not to take delight in the life of a bhikkhu;from the time of your departure, our private business have been deteriorating day by day,” wrote their wives to them.

[Discourse on Kuṇāla Jātaka]

Bhikkhus becoming Sotāpannas

By the end of the discourse, all the five hundred bhikkhus, the descendents of the Sakyan clan, attained sotāpatti-phala. At the moment of entering the sotāpatti-magga, all the bhikkhus became endowed with supernormal psychic powers such as flying through space, etc.

(NB. An ordinary worldling has to practice the Kasiṇa method of Concentration meditation in order to attain the mundane jhānas with supernormal psychic powers (abhiññās).

Certain ariya-puggalas, after realization of the Path and Fruition, practise the Concentration Meditation and attain the mundane jhānas with abhiññās; other ariyas, having attained mundane jhānas with abhiññās even while they were still worldlings, have no need to practise Concentration Meditation afresh; they can enjoy the privileges of mundane jhāna and abhiññās easily at will.

Still there is another type of ariyas who were not endowed with mundane jhānas and abhiññās while still ordinary worldlings and yet, the moment they realize the supra-mundane Path and Fruition, they become endowed with mundane jhānic and abhiññā powers which they can enjoy at will easily. Such jhānic attainments are termed ‘Magga-siddhi-jhāna’ meaning ‘Jhāna attained through realization of magga’; and such abhiññās are called ‘Magga-siddhi-abhiññās’ meaning ‘Abhiññās attained through realization of magga’.

Those five hundred bhikkhus, due to former applications and deeds of merit, achieved Magga-siddhi-jhāna and Magga-siddhi-abhiññās, without having to specially practise Concentration meditation for them. They can enjoy these privileges freely at will.)

The Buddha considered that the Path and Fruitional stage of sotāpatti should be sufficient for the five hundred bhikkhus for the time being and departed for the Mahāvana forest by His psychic power. The bhikkhus, who had relied upon Him on their outward journey, returned to the Mahāvana forest, by their own powers, accompanying the Buddha.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For background story, reference may be made to Malalasekera’s ‘Dictionary of Pāli Proper names’ under Sakya, Sakka, Sakiya.

[2]:

For background story, ibid, under Koliya.

[3]:

Attadanda Sutta: Readers may refer to Sutta Nipata Pāli for details of the discourse.

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