The Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes Buddha’s journey to Ekanala 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 Buddha’s Eleventh Vassa at Brahmin Village of Nāḷa. 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 1 - Buddha’s journey to Ekanāḷa
As has been said before, after staying at Jetavana monastery in Sāvatthi for as long as there were beings to be converted, the Buddha journeyed again and eventually reached the brahmin village named Ekanāḷa, in the district of Dakkhiṇāgiri, so named because it lay to the south of the hill that stood near the city of Rājagaha in Magadha country. There He observed the eleventh vassa with the brahmin village as a resort for alms.
While dwelling in the monastery named Dakkhiṇāgiri, the Buddha did, as usual, two series of activities: (1) morning activities (pure-bhatta-kicca, lit. before-meal doings) and (2) after-meal activities (pacchā-bhatta-kicca). Having finished the morning activities, He did the after-meal one, which were of four series. At the end of the fourth series, He surveyed the world of sentient beings through His Buddha Eye (Buddha-cakkhu) that consists of Asayāmusaya-ñāṇa and Indriya-paropariyatti-ñāṇa, and saw in His vision Brahmin Kasibhāradvāja who had the potentials for arahatship because of his past meritorious deeds.
The Buddha also came to know thus:
“On my visit to the Brahmin’s cultivation site, My conversation with him will take place. When the conversation is over, the Brahmin, having listened to My discourse, will attain arahatship.”
The Buddha therefore went to the Brahmin’s farm and conversed with him and gave him a discourse called Kasibhāradvāja Sutta.
(The Kasibhāradvāja Sutta is contained in the Saṃyutta Nikāya. In this Chronicle, the Sutta Nipāta and its Commentary will be based for narration.)