Biography (19): Vakkali Mahāthera

(a) Aspiration expressed in The Past

Vakkali Mahāthera was a clansman during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. Like all other Mahātheras, he went to the Buddha’s monastery, sat at the edge of the audience and while listening to the His sermon, he saw a bhikkhu being honoured by Him as the foremost (etadagga) among the bhikkhus who were devoted to Him. He felt a keen desire to be honoured likewise by some future Buddhas. As was with other aspirants, he invited the Buddha to his home and made great offerings for seven days. Thereafter, he expressed his wish before the Buddha: “For this good deed, may I, Venerable Sir, be declared by some future Buddha as the foremost among the bhikkhus who is very devoted to the Buddha.” The Buddha saw that the aspiration of the clansman would be fulfilled and assured him of it, after which, He returned to the monastery.

(b) Ascetic Life adopted in His Final Existence

The worthy man devoted himself to deeds of merit till his death. When he passed away from that existence, he was reborn only in the fortunate destinations, and during the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthi. He was named by his parents Vakkali.

When he grew up, he was educated in the three Vedas. One day, he saw the Buddha, accompanied by many bhikkhus, going (on the alms-round) in the city of Sāvatthi. He was captivated by the majesty of the Buddha’s physical appearance so much so that he followed the Buddha’s route and entered the Buddha’s monastery along with the line of bhikkhus. There he kept gazing at the splendour of the Buddha. At the time of the Buddha’s delivering the sermon, he sat right in front of the Buddha.

Vakkali’s devotion became so deep that he could not stay away from the presence of the Buddha for any length of time. He, therefore, decided that he would not remain in household life because as a householder he would not be able to see the Buddha all day long but as a bhikkhu he could get that opportunity. So he went to the Buddha and pleaded with Him that he be admitted into the Order. He was then admitted.

As a bhikkhu, Venerable Vakkali never missed a chance of looking at the Buddha except at the meal time. He did nothing in the conduct of a bhikkhu either in learning or in meditation, but spent all of his time gazing at the Buddha. The Buddha knew that the time for Vakkali’s enlightenment was not due and therefore did not say anything about his negligence of duty.

When the right time was due, the Buddha said to Venerable Vakkali:

“Vakkali, what is the use of your gazing at this putrid body of Mine? Vakkali, he who sees the Dhamma, indeed sees Me. He who sees Me, sees the Dhamma. Vakkali, only one who looks at the Dhamma, actually looks at Me. He that really wishes to look at Me, must be one who looks at the Dhamma.”

Although the Buddha exhorted Venerable Vakkali with these words, Vakkali could not tear himself away from the Buddha. The Buddha saw that the bhikkhu needed to be emotionally awakened for enlightenment. So, on the eve of the vassa period, the Buddha went to Rājagaha and there he said to the Vakkali on the day the vassa began: “Vakkali, go away! Leave my presence!”

It is impossible to disobey an order given by the Buddha. Vakkali had to obey for (at least) three months during the vassa period. There was nothing he could do about it. He felt desperate and forlorn. “Better die than be denied the presence of the Buddha” thus he pondered and left for the Gijjhakūṭa mountain which had steep cliffs.

The Buddha saw in His mind the despondency that had overtaken Venerable Vakkali. “Without getting mental succour from Me, Bhikkhu Vakkali would have wasted his great merit which is now sufficient for him to gain enlightenment,” thought the Buddha. Accordingly, He emitted the Buddha rays towards Vakkali so that he could see His person. That vision brought immediate relief to Venerable Vakkali’s burning heart, as though the dart of sorrow that had pierced it, had suddenly been removed.

Then to fill Vakkali’s heart with delightful satisfaction and gladness, the Buddha uttered the following stanza;

Pāmojjabahulo bhikkhu, pasanno Buddhasāsane;
adhigacche padaṃ, santaṃ, saṅkharūpasamaṃ sukhaṃ.

Being overjoyed and full of confidence in the Buddha’s Teaching consisting of the threefold Training, the bhikkhu will attain Nibbāna the tranquil, the cessation of conditioning, the blissful.

——Dhammapada, IV 381——

(According to the Commentary of the Aṅguttara Nikāya) the Buddha extended His hand to Venerable Vakkali and said: “Come, bhikkhu.”

The Commentary on the Dhammapada adds; after saying the above stanza, the Buddha, extending His hand to Venerable Vakkali, uttered these stanzas:

Ehi Vakkali mā bhāyi, olokehi Tathāgataṃ;
Ahaṃ taṃ uddharissāmi, paṅke sanhaṃ va kuñjaraṃ.

Come, Vakkali, do not be afraid, look at (Me) the Tathāgata, I will lift you (to Nibbāna) from the depths of the beginningless saṃsāra, just as one lifts a tusker from the mire.

Ehi Vakkali mā bhāyi, olokehi Tathāgataṃ;
Ahaṃ taṃ mocayissāmi, Rāhuggahaṃ va sūriyaṃ.

Come, Vakkali, do not be afraid, look at the Tathāgata. I will free you from the captivity of defilements, just as I would free the sun from the captivity of Rāhu.

Ehi Vakkali mā bhāyi, olokehi Tathāgataṃ;
Ahaṃ tam mocayissāmi Rāhuggahaṃ va candimṃ.

Come, Vakkali, do not be afraid, look at the Tathāgata. I will free you from the captivity of defilements, just as I would free the moon from the captivity of Rāhu.

Then the Venerable Vakkali said to himself: “I am now seeing the Buddha in person, and He has extended His hand to me. Oh, how glad I am! Where should I go now?” And not being able to decide in which direction he should proceed, he moved up skyward in the direction of the Buddha, and just as his first foot was resting on the mountain, he reflected on the stanzas uttered by the Buddha, and overcoming delightful satisfaction through Insight (into the three characteristics of conditioned phenomena), he attained arahatship, together with Analytical Knowledge. Then he descended to the ground and stood worshipping the Buddha.

(c) Etadagga Title achieved

On one occasion, in the midst of a congregation, the Buddha declared:

“Etadaggaṃ bhikkhave mama sāvakāmam bhikkhūnaṃ saddhādhi muttānaṃ yadidaṃ Vakktali.”

“Bhikkhus, among the bhikkhu-disciples who are very devoted to the Buddha, Bhikkhu Vakkali is the foremost (etadagga).”

(Note: In the case of other bhikkhus, their devotion to the Buddha had to be bolstered up. With Vakkali, his convicted devotion was too strong so that the Buddha had to temper it down by expelling him from His presence. Hence he was the foremost bhikkhu in the degree of devotion to the Buddha.)