Part 1 - Five Kolāhalas

[Reference: The Uproar announcing the Appearance of Buddha]

Kolāhala means a verbal agitation started by a few persons who say: “Thus will it happen”, before the predicted event actually takes place. It arises among people who are brought together and speak of the impending matter in same language and in same voice.

That is to say, kolāhala exactly is an uproar created with excitement by people at large, as an omen before the actual occurrence of something. It does not mean a nonsensical commotion that prevails in towns and villages, falsely predicting an impossible incident such as “Prince Setkya is about to come back!” [see notes below]

There are five kolāhalas in this world:

(1) Kappa-kolāhala

The kolāhala that warns people of the dissolution of the world is kappa-kolāhala.

When the time for the destruction of the world is drawing near, the deities named Lokavyūha of the realm of sensual pleasures (kāmāvacara-devas), wearing red garments, letting their hair down, wiping the tears off their faces, roam in a distressed manner about roads and highways used by people, and cry aloud to human beings at all places, a hundred years ahead of the event:

“Friends, a hundred years from today, the world will dissolve! The great oceans will dry up! The great earth, Mount Meru and all will burn and disintegrate (if the world is to be destroyed by fire), will go under floods and disintegrate (if it is to be destroyed by water), will expose itself to violent storms and disintegrate (if it is to be destroyed by the winds)! There will be the destruction of the world extending from this great earth with Mount Meru and the oceans up to the abode of Brahmās! Friends, develop loving-kindness (mettā), develop compassion (karuṇā), develop altruistic joy (muditā), develop equanimity (upekkhā) which form the conduct of Brahmas! Attend and serve your parents respectfully! Be awake to good deeds! Do not be careless!”

The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as kappa-kolāhala.

(2) Cattkkavatti-kolāhala

The kolāhala that arises in the world of human beings proclaiming that “a Universal Monarch will appear” who rules over the human realm including the four great islandcontinents and their satellite smaller islands, two thousand in all, is called ‘Cakkavattikolāhala’.

The guardian deities of the world (lokapāla), these kāmāvacara-devas, knowing in advance of the appearance of a Universal Monarch, roam about public roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places, a hundred years ahead of the event:

“Friends, a hundred years from today, a Universal Monarch will emerge in this world!”

The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Cakkavatti-kolāhala.

(3) Buddha-kolāhala

The kolāhala predicting in the world of human beings that “a Buddha will arise” is called Buddha-kolāhala.

The Brahmās of the Suddhāvāsa abode, knowing in advance of the advent of an Omniscient Buddha and wearing Brahmā clothing, ornaments and crowns, happily roam about public roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places, a thousand years ahead of the event:

“Friends, a thousand years from today, an Omniscient Buddha will evidently come into being in this world!”

The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Buddha-kolāhala.

(Herein, the statement meaning that the Buddha-kolāhala occurs a thousand years ahead of the arrival of a Buddha should be noted in accordance with the life span of the appearing Buddhas. It should not be noted as a statement made regardless of their life spans. Reason: The Bodhisattas, such as Prince Dīpaṅkarā, Prince Kondañña, Prince Maṅgala, etc., who had appeared in a period of long life span, after descending to the human world and enjoying kingly pleasures as human beings for ten thousand years or so, renounced the world, practised dukkkara-cariya and became Buddhas. The Budddhakolahala originates in the celestial world, and on account of that kolāhala, devas and Brahmās in the ten thousand world-systems approach the Bodhisatta Deva to make the request. Only after getting his consent, do Suddhāvāsa Brahmās roam the human abode and make the announcement. Thus, more than one thousand years, or even more than five thousand years, maybe nine or ten thousand years, after the prevalence of Buddha-kolāhala, the long-lived Buddhas appeared. Therefore, it should not be noted that the aforesaid statement that “Buddha-kolāhala lasts for a thousand years” is made with regard to all Buddhas; the statement should be taken to have been made only with regard to a short-lived Buddha such as Buddha Gotama.)

(4) Maṅgala-kolāhala

Undecided as to the exact meaning of Maṅgala (auspiciousness), people gather and define the word each in his own way, saying: “This is called Maṅgala!”, “This is called Maṅgala!”, which gives rise to a tumult voicing: "They say it is Maṅgala." Such a tumultuous voice is called Maṅgala-kolāhala.

Suddhāvāsa Brahmās knowing in advance that the Buddha will give a discourse on Maṅgala and being aware of the thought of people who yearn for the truth about auspiciousness, roam about public roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places, twelve years before the Buddha’s delivery of the Discourse:

“Friends, twelve years from today, the Buddha will teach the Doctrine of Maṅgala!”

The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Maṅgala-kolāhala.

(5) Moneyya-kolāhala

The kolāhala concerning the ascetic practice of moneyya is called Moneyya-kolāhala (An elaboration on the Moneyya Practice is made in the section on Nālaka Thera as part of the History of Elders in the Sangha Jewel.)

Suddhāvāsa Brahmas, knowing in advance that a bhikkhu in the human world will approach the Buddha to ask about moneyya asceticism, similarly roam about public roads and highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places, seven years before the Buddha’s Teaching:

“Friends, seven years from today, a bhikkhu will approach the Buddha and ask Moneyya Dhamma!”

The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Moneyya-kolāhala.

These are the five kolāhalas. Explanations of these five are given in the Aṭṭhakathās of the Buddhavaṃsa, Jātaka, Kosala Saṃyutta, Khuddaka-Pāṭha, Sutta-Nipāta and also in the Jinālaṅkāra.

Notes on the name Setkya:

The name is spelt “Tsakyamen” by Burney, British Resident at Ava (In-wa) during the reign of King Bagyidaw (1819-37). Tsakyamen or Prince Setkya, as the only son, was Heir-apparent. He was executed, according to the British, by Bagyidaw’s brother, King Tharrawaddy, who usurped the throne in 1837, and the execution took place in April 1838. But tradition has it that Queen Mai Nu, Bagyidaw’s wife and the Prince’s step mother, was instrumental in the execution. No matter who did it, it was true that the people’s feelings were “those of regret and indignation.” (History of the British Residency in Burma 1826-1840 by W.S.Desai, p.335).

The latter version is dramatized and popularized by theatrical troupes which thereby enhanced the people’s sympathy towards the unfortunate Prince. Those, who did not believe that the prince actually was killed, entertained the hope that he would re-appear some day. But there has been no sign of the return of the Prince.

The word “setkya” being the derivative of the Sanakrit cakra (Pāli, cakka) should not be confused with Cakravartin (Pāli, Cakkavattū), ‘Universal Monarch’.