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Sāsanavaṃsa -(History of Dharma)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

delighted the inhabitants with the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta. He made over seventy thousand beings drink the taste of Dhamma. And many inhabitants went forth into the Dispensation. From the royal family too, about a thousand went forth. As for women, more than sixty thousand went forth. And this is not said with reference to women who went forth after hearing the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta, but rather it should be understood as referring to women who, from the beginning and for a long time, became devoted to the Dispensation and went forth. Why so? Because it is proper for women to go forth only in the presence of bhikkhunīs, and bhikkhunīs had not come with the Elder Yonakadhammarakkhita. Thus, it should be understood as referring to those who went forth in the presence of bhikkhunīs who came later, after a long time had passed. The invitation of the Elderess Saṅghamittā by the Elder Mahāmahinda when Queen Anuḷā and others went forth in the island of Sihala is an indication here. Thus, due to the Elder Yonakadhammarakkhita, the Apa was of great help to beings in Aparanta. Therefore, in the Commentary, it is said: Having entered Aparanta, the Greek Dhammarakkhita, like a blazing fire, enlightened many people there. Here, a special meaning should be understood. How? The Aggikkhandhopama Suttanta was spoken in terms of the practice of bhikkhus; it is suitable to teach it only to bhikkhus. The Elder also taught it there. Therefore, because the Dispensation was established in Aparanta during the Buddha's lifetime, twenty years after the events concerning Puṇṇa and Saccabandha, and because bhikkhus were present in some places, the Elder taught the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta to gather those bhikkhus and to make known the purity of conduct to bhikkhus who came later. If this is so, it agrees with the statement to be made later about the presence of novice monks in Arimaddana City. This is the second establishment of the Dispensation in the Aparanta region of the Maramma country. Because the Buddha, having come to Aparanta at the request of Elder Puṇṇa, resided in the Sandalwood Monastery built by merchants, and at one time, with Ānanda as his attendant monk, he wandered on a tour of Tambadīpa country. Having wandered and reached near the site of Arimaddana City, he stood on a mountain peak and prophesied, "In the future, Ānanda, in this region, a king named Sammuti will build a city named Arimaddana, and in that city, my Dispensation will flourish and be established." This matter is stated in ancient Vedic texts. And Elder Yonaka Dhammarakkhita, having come to Aparanta, also wandered in Tambadīpa country and indeed gave the taste of Dhamma to the residents of Tambadīpa country. This matter is understood because it is stated in the Commentary that "thousands of men from royal families went forth." At that time, there were no Khattiyas in Aparanta; the king of Tambadīpa country alone ruled and resided there. And if there were Khattiyas, from where would Khattiyas... would be confused. Therefore, it should be understood that thousands of men from the Tambadīpa country went forth (into the monastic life). Thus, it is fitting to speak here of the lineage of the Dispensation in Tambadīpa. Now I will speak of the lineage of the Dispensation in Tambadīpa. In our Maramma region, in the Tambadīpa country, in the city of Arimaddana, a king named Sammuti ruled. From that time until King Anuruddha, thirty-odd novice monks, seated in a place called Samathi, gave advice to sixty thousand disciples and wandered. These novice monks held this view: "If one commits the act of taking life, reciting such a protective chant, one would be freed from that evil deed. If one desires to be freed from the heinous crime of killing one's mother or father, one should recite such a protective chant. And if one desires to perform the marriage ceremony for sons and daughters, it should be done after first dedicating it to the teachers. Whoever transgresses this custom would accumulate much demerit." With such wrong views, they gave advice to those who came to them. Hearing this, King Anuruddha, who had accumulated merit, did not approve of their view. "This is their wrong view," he thought. At that time, a thera named Arahanta came to the city of Arimaddana and established the Dispensation. This account of the Arahanta Thera's origin is of three kinds: according to the royal lineage, according to the origin of the protective chants, and according to the lineage of the Dispensation. Among these, this is the account according to the royal lineage: At that time, in the countries of Sunāparanta and Tambadīpa, the Dispensation was not yet firmly established in every respect, at all times. Therefore, thinking, "We will establish the Dispensation according to the Buddha's declaration," the great theras went to Sakka, the king of devas, and requested, "Give us a person capable of supporting the Dispensation." Sakka, the king of devas, requested a devaputta in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven and caused him to take conception in the womb of a certain brahmin woman. After ten months... At the time of his birth, the elder Sīlabuddhi protected him, and when he reached maturity, ordained him. Having become exceedingly skilled in the Three Piṭakas, he attained arahantship. He became known by the name Arahant. And that elder, to make the Buddha's Dispensation shine in the Maramma region, having come to Arimaddana city, sat down in a forest not far from the city. Then Sakka, the king of devas, having enticed a hunter, showed him the elder. Then it occurred to the hunter: "This might be a non-human, a yakkha, but if he is a human, then he must be of a barbarian race." Having thought thus, he brought him to the city to show him to the king. And the elder, taking his eight requisites, followed. And the hunter, having brought the elder, showed him to the king. The king, having seen him, (thought) "This one has calm faculties, not of a barbarian race, I think there is an essential quality within him," having a mind blooming like a lotus touched by sunlight, wishing to investigate, said to the elder: "Knowing the seat suitable for yourself, sit down." And the elder, having ascended the royal couch, sat down. And the king (thought), "This one sat on the chief seat, he must certainly be a chief personage," having thought thus, asked, "Whose relative are you? Whose disciple? From where have you come?" And the elder said thus: "In the world, the Blessed One, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, endowed with nine qualities, I am his relative, that Blessed One himself is my teacher, I have come from the dwelling place of the community of bhikkhus." And the king, having become delighted, said: "Preach a part of the Dhamma taught by your teacher." Then, just as the Dhamma of heedfulness was taught by the novice Nigrodha to King Siridhammāsoka, so the elder taught the Dhamma of heedfulness. And the king again said: "Where does the Perfectly Self-Awakened One now reside? How extensive is the Dhamma taught by him? How numerous are his disciples? Are there others like you, or not?" "Now our teacher, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, has attained final Nibbāna, only his relics now exist, and the Dhamma taught by him..." There are 84,000 sections of Dhamma, and in Sudhamma City, the three Pitakas are in pairs, thirty kinds. And there is the Sangha, both ultimate and conventional, two kinds. Hearing that, the king became even more pleased, and again declared, “Venerable sir, in this present life, there is no other protector for me than you. From today onwards, consider me a lay follower who has taken refuge for life. I will accept your advice with my head.” After that, he had a monastery built at the place called Araññakaṅgāra, and gave it. He also broke the argument of the pseudo-ascetics, just as one who obtains a golden bowl, obtains a golden vessel, (not) an earthen vessel. And throughout the entire country, he made the pseudo-ascetics abandon their views. At that time, the pseudo-ascetics, having little gain, harbored resentment against the Elder. Those pseudo-ascetics, like ownerless dogs in the forest, became helpless and experienced physical and mental suffering. The king, knowing that matter, placed guards so that the pseudo-ascetics would not be overcome. And he made those pseudo-ascetics wear white clothes and employed them in royal service as armed warriors. The Elder, having ordained and given higher ordination to people devoted to the Dispensation, purified the Dispensation. The king also lamented, “In this country, the ancient kings ruled by adopting the views of the pseudo-ascetics. If it were possible to make them take back their unbeneficial rule, then I would wish to remove their unbeneficial rule and make them take up a beneficial rule.” This is the origin story from the Paritta Nidāna: It is said that in the island of Sri Lanka, a bhikkhu residing in the city of Vippavāsī, went to the city of Upadvārāvatī and learned the scriptures. After that, he went to Sudhamma City and learned the scriptures. At that time, hearing that there was a book on a Pāṭali tree in the city of Sirikhetta, he went from Sudhamma City to Sirikhetta City. On the way, a hunter saw the Elder. thinking it was a yakkha, seized him and showed him to King Anuruddha. Then the king asked the elder, “Who are you?” “I am, great king, a disciple of Gobhama.” Again the king asked, “How are the three jewels?” The elder said, “The Buddha, great king, should be seen like Mahosadha Paṇḍita, the Dhamma like the Umaṅga, the Saṅgha like the Videha army.” Thus enlightened by these similes, the king again asked, “Are these indeed disciples of Gotama?” “No, great king, these are not disciples of Gotama, but are merely young ascetics, different from us.” When this was said, from then on, he abandoned those young ascetics, disregarding them like grass. He burned their book,