Geography of Early Buddhism c12.54

c12.54

The Jātakas also refer to several cetiyas. Thus in the preamble to the Maṇikaṇṭha Jātaka, reference is made to the Aggāḷava cetiya¹ where Buddha dwelt for some time and narrated to the Bhikkhus the Maṇikaṇṭha, the Brahmadatta and the Aṭṭhisena Jātakas.² It seems from the context of the reference that the cetiya was something of the nature of a cave-dwelling or a vihāra. But a most important reference as to the different kinds of cetiyas is made in the preamble to the Kāliṅga-bodhi Jātaka wherein the Buddha is said to have stated to Ānanda that there were three kinds of cetiyas, cetiyas for a relic of the body, a relic of use or wear, and a relic of memorial. By the first was probably meant a stūpa or dagoba; by the second was meant any shrine that was built for worship of a bowl, a piece of robe or similar things, and by the third was meant any shrine to commemorate an incident or name. The preamble to the same Jātaka states that in reply to a question of Ānanda as to whether a cetiya could be made during a Buddha’s lifetime, the Buddha replied that cetiyas for a relic of memorial could be made when a Buddha would attain Nirvāṇa; but cetiyas for a relic of memorial were improper because the connection depended on the imagination only. But the great Bodhi tree used by the Buddhas was fit for a shrine, were they alive or dead.³ Notwithstanding this injunction with regard to commemorative cetiyas, there were nevertheless cetiyas made for a relic of memorial of which instances have already been cited above. Cetiyas were made in respect of much more trifling objects too; for instance, it is recorded that when Gotama had finished his bath just before he was to take the food offered by Sujātā, hundreds of thousands of devas came to the river to pick up flowers in order that they might raise cetiyas over them and worship them.⁴ These cetiyas undoubtedly refer to stūpas. The Mahāvastu refers to a Vahudeva Caitya which seems to be a cave-dwelling or a vihāra shrine.⁵ The Apadāna mentions two cetiyas namely, Buddha-cetiya and Sikhicetiya (pt. I., pp. 72 and 255). The Dhammapada commentary refers to a shrine called Aggāḷava where the Buddha is said to have spoken about a weaver’s daughter who listening to the Master’s religious discourse was established in the fruition of the first stage of sanctification.⁶ The same authority refers to a golden cetiya (Suvaṇṇa cetiya) that was being built for Kassapa Buddha who was endowed with ten potentialities. Members of the good families of Benares with cart-loads of food came to the cetiya to do the work of labourers.¹ The golden cetiya can only refer to a stūpa shrine.