Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t3: Paribbājakas of Magadha
Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t3
- Language
- English
Paribbājakas of Magadha
v1.c14.s2.t3.1
In Magadha there were two classes of paribbājakas: (i) Brāhmanical and (ii) Non-brāhmanical (aññatitthiya).⁴ Buddha recruited his converts mostly from the latter class. Of the prominent paribbājakas who came into contact with the Teacher while he was staying in Magadha, the following may be mentioned: Nigrodha, Dīghanakha, Potaliputta, Anugāra (or Annabhara), Varadhara, Sakuludāyi, Moliyasīvaka, Upaka, Maṇḍikāputta, Sutavā, Sāmandaka and Susīma.
v1.c14.s2.t3.2
⁴ B C. Law, Buddhistic Studies, p. 89. In his paper on Gautama Buddha and the Paribbājakas, Dr. Law has given a summary of all the discourses that Buddha or his disciples delivered for the benefit of the paribbājakas.
v1.c14.s2.t3.3
Buddha met Nigrodha who was then dwelling at Udumbarika hermitage of the paribbājakas near Rājagaha and explained to him how the ascetic practices did not always conduce to purity. It will be interesting to observe that Buddha was trying to impress upon Nigrodha who had ājīvika leanings that his discourse on the ascetic practices including cātuyāmasamvara¹ was not meant to win him over to this sangha and but just to impress upon him the distinction between kusala and akusala.² Nigrodha was silenced but it seems that he did not change his faith. Dīghanakha, a relative of Sāriputta, listened to a discourse on vedanā and was soon convinced of the excellence of Buddha’s teaching and became a bhikkhu.³ Potaliputta had a talk with Samiddhi, a young bhikkhu, about the Buddhist doctrine of kamma, and was not satisfied with the exposition as Samiddhi gave the answer without sufficient caution and analysis.⁴ Anugāra, Varadhara, Sakuludāyī⁵ and other noted paribbājakas were staying at Moranivāpa hermitage and discussing among themselves on one occasion about lack of regard for the teacher found among the followers of the six titthiyas and on another occasion about the omniscience and perfection of Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, and such other topics. Buddha explained his doctrines in detail and was able to convince Sakuludāyī of their excellence, ultimately making him an upāsaka. Sakuludāyī’s followers did not like that their leader should become a bhikkhu but they did not object to his becoming an upāsaka. Moliyasīvaka met Buddha at Rājagaha on two occasions⁶ and had discussions regarding his teaching as producing its fruit directly (sanditthiko dhammo) and the Buddhist theory of kamma. He became satisfied with Buddha's explanations and expressed his desire to become an upāsaka. Susīma at the request of his lay-followers studied Buddhism and ultimately became a bhikkhu.¹ S u t a v ā and S a j j h a² listened to the merits of an arhat appreciatingly but did not therefore become upāsakas, so also was the paribbājaka S ā m a n d a k a,³ who met Sāriputta at Nālakagāma and listened to a talk on the cause of sukha and dukkha. S a r a b h a,⁴ and U p a k a⁵ were the two paribbājakas reproved by Buddha and Ajātasattu respectively. The former was a renegade from Buddhism and spoke ill of the religion while the latter had the audacity to challenge Buddha in disputation. It will be observed from the above accounts that one or two paribbājakas became fully ordained bhikkhus, and the rest only expressed their appreciation of the religion by becoming lay-devotees.
v1.c14.s2.t3.4
¹ See above, ch. IV.
v1.c14.s2.t3.5
² Dīgha, III, pp. 55-7.
v1.c14.s2.t3.6
³ Majjhima, I, p. 501. The sutta is named Dīghanakha-sutta in the Majjhima Nikāya and Vedanāpariggaha in the commentary. See Buddhist Legends, I, p. 203.
v1.c14.s2.t3.7
⁴ Majjhima, III, p. 208-9.
v1.c14.s2.t3.8
⁵ Ibid, II, pp. 1-22; 29-39; Aṅguttara, II, p. 176.
v1.c14.s2.t3.9
⁶ Aṅguttara, III, p. 356-7; Saṃyutta, IV, p. 230-1.
v1.c14.s2.t3.10
¹ Saṃyutta, II, pp. 119-128; IV, pp. 230-1.
v1.c14.s2.t3.11
² Aṅguttara, IV, pp. 369; 371 f.
v1.c14.s2.t3.12
³ Ibid., V, p. 120-2.
v1.c14.s2.t3.13
⁴ Ibid., I, pp. 185-188.
v1.c14.s2.t3.14
⁵ Ibid., II, p. 182.
Cites (14)
- Sīvakasutta — Pāli
- Mahāsakuludāyisutta — Pāli
- Udumbarikasutta — Pāli
- Mahākammavibhaṅgasutta — Pāli
- Māgaṇḍiyasutta — Pāli
- Susimaparibbājakasutta — Pāli
- Sarabhasutta — Pāli
- Brāhmaṇasaccasutta — Pāli
- Paṭhamasandiṭṭhikasutta — Pāli
- Sacchikaraṇīyasutta — Pāli
- Sutavāsutta — Pāli
- Sajjhasutta — Pāli
- Paṭhamasukhasutta — Pāli
- Majjhimanikāya — Pāli