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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t7: Hermitages in and around Rājagaha

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t7

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Hermitages in and around Rājagaha

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The hills around Rājagaha had several hermitages which are important in the history of the spread of Buddhism. They were as follows:—

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(1) The highest of the hills, the *Gijjhakūṭa-pabbata*.² (Vulture's Peak) was a favourite resort of Buddha. In the first few years after enlightenment, he spent his time frequently at this place with some of his distinguished disciples, viz. Sāriputta, Moggallāna, Mahākassapa, Anuruddha, Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta, Upāli, Ānanda, and Devadatta, delivering discourses and imparting to them necessary training for their spiritual progress and missionary works.³ To facilitate communication with Buddha and his disciples, it is said that Bimbisāra made a road from the foot to the top of the hill.¹ The peak was the scene of the nefarious attempts of Devadatta supported by Ajātasattu to kill Buddha for not putting him in charge of a body of monks. Besides the hermitages on the Vultures' Peak, there were ten other cave-dwellings of bhikkhus on the hills surrounding Rājagaha² viz.,

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² For its identification see *Archaeological Survey Report*, 1905-6; Cunningham identifies it with Śailagiri (*Anc. Geo.* p. 466).

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³ See above, p. 133 f.

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¹ Watters' *Yuan Chwang*, II, p. 151.

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² *Digha*, II, pp. 116, 263, *Vinaya*, II, p. 76; see D. N. Sen, *Rājagṛha in the Buddhist Scriptures* in the *Report of the Second Oriental Conference*, pp. 613-624 and *Sites in Rājgir* in the *J.B.O.R.S.*, vol. IV; B. C. Law, *Memoirs, Arch. Sur. of India*.

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(ii) Corapapāta (the precipice whence robbers were flung to death);³

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³ Watters' *Yuan Chwang*, II, p. 155. The Chinese pilgrims refer to the cases of religious suicide committed here, said to have been approved by Buddha. Cf. *Sam. Nik.*, III, pp. 119-124; IV, pp. 55-60; V, p. 320.

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(iii) Isigilipasse Kālasilā (the black rock by the side of the Rṣigiri);⁴

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⁴ The name Rṣi-giri was transformed into Isi-gili which was supposed to have been derived from the fact that the hill devoured (gila = to devour) the ascetics i.e. those ascetics who entered it never returned, so congenial the place was to them (*Majjh. Nik.*, III, pp. 68 ff.).

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(iv) Vebhārapasse Sattapaṇṇiguhā (where the first Buddhist synod was held);

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(v) Sītavana Sappasoṇḍikapabbhāra or the cave situated in a hill infested with snakes near the crematorium called Sītavana which Buddha used to visit with his disciples for passing some time at the place as a part of the spiritual training of his disciples.⁵ From the nature of this hermitage it would appear that it was specially suited to those monks who took up the sosānika-dhutaṅga i.e. practising samādhi on a cremation-ground for their spiritual uplift;

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⁵ *Divyāvadāna*, p. 268.

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(vi) Gomata-kandara,

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(vii) Tiṇḍuka (the cave deriving its name from the Tiṇḍuka trees *Diospyrus Embryopetris*);

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(viii) Tapoda-kandara (Tapoda = hot spring);

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(ix) Tapodārāma;¹

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¹ Hot springs still exist there, see *Arch Sur Rep* 1904-5.

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(x) Indasālaguhā² where Buddha delivered the Sakka-pañhasutta (No. 21) of the Dīgha Nikāya;

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² Watters' *Yuan Chwang*, II, p. 173.

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(xi) Pipphali-guhā named after Pipphali mānava, the former name of Mahākassapa, who used to stay here.³

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³ *Manorathapūraṇī*, I, p. 175; *Psalms of the Brethren*, p. 363.

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These cave-dwellings could not provide sufficient accommodation for all the monks staying at Rājagaha. For this reason as also out of love for solitude, many monks dwelt in arañña-kuṭikas (forest-huts) in the jungles on the hills.⁴ Dabba Mallaputta was entrusted with the charge of grouping the monks according to their subjects of study or methods of spiritual discipline, and of allotting to them suitable residences.

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⁴ *Majjhima*, III, p 217, *Jātakas*, III, pp. 33, 71; V. p. 176.

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After the acceptance of the Veḷuvana,⁵ and the sanction of vihāras as suitable residences for monks, the lay-devotees commenced building vihāras for monks. Three such vihāras in the suburbs of Rājagaha are often mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures viz., Veḷuvana, Jīvaka-ambavana, and Maddakucchi migadāya. The first *vihāra* was presented by Bimbisāra on the occasion of Buddha's first entrance into Rājagaha, the second by Jīvaka in the twentieth *vassa* of Buddha's ministry, and the third very probably by a Madda prince when Mahākappina was ordained as a monk.¹

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⁵ For a description of the Veḷuvana monastery, see Mr. D. N. Sen, *op. cit.*

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¹ Mahākappina's wife was a Madda princess. See *Vin.* I, p. 105; Burlingame's *Buddhist Legends*, II, pp. 169-176.

Cites (9)