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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s5: The Licchavis

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s5

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The Licchavis

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In ancient India of Buddha's time, the Licchavis were one of the powerful tribes, living at the foot of the Himalayas. They formed a part of the Vajjian confederacy and had a republican form of government. They used to meet together very often in the *santhāgāra*, to discuss and transact their business, political, social and even religious. They had their seat of government at Vesālī, which has been made in the *Nikāyas* the scene of a few important discourses.

Brāhmanism

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Though the territory of the Licchavis was outside the limits of the brāhmanic middle-country, yet brāhmanism was there the prevailing religion. Belief in the brāhmanic pantheon and the ceremonial worship of deities were all current among them. It may be that some of the deities representing Yakkhas and other spirits were the relics of their ancient belief. A brāhmaṇa named Kāraṇapāli used to perform the religious functions of the Licchavis (*Licchavīnaṃ kammantaṃ kāreti*). There is also a reference to another brāhmaṇa named Piṅgiyāni receiving cloths from the Licchavi youths as a token of their respect for him.¹ There were a good many shrines on the outskirts of Vesālī and the regular worship of the images of the deities enshrined in them was carried on by the Licchavis.² Again the fact that the Licchavis worshipped many gods and goddesses of the brāhmanic pantheon at the time when their country was being ravaged by famine and pestilence shows that the Licchavis were imbued to a large extent with the spirit of brāhmanism.

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¹ *Aṅguttara*, III, p. 236.

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² The shrines around Vesālī, according to Buddhaghosa, were originally Yakkha-shrines but later on converted into Buddhist monasteries or Cetiyas. See Malalasekera, *op. cit.*, pp. 780, 942. *Digha*, II, p. 102; Mallas also had such shrines e.g. *Makuṭabandhana*.

Jainism

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When Buddha came among the Licchavis, Jainism had already run through a career of about 250 years from the time of Pārśvanātha and had among its adherents many of the Licchavis.

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Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, the reformer of Jainism, belonged to a distinguished family of the Nāṭa clan with wide influence in the land of the Licchavis. There are accounts of a few adherents of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta either disputing with Buddha or coming into contact with him or his followers in the course of their missionary work. Saccaka, who as a disputant was held in high respect by the Licchavis, sustained a defeat in a religious disputation with Buddha. It is not clear whether he became a Buddhist convert as the result of the defeat.¹ Abhaya and Paṇḍitakumāraka enquired of Ānanda about the means of destruction of dukkha as pointed out by Buddha and were not satisfied with the answer.² On another occasion the former approached Buddha with the question whether ogha (flood of passions etc.) could be overcome either by moral purity or severe penance, to which Buddha replied in the negative and said that it was only by controlling mind, body and speech that a person could save himself from ogha.³

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¹ Majjhima, I, pp 236, 250.

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² Aṅguttara, I, pp. 220-222.

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³ Ibid., II, pp 200-202.

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The most notable conversion made by Buddha among the Jaina laity was that of Sīha who was a military official of the Licchavis and had a great influence in the country. In spite of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta’s dissuasion, he met Buddha, and impressed by his discourses on dāna, became an upāsaka. The weaning of Sīha from the Jaina faith gave a rude shock to Nāṭaputta’s followers who out of jealousy circulated the false report that Sīha had killed animals for feeding Buddha and the bhikkhus.¹

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¹ Mahāvagga, vi. 31. 12.

Vesāli

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In the fifth vassa, Buddha was invited by the people of Vesālī to visit the place for removing the pestilence ravaging the city. Buddha in response to the invitation, extended by Mahāli, a Licchavi friend of Bimbisāra, visited the place and stayed there for a short time. The end of the pestilence synchronized with his stay there and was believed to have been due to the beneficent power of the Teacher who made efforts to drive away the epidemic by uttering the Ratana Sutta. The incident went far to prepare the minds of the people to follow the lead of the wonder-worker in the religion. Buddha visited Vesālī many times subsequently.

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In spite of active oppositions of the Jainas, Buddha continued his work of conversion in right earnest. The high encomiums showered on Buddha by the Licchavis at a meeting of their assembly, the feeling of wonder expressed by Mahānāma at the sudden change of the Licchavi youths under Buddha’s influence,² and the desire of Oṭṭhaddha Licchavi with a large retinue to listen to Buddha’s discourses,³ show that Buddha could create a favourable impression on the minds of the local people and achieve some success in his missionary activities. As a mark of their devotion to Buddha they dedicated to him not only the Mahāvana Kūṭāgārasālā but also a large number of Ceṭiyas which were also highly appreciated by him as places for meditation.¹ Of these Ceṭiyas, the one at Gosingasālavana was particularly liked by him and his chief disciples Sāriputta and Moggallāna who passed there many a day in meditation.² The conversions made by Buddha among the Licchavis were not commensurate with the acts of generosity mentioned above, as the cases of conversion mentioned in the Nikāyas are not many. Ānanda’s exclusion of Vesālī from the list of places where the lay-devotees lived in large numbers also point to the same conclusion.³ The names of Mahāli, Mahānāma, Ugga-Gahapati, Nandaka the minister, Piṅgiyāni brāhmaṇa and a few others are mentioned as converts to Buddhism. Oṭṭhaddha Licchavi and Bhaggava paribbājaka were much impressed by the teachings of Buddha but they did not adopt the religion. On account of the attachment of Sunakkhatta Licchaviputta to other beliefs and practices, Buddha had to be disappointed in him. He joined the order as a bhikkhu and remained as such for about three years. He expected to see the exhibition of Buddha’s miraculous powers and to have from him the solution of some of the indeterminable problems, all of which Buddha deliberately avoided on principle. This exasperated Sunakkhatta who left the order and commenced speaking ill of it broadcast. This disparagement by Sunakkhatta became the topic of many discussions between Buddha and the Licchavis to whom he explained his position by stating that the benefits of the religion could not be derived by one who had attachment to other teachers and their doctrines and practices.¹

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² B. C. Law, Kṣattriya Clans in Buddhist India, pp. 88, 89

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³ Digha, I, p. 151.

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¹ Digha, II, p. 102: "Ramaṇiyā Ānanda Vesālī, ramaṇiyam Udenam cetiyam, ramaṇiyam Gotamakam cetiyam, r. Bahuputtam c., r Sārandadam c., r. Cāpalam c."

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² Majjhima, I, p. 212; Aṅguttara, V, pp. 133-4.

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³ Digha, II, p. 169.

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¹ Digha, I, pp. 150 ff; III, pp. 2 ff.

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Buddha passed through Vesālī in the course of his last tour. The only notable conversion made on this occasion was that of the famous courtezan Ambapālī who gave away her Ambavana to the Buddhist saṅgha. It was while dewelling at Cāpala Cetiya situated on the outskirts of Vesālī that Buddha resolved to end his mortal existence in three months.

Sanction of the order of nuns

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One of the most important events in the history of Buddhism that transpired at Vesālī was that Buddha gave here his consent to the formation of the order of nuns at the importunities of Ānanda and Mahāpajāpati Gotamī. The latter had already advanced a little as a lay-devotee in the path of sanctification at the time of conversion of Rāhula and Nanda. It was after the death of king Suddhodana that she in the fulness of her grief resolved to embrace the life of a recluse. She formed a band of recluses by bringing together a few ladies who had been bent on retirement from the world for some reason or other. With them she travelled under great physical stress and strain from Kapilavatthu to Vesālī where Buddha was staying and obtained his consent to the formation of the order of nuns by agreeing to comply with the eight ordinances laid down at the time by Buddha for the bhikkhunīs.² She made a steady progress in spiritual culture under the guidance of Buddha and soon attained the highest stage of sanctification.

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² Aṅguttara, IV, p. 274; see Infra.

Cites (11)