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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s9: The Mallas

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s9

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The Mallas

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The Mallas were another republican tribe of the same type as the Licchavis. They were divided into two groups, one having their capital at Pāvā and the other at Kusinārā. Pāvā attained prominence as an important centre of the Jainas and also as the scene of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta's death, while Kusinārā became immortalised in the Buddhist tradition by Buddha's selection of the place as the suitable site for his *parinibbāna*. It is counted as one of the four places of pilgrimage of the Buddhists. At the time of Buddha however it was a small village as has been described by Ānanda.¹

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¹ See *Digha*, II, p. 146.

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The mandate issued by the Assembly of the Mallas of Kusinārā that persons not according welcome to Buddha would be fined 500 *kahāpaṇas* shows that there was among the Mallas a party opposed to Buddha and his religion. Malla Roja belonged to this party but on coming into contact with Buddha, he could not resist turning an *upāsaka*.² Of the two well-known converts from this clan, one was Dabba Mallaputta, the distributor of food and assigner of residences to the monks at Rājagaha, while the other was Cunda kammāraputta of Pāvā who by serving to Buddha his last meal became a prominent figure in the Buddhist literature.³

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² *Mahāvagga*, pp. 247, 248.

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³ *Digha*, II, pp. 126-8.

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Kusinārā is the scene of two important discourses delivered by Buddha. One of them explained to Tapassu gahapati the great charm inhering in the spiritual exercises practised by a monk, by virtue of which they could spurn the pleasures of worldly life.⁴ It was the attraction of this happiness in the life of a monk that persuaded even youngmen to turn recluses.

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⁴ *Aṅguttara*, V, p. 263.

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Buddha explained the successive stages by which the highest spiritual culture could be reached through this life of meditation and discipline. The other discourse explained that Buddha came out as a preacher not from any selfish motive but for the spiritual uplift of men who had by previous karma an innate aspiration for the attainment of deliverance from the worldly miseries and required some assistance and guidance for the achievement of their object.¹

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¹ Majjhima II, pp. 238-243.

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Pāvā was also the scene of an important discourse called Saṅgīti-sutta² delivered by Sāriputta. It summarises in the Aṅguttara style the essentials of the Buddhist doctrines. It was while dwelling at Pāvā that Buddha heard of the dissension among the followers of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta.³ The Mallas of Pāvā had their notable hall Ubbaṭaka consecrated by Buddha. They received a portion of Buddha's relics and erected a stūpa on the same.

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² Digha, III, p. 207 f.

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³ Digha, III, p. 117; Majjhima, II, p. 243.

Cites (5)