Thursday, September 25, 2008

Illustrated History of Buddhism

Goldenlandpages.com

(2) Sumedha and Sumitta receiving a prophetic declaration

The hermit Sumedha -- the Future Buddha -- had attained the six High Powers. While traveling by air he saw the townsfolk of [super ancient] Ramma clearing the pathway and came down to the ground, and asked to be permitted to clear a portion of the track on which Dipankara Buddha was to travel....

(14) Attaining enlightenment to become a buddha ("fully awakened one")

Having vanquished Mara's army, Siddhartha sat cross-legged at the foot of the Bodhi Tree with the firm resolution that he would not get up from his seat until he attained the supreme wisdom of a fully awakened being, and went into deep meditation (jhana). In the first watch of the night he acquired the knowledge of previous existences; in the middle watch, the divine eye with which he could see beings on all 31 Planes of Existence passing away and being reborn; in the last watch of the night, he gained the bliss of nirvana ("complete emancipation").

(19) The Buddha sending out a mission of sixty enlightened beings

After the Buddha kept his first rains retreat in Isipatana at the Deer Park, there were sixty Arhats in the world besides the Blessed One. He called them together and said, "Released am I, O monks, from fetters both human and divine. You are also free from fetters both human and divine. Go then, O monks, and wander for the gain of many, for the good of many, for the benefit and welfare of devas and humans. Preach, O monks, the doctrine which is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, both in the letter and spirit. Proclaim the Supreme Life altogether perfect and pure. There are beings with a little dust in their eyes, who, not hearing the Doctrine will fall away. But there will be those who will understand the Dharma." With these words he sent them out, no two in the same direction.

(24) Twin miracle performed by the Buddha for his relatives
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Members of the Sakya clan were very proud, and when the Buddha arrived at Kapilavatthu, his hometown, they let only the young pay their respects while the older ones sat down without showing respect. The Blessed One, who saw their behavior and the harm their pride would do them, rose into the air and walked over their heads. He performed the miracle of the pairs, in which flames came from the upper part of his body and streams of water from the lower part....

(51) Ven. Kumara Kassapa explaining to the Governor of Payasi the existence of a future world

The Governor of Payasi was of the wrong belief that there was no future world, that there were no such beings as higher and lower gods [devas] produced without any apparent cause [spontaneously born due to their karma], that there was no such thing as the Great Waste (niraya), and that there were no effects of good or bad deeds done. According to his view "if one dies one is not reborn." Ven. Kumara Kassapa was an Arhat who could teach well...
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(54) The First Buddhist Council

About a week after the Buddha's passing, Ven. Maha Kassapa heard the news. He was resting on his way to Kusinara (where the Buddha passed) together with a great number of monks. The junior monks were plunged into grief, weeping and lamenting. But one monk, Subhadda, who had entered the Order in his old age, actually rejoiced that the Buddha was gone: "Grieve not, brothers!" he called out. "Weep not, we are now delivered from that Great Ascetic. He constantly worried us saying, ' This is proper, this is improper!' Now we are free to do what we like!' These unexpected words from the lips of a disciple alarmed Maha Kassapa. He became concerned about the future of the Buddha's Teachings and wanting to systematize and canonize them, he convened the First Buddhist Council....

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