DHAMMAYATRA '17 (PART VI): SAVATTHI, THE CAPITAL OF GREAT KOSALAN KINGDOM

Piprahwa, new site of Kapilavatthu

We dropped by Piprahwa while we was travelling from Nepal to Sravasti. Piprahwa was dubbed the place where ancient city Kapilavatthu was located. In fact, the site in Piprahwa might be the new Kapilavatthu after the attack of King Vidudabha on the old site of Kapilavatthu in Tilaurakot. Here, fragments of Buddha relics was unearthed by the estate owner, William Claxton Peppe while he was excavating a large mound in his estate. The relics was then distributed to Thailand (enshrined in Wat Saket) and Sri Lanka (enshrined in Dipaduttamrama Stupa and Ruwanwelisaya Stupa) In Piprahwa, one could still find the ruins on monasteries built during Kusharna's period which surrounded the main stupa. There is also a big lotus pond near the site of the main stupa.

Ruins of foundation structures surrounding the main stupa in Piprahwa

A big lotus pond located near the ruins

Lotuses blooming in vibrant pinkish color

Sravasti, known as Savatthi during the Buddha's time, was the capital of the Kosala kingdom lead by King Pasenadi at that time. Savatthi came from the word "sabbam atthi" which means "everything is here." Here was the place where the well known Jetavana monasteries was located. Here too was the home to the generous and wealthy Sudatta, the Anāthapindika as well as Lady Visakha, who had donated Pubbarama to the Sangha community. Here, Lord Buddha had performed the yamaka pathihariya or the Twin Miracle to dispel the condemning heretics while departing to Tavatimsa Heaven to preach the Dhamma to his mother, Queen Maya who had been reborn into the deva realm. Here was also the place where Devadatta, who had created schism among the Sangha community and attempted to murder the Blessed One, fell to death upon trying to visit the Blessed One. Now, Savatthi is just an outskirt town with ruins and monasteries around surrounded by thick forests and bushes.

The panaromic view of current Savatthi

Sudatta Stupa

Early morning of the 11th day, we visited the monument which was believed to be built on the foundations of residence owned by Sudatta. The condition there was very foggy that time. The monument was hence known as Sudatta stupa or Anathāpindika Stupa. Sudatta was once a great lay devotee to the Blessed One and was a very generous merchant until he was known as Anathāpindika which mean "the one who gives alms to the unprotected." Sudatta was once a great benefactor and supporter of the Sangha community during the Lord Buddha's time. From the top of the monument, one could see the scenery of the once prosperous Savatthi which has now became a place occupied by forests. One has to be mindful while climbing the monument as there are deep hole at the top of the monuments.

A portion of the Sudatta stupa covered with fog

Angulimala Stupa

Just opposite the street from Sudatta stupa, locates the Angulimala stupa, the site where Ven. Angulimala was cremated. Angulimala was once known as Ahimsaka, which means "the harmless one." He was once a kind and appreciative medical student at Tāshi (now Afghanistan) and was favoured by his teacher due to his diligence in medical studies. Due to his achievements and his close association with the teacher, he was disliked by his study mates. In other words, his study mates had grew jealous on Ahimsaka. Due to that, they concocted their teacher in many ways so that the teacher will dislike Ahimsaka. Once and coincidentally, Ahimsaka was helping his teacher's wife while having a good chat. Seen by his jealous mates, they called their teacher to observe the situation while telling a lie out of jealousy to him that Ahimsaka is having secret affair with his wife, hence igniting the fire of aversion within the teacher. Feeling angered, the teacher told Ahimsaka to leave as he had studied enough. In request of wanting to present an honorary gift to the teacher as a token of gratitude, the teacher suggested to Ahimsaka to present a garland of 1000 fingers to him. Despite feeling shocked and reluctant, he accepted his teacher's suggestion to search for finger garlands. In the beginning, he went everywhere asking for finger to make garland but to no avail. Feeling desperate, he started killing people for their fingers to make garlands, hence he was since named Angulimala. As he kills more and more, his past evil kamma ripens, turning him into a crazy, ruthless murderer who seeks pleasure in killing others. Upon collecting 999 fingers with one more left, Angulimala's mother made effort to find Angulimala to stop his killing spree. In a mission to save Angulimala as well as to prevent Angulimala from performing garuka kamma by murdering his own mother, the Blessed One stepped in to lure Angulimala towards him. Having seen the Blessed One but not knowing who He is, Angulimala chased after the Blessed One with an intention to fulfill his 1000 finger garlands. But to no avail, Angulimala failed to chase after the Blessed One. Having felt tired, Angulimala told the Blessed One to stop. The Blessed One skillfully told Angulimala that he had stop killing long time ago and advised Angulimala too to stop killing. Upon realised his own mistake, Angulimala dropped his weapon, repented in front of the Blessed One and request to be ordained. Ven. Angulimala successfully achieved Arahantship with his diligent practise. Despite being a monk, he was not escaped from the fruits of his bad deeds. He was thrown stones, spitted, beated and injured in many ways by the people everytime he goes for alms-round. Despite all these, Ven. Angulimala patiently and understandingly bore with them after having listened to the Blessed One advice to bear with all those adversities. Not long after, Ven. Angulimala entered Maha Parinibbāna due to all those serious injuries that he had sustained. This story of Ven. Angulimala had taught me the consequences of jealousy in harming oneself as well as others and how believing in the wrong views would cause harmful to oneself and others. And the most important lesson that I've learned is, be patient throughout our lives. We might not know what bad kamma we had done in the past causing the result of the unwholesome kamma to arise. With understanding, only we would able to put a stop to the ripening of our bad kamma while patiently endure all adversities that will happen to us due to our past bad kammas.

Angulimala stupa, the cremation site of Ven. Angulimala

Jeta's Grove (Jetavana)

Sudatta first met the Blessed One in Rajagaha while he was on his business trip there. Upon the expounding of the Dhamma by the Blessed One to Sudatta, he achieved the attainment of stream-entry (sotapatti). Sudatta invited the Blessed One to Savatthi and planned to build a monastery for Him, to which the Blessed replied Sudatta that He loves peaceful places. Understanding the Blessed

Anathāpindika Monastery in Jetavana

Ananda Bodhi Tree

The small stupa marking the verandah of the Gandha-kuti

One's request, Sudatta immediately searched for a location appropriate for the monastery as soon as he returned to Savatthi. In Savatthi, he spotted a park, strategic for the monastery to be established as the park was quite a distance away from the city's noise and yet not that very remote for the Sangha community to perform their alms-collection as well as for the devotees to pay visit to the Blessed One. However, the park was owned by Prince Jeta of Kosala. When Sudatta went to request to purchase the park, Prince Jeta replied in a rejecting manner that he wouldn't sell even if he could cover the whole place with gold coins. Surprisingly, Sudatta took Prince Jeta's word seriously. The next day, he sent a cart of gold coins and start covering the park with the coins laid side by side, but only a small spot was covered. Inspired by Sudatta's earnestness, Prince Jeta agreed to give away the park to be made a residence for the Sangha community. While the remaining gold coins was used to establish monastery structures. Hence, the park was named after Prince Jeta while the monasteries was named after Anathāpindika (Sudatta). In the middle of the park, stood a large Bodhi tree at a request by Ven. Ananda assisted by Sudatta. The Bodhi tree was believed to be the seedling from the original Bodhi tree where the Blessed One gained enlightenment. The seedling was obtained by Ven. Maha Moggallana with his supernatural power, teleporting from Jetavana to Uruvela and back again with the tree's seedling. After planting work was done by Sudatta, the tree was consecrated with the Blessed One meditated overnight under the tree. The tree was named after Ven. Ananda as he was the one who requested for the tree planting, in compassion for the devotees of Savatthi who wishes to pay homage when the Blessed One was away from Jetavana. Not far from the tree was once the Blessed One's resting chamber, known as Gandha-kuti or The Perfumed Chamber as the chamber was surrounded with perfumed flowers placed there by the devotees. We had our Mangala Sutta chant here right at the place where it was once the Blessed One's resting chamber. A verandah was once built just in front of the chamber, where the Blessed One used to preach the Dhamma to His discliples as well as the lay devotees. A small stupa which is now enveloped with golden leaves was erected, marking the place where the preaching verandah was located. Just beside the chamber is another small chamber built specially by Sudatta for the Blessed One's use for meditation purpose. Just in from of the chamber is a long brick-plinth where the Blessed One used to performed his walking meditation (cankama). The chamber was known as the Kosambi-kuti. Majority of the vinayas and suttas, including Metta Sutta and Mangala Sutta, were expounded here in Jetavana. It was said that this place has been the headquarter among the monasteries in ancient India. Despite the discovery of Jetavana, there are still some ruins were yet to be unearthed and still buried beneath the mounds and soils overgrown with trees and bushes.

Some of the monasteries in Jetavana

The Miracle Stupa, Orajhar

Known as Orajha, the Great Miracle Stupa marks the place where the Blessed One performed yamaka-pātihāriya or the Twin Miracle to silent the heretics who had constantly condemn the Blessed One whilst ascending to the Tavatimsa Heaven to preach his mother, Queen Maya who had be reborn in the heaven. The event took place at the beginning of the Blessed One's seventh rain retreat. The stupa was located on top of a hillock not far from the Nikko Lotus Hotel, the hotel where we had stayed overnight in Savatthi. The place was known by the local as Buddha Airport, as the place was once where Lord Buddha levitated and ascended to the sky above as claimed by the locals.

The hillock of the Great Miracle Stupa, Orajha

Nava Jetavana Vihara

Just opposite Jetavana, locates the Nava Jetavana Vihara. We visited the monastery the night we reached Savatthi after a long travel from Piprahwa. Here, we were glad and joyful that we had the opportunity to be blessed with the Buddha relic by the abbot of the vihara and even see the relic with deep reverence as if the Blessed One was there. What attracted me in the vihara was the murals on the wall. Each of the mural depicts an event that had once occurred here in Savatthi during Lord Buddha's time. Most of the stories were events that had taken place that conditioned the Blessed One to recite some of the verses in Dhammapada.

Being blessed by the abbot of Nava Jetavana Vihara with the Buddha relic

The Buddha-rupam of Nava Jetavana Vihara

One of the vihara's wall mural, depicting the Twin Miracle (yamaka-pātihāriya) event

That's all for Savatthi, the city where the Blessed One had spent almost half of His total rain retreats (vassas) before entering Maha Parinibbāna and was once the capital of the Kosala kingdom ruled by King Pasenadi.

My Dhammayatra journey continues...