Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha, Part D

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Chapter 21: Trapusha and Bhallika

Mara sends his children, one at a time to tempt Buddha. They fail. Mara asks Buddha to enter Nirvana. The Buddha proclaims that he will not yet so that he can teach enlightenment.

Buddha meditates for a week and then travels for a week on and off without eating for several weeks. Finally, two travelers, Trapusha and Bhallika find Buddha and offer him food. Buddha blesses them. Being offered food is a sign that Buddha must now travel and teach.

Chapter 22: The Buddha is prepared to preach the doctrine

Buddha doubts that anyone will accept his teaching or desire to learn what he has learned. Brahma comes down from heaven to convince him that someone, somewhere will learn from him. Finally, Buddha acquiesces.

Chapter 23: The Buddha leaves for Benares

Buddha considers finding Rudraka and Kalama because he knows they can learn from him, but he learns that they are dead. The Buddha then remembers the disciples who had left Kalama to follow him before he found enlightenment. He leaves to go to Benares to find them.

Chapter 24: The Buddha finds his former disciples

Buddha finds the disciples. When seeing him approach, they resolve not to honor for they felt he had fallen into indulgence before. As he approached them, they could not help but to honor them. He introduces himself as the Buddha, the perfect enlightened one. He introduces his teachings and they begin to listen and glorify him.

Chapter 25: The Story of the hermit and the hare

Buddha began to acquire disciples who wanted to learn his teachings. But some friend and family of one of his new disciples sought them out to convince their friend to leave Buddha and return to them and their way of life. Buddha told all of them the story of the Hermit and the Hare where the Hare was willing to give himself up for the greater good. The family and friends decided to remain and become disciples as well.

Chapter 26: The Story of Padmaka

Buddha tells the story of the King Padmaka to his disciples. IN the story Padmaka’s kingdom experiences an epidemic. A doctor says that a fish named Rohita can save all who are sick. The King throws himself in the river to become Rohita and he was caught and fed to the sick to save them. Buddha gains more followers.

Chapter 27: The Buddha at the Bamboo Grove

Buddha remembers King Vimbrassa and his vow to return to teach him when he reached enlightenment. Buddha left with his disciples to seek the King. The King met him outside of his city and accepted his teachings. The king offered a bamboo grove to give to Buddha to make his home to teach.

Bibliography:

Andre Ferdinand Herold, The Life of Buddha, http://sacred-texts.com/bud/lob/lob03.htm#page_3