Story Of The Buddha & Buddhism ( Part 13 - 16 )

Part 13

The future Buddha being attacked by Mara. The evil one, just before he attained enlightenment

After eating the milk-porridge offered by Sujata, the Future Buddha took his noonday rest on the bank of Neranjara, in the cool and pleasant shade of a grove of sal trees. And at nightfall he went towards the Bodhi tree. On the way he received from a grass-cutter named Sotthiya handfuls of grass and sat down cross-legged on that grass. He made the mighty resolution: "I will not stir from this seat until I have attained the supreme and absolute wisdom"; Many higher and lower goods with Sakka came near the Future Buddha.

The god Mara, the Evil One, saw the Future Buddha seated in that unconquerable position and knew that he was sure to become a Buddha. He went back to his celestial realm and brought his army drawn out for battle. He grasped a variety of weapons himself and sounded the war-cry, "Advance! Seize!"; to frighten the Great Being. But the Future Buddha won a peaceful victory over Mara with the power of loving kindness, which he had practised in his many past lives, just as a mother would tame a cruel and wicked son with her maternal love

Part 14

Attainment of enlightenment as Buddha

Having vanquished the army of Mara, the Future Buddha 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 Buddha, and went into deep meditation.
He acquired in the first watch of the night the knowledge of previous existences; in the middle watch of the night, the divine eye with which he could see the beings of all thirty-one planes of existence dying and being reborn; and in the last watch of the night, he gained the bliss of complete emancipation. Thus on Wednesday the full moon day of Visakha (April-May) 103 the Greast Era at down, the Great Being attained the Supreme Enlightenment of a Buddha

Part 15

Cakes being offered to the Buddha by the brothers Tapussa and Bhallika

Not long after his attainment of Supreme Buddhahood, the Blessed One sat cross legged at the foot of the Rajayatana tree (Buchanania latifolia). At that time two brothers Tapussa and Bhallika, from a village called Ukkala went for trade to (the middle Districts of) India where the Buddha was dwelling. A deity who was related to them in a past existence informed the two brothers that the Blessed One had recently attained the Supreme Buddhahood, and directed to the place where the Blessed One was then dwelling. The deity also instructed them to offer to the Buddha the cakes which they had brought with them.

As directed by the deity, the two brothers approached the Buddha and offered the cakes which they had brought. They then addressed the Buddha with the words "We take our refuge, Lord, in the Blessed One and the Dhamma; may the Blessed One receive us as disciples, who from this day forth, while our life lasts, have taken their refuge in Him";. They then asked the Blessed one, "What shall we receive as an object of worship from today. Lord?"; the Blessed One rubbed his head with his hand and gave to the two brothers whatever hairs came off and stuck to his hand.

Part 16


The Buddha preaching the sermon "the wheel of law"; to the "Band of five disciples"

Soon after the birth of the Future Buddha, eight Brahmin fortune-tellers, observed the marks and characteristics of the Future Buddha's person. Five of these Brahmins interpreted that prince Siddhattha would unquestionably become a Buddha and with that belief, had already become ascetics. When Siddhattaha retired from the world, they attended to his personal needs. Then seeing that the Future Buddha had given up extreme asceticism and gone back to the usual way of taking ordinary material food, they doubted if he would ever become a Buddha, and deserted him. Then they went and lived in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares.

The Blessed One, having attained the Supreme Wisdom, began his life as the Great Teacher. He first thought of the persons whom he should first aid his teaching, and saw that these five ascetics had developed mature intellect. He therefore went to the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, 18 yojanas (1 yojana = about 8 miles) away from the Bodhi tree and preached his first sermon to this "Band of Five Disciples" before sunset on the full moon day of Wazo (June-July). Kondanna was established in the first noble stage of the Aryan Path, along with eighteen crores of higher and lower gods.