Story Of The Buddha & Buddhism ( Part 33 - 36 )

Part 33

King Kosala asking the heretical teachers if any of them claim to be the Buddha

Even before the Blessed One had attained the Supreme Enlightenment of a Buddha, there was six heretical teachers who wandered about towns and villages and deceived many people by professing themselves to be Buddhas. When they arrived at Savatthi, the minsters who had faith in these wandering ascetics informed King Kosala that their teachers were all Buddhas. King Kosala said to the ministers, "Please invite your teachers yourselves and bring them to this palace"

When these heretical teacher arrived at the palace, they dared not sit upon the magnificent seat of the King and some of them sat upon the floor, while others sat on the carpets. The King saw how they were seated and guessed that none of them could be the Buddha. He asked them a direct question, "Do you admit that you are the Buddha or deny it?"; They frankly admitted,"We are not the Buddha". They were then allowed to leave the palace in peace.

Part 34

King Kosala asking the blessed one whether he admit himself to be Buddha

The Buddha was dwelling at the Jetavana Monastery after his fist arrival at Savatthi upon the invitation of Anathapindika, the Millionaire. At the time King Kosala came to the Buddha and asked "Venerable Gotama, do you also admit that you are the all-knowing Buddha?" The Blessed One replied, "If you call any person as Buddha, you will be calling it correctly only if you call me so".

King Kosala then said,"Even elderly teachers of sects such as Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Nigantha Nataputta, Sanjaya Belatthaputta, Pakudha Kaccayana, Ajitta Kesakambala, do not admit themselves to be the Buddha. Why should you Venerable Gotama, since you are younger than those teachers, admit that you are the Buddha?"; The Buddha said, "A Prince, a fire, a snake and a virtuous monk should not be treated lightly with disrespect though small".

Part 35

Venerable Moggallana taming the king of dragons, Nandopanada

Nandopananda, king of the dragons, was dwelling on Mount Meru in magnificent splendour and luxury like a god. He was full of anger. One day while he was in the midst of his pleasure surrounded by dancing female dragons, the Buddha, together with a retinue of monks with supernatural powers, traveled by air to Tavatimsa heaven and passed over their heads. This made the king of the dragons very angry, and he coiled his body round Mount Meru and Tavatimsa heaven and covered them.

In the midst of their aerial journey, the holy monks could not see Tavatimsa heaven which was covered by the dragon-king. They knew this and asked the Blessed One to allow them to tame him, but did not get the permission. Only the Venerable Moggallana got the permission when he requested the Buddha. He then turned himself into a dragon, with a body much larger than that of the dragon-king, and coiling himself round the dragon-king's body, began to crush him down. By this and other means he tamed the dragon-king and taught him a good lesson. He then brought him to the Blessed One and made him take refuge in the triple gem, namely, the Buddha, the Doctrine and the Order of Monks.

Part 36

The Buddha causing Baka Brahma, a higher god, to change his wrong views

Baka Brahma was the chief of the first realm of higher gods. He was of the view that his realm was the highest and that he himself and his realm were everlasting, not knowing that there were higher realms above him own. The Blessed One visited the Brahma world and in the midst of an assembly of higher gods pointed out to Baka Brahma, "There are realms of higher gods above yours. The whole Brahma world of higher gods including your realm is not permanent". Then the Blessed One continued his discourse to Baka Brahma by saying, "I know how you have come into being and what your powers are. But, there are higher gods superior to you in status and power". Finding that all his views were wrong, Baka wished to show his own powers and said, "I will make myself invisible". He made several attempts to become invisible, but without success. The Blessed One then said, "I will now show you that I can make myself invisible", and instantly the Buddha disappeared from view and preached to him a sermon while remaining invisible