Kassapa-Buddhism

1. Kassapa’s Early Years

Among those of the Buddha’s disciples who were closest to him, there were two friends, Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, who were the chief disciples of the Buddha, the exemplary pair of disciples. There were also two brothers, Ananda and Anuruddha, who were likewise eminent “Fathers of the Order.” In between these two pairs stands a great solitary figure, Pipphali Kassapa, who later was called Maha Kassapa, Kassapa the Great, to distinguish him from the others of the Kassapa clan, such as Kumara Kassapa and Uruvela Kassapa.

After Sariputta and Maha Moggallana had passed away, predeceasing the Buddha, it was Maha Kassapa who was held in greatest respect and reverence in the Order. But even after the Buddha’s passing away, Maha Kassapa did not become the elected head of the Order of Monks, as it had been the Buddha’s express wish that there should not be a supreme authoritative head of the Sangha. Shortly before his passing away, the Buddha had said: “That which I have proclaimed and made known, Ananda, as the Teaching and the Discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya), that shall be your Master when I am gone” (D.16).

Yet the natural authority emanating from Maha Kassapa made him particularly honored and venerated in the Sangha. There were many factors that contributed to his pre-eminent position after the death of the Master. He had been praised by the Buddha as being equal to him in many respects[1] and he shared with the Master seven of the thirty-two “Marks of a Great Man.” He had been the only monk with whom the Buddha had exchanged robes. Maha Kassapa possessed to the highest degree the ten “qualities that inspire confidence.”[2] He was also a model of a disciplined and austere life devoted to meditation. So it is no wonder that he was elected to preside over the First Council of the Sangha which had been summoned on his urgent advice. It may have been on account of all these features of his personality and his life that, much later in China and Japan, Maha Kassapa came to be regarded as the first patriarch of Ch’an or Zen Buddhism. Continue reading →

Buddha with monks

The Teacher while in residence at the Bamboo grove gave this religious discourse beginning with “Utthanenappamadena” with reference to the Elder Culapanthaka.

It is said that in Rajagaha, the daughter (of the family) of a rich banker, on coming of age was closely guarded by her parents on the upper story of a seven-storied palace. Because of her caprice due to her young age she developed an ardent longing for the opposite sex and she cohabited even with her own slave and fearing that other people might come to know of it, said “It is impossible for us to live here. If my parents come to know of this misdeed, they will cut me into pieces. Let us go and live somewhere else”. Taking with them their personal effects they left by the main gate thinking “We shall go and live in some place unknown to others” and took residence at a certain place. As a result of their living together she became conceived.

When she was in the advanced stage of pregnancy, she discussed with her husband thus, “My pregnancy has reached the advanced stage; confinement in a place devoid of friends and relations would just be courting trouble, let us go to the home of our parents”. Fearing that he would lose his life if he were to go there he procrastinated saying, “We will go to-day, we will go tomorrow.”

She thought, “Due to the gravity of his own misdeed, this fool does not dare to go; in fact parents only wish for the good (of their children). Whether he goes or not, I shall go.” As she was leaving that house, she arranged the house in order and informing her next door neighbours of her departure to the home of her parents she set out on her journey.

He returned home and not finding her, enquired of the neighbours and, learning that she had left for her parent’s house, followed her hastily and overtook her on the way. She gave birth to a child at that very place. He enquired of her “What is it my dear?” “Sir, it is a son”, replied she. “What should we do now?” “The purpose for which we are going to the house of our parents is accomplished on the way. What is the use of our going there? Let us turn back.” Both of them being of one accord, turned back. That child being born on the way, was named Panthaka.

Before long she became conceived once again. The detailed account of what happened on the previous occasion should be repeated all over here. Because of the fact that that child was also born on the road the first born child was named Mahapanthaka and this other Culapanthaka. Taking both the boys they returned to their own home. While they were living there, the boy Mahapanthaka heard other children addressing their uncles and grand-parents, and asked his mother, “Mother, other boys speak of their uncles and grand-parents. Have we no relations, mother?” “Yes, son, you have no relatives here. In the city of Rajagaha, however, you have a grandfather who is a rich banker and we have many relations there.” “Why do not we go there, mother?” asked the son. She did not tell her son the reason why she did not go, but when her sons spoke about it repeatedly she said to her husband, “These boys are worrying me very much. My parents are not going to eat us (our flesh) when they see us. Come let us take the children to their grand-parents.” Continue reading →