The Twenty-Four Buddhas – 99
After which, they sat down at suitable places, surrounding the Buddha. Then the
Buddha taught the Dhamma Wheel (
Dhamma-cakka
) discourse which was also
delivered by all previous Buddhas.
Three Occasions of the Buddha’s Teaching
Buddha Koṇḍañña, who was endowed with unlimited glory, incomparable
retinue and fame, countless attributes, formidable appearance to those who are
impudent, forbearance like the mass of earth, morality which is extensive like
the mass of water in the ocean, concentration, steadfast like Mount Meru,
wisdom infinite like the open space, always engaged himself in teaching the
faculties (
indriya
), powers (
bala
), constituents of Awakening (
bojjhaṅga
),
factors of the path (
maggaṅga
), truths (
sacca
) as revealed in the 37 things on the
side of the Awakening (
Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma
) for the benefit of large
numbers of beings.
[123]
1. At this teaching of the first discourse, 1,000 billion Devas and humans headed
by 100 million monastics realized the four truths.
2. This was followed, at one time, by the delivery of the Discourse on the
Blessings (
Maṅgala-sutta
, Snp 2.4) to a great gathering of Devas and Brahmas,
who arrived from the 10,000 world-element, assuming minute and subtle bodies
so that there could be enough room for them all in the universe. At this
gathering, an unknown Deva raised the question of blessings (
maṅgala
), asking
as to what helped to bring about a perfect life with prosperity. Addressing that
Deva, the Buddha taught the Discourse on the Blessings. At this teaching of the
Discourse on the Blessings, 900 billion Devas and humans became Arahats.
Those who became Stream-enterers (
Sotāpanna
), etc., were innumerable.
3. When Buddha Koṇḍañña taught the Dhamma, staying in the sky after
defeating the heretics by a display of the twin miracle of water and fire, 880
billion humans, Devas and Brahmas attained the Arahat fuition (
Arahatta-
phala
). Those who were established in the three lower fruition stages, were
innumerable.
Three Occasions of the Disciples’ Meeting
There were also three occasions of Buddha Koṇḍañña’s disciples’ meetings
(
sannipāta
):