The Life Stories of the Monks – 2060
Foremost Title Achieved
On one occasion, when the Buddha named foremost monastics, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ
paṭibhāṇeyyakānaṁ yad-idaṁ Rādho.
Monastics, among my monastic disciples who inspire me to amplify my
discourses, Ven. Rādha is the foremost (
etad-agga
).
Ven. Rādha’s perspicacity and deep conviction in the doctrine was a source
of inspiration to the Buddha to amplify his discourses. This fact may be
[1361]
gathered from the Thematic Discourses concerning Rādha (
Rādha-
saṁyutta
, SN 23), particularly the six last discourses (SN 23:5-10) and the
whole of the fourth chapter (SN 23:35-46).
The designated term has been defined as:
Paṭibhānaṁ janentī ti
paṭibhāneyyakā
, “those disciples who arouse the Buddha’s facility in
giving discourses.”
41. Ven. Mogharāja
The story of Ven. Mogharāja is gleaned from the commentary on the
Collection of the Numerical Discourses (
Aṅguttara-nikāya
) and the
commentary on the Way to the Beyond (
Pārāyaṇa-vagga
, Snp 5).
Aspiration in the Past
The future Mogharāja was born into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī,
during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, while he was
listening to a discourse by the Buddha, he witnessed a monastic being declared
by him as the foremost monastic among his disciples who wear robes that were
inferior in three ways: of inferior rag material, of inferior thread, and of
inferior dye. The future Mogharāja had a strong desire to be acknowledged
likewise as a foremost monastic in some future time. He made extraordinary
offerings to the Buddha and expressed this aspiration before him. The Buddha
predicted that the aspiration would be fulfilled.
Life as Minister to King Kaṭṭhavāhana
The future Mogharāja spent a meritorious life and passed away into the realm of
Devas and then in the realm of humans and Devas. Prior to the appearance of
Buddha Kassapa he was reborn in the city of Kaṭṭhavāhana, into a noble family.