THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
1304
(28) KUMŒRA KASSAPA MAHŒTHERA
(a) Aspiration expressed in The Past
The future Kumara Kassapa was born into a wealthy family in the city of HaÑsÈvati
during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. As with future MahÈtheras, he went to the Buddha
and listened to His sermon, in the course of which he saw a
bhikkhu
being declared by Him
as the foremost among the
bhikkhus
who employ energy in expounding the Doctrine. He
was fired by a desire to become such a distinguished
bhikkhu
, and after making a great
offering, he made his aspiration known to the Buddha, and that was, he would like to be
honoured by some future Buddha as the foremost
bhikkhu
who employed energy in
expounding the Doctrine. The Buddha saw that his aspiration would be fulfilled, and made
the prognostication.
Meditating Atop A Mountain
The future Kumara Kassapa devoted himself to deeds of merit for the whole of his life
and after that existence, he was reborn either in the deva-world or the human world. At the
time of the waning period of Buddha Kassapa’s Teaching, he went to the top of a steep
mountain together with a group of six other
bhikkhus
and strove for enlightenment. (Refer
to the story of the Venerable Dabba.) Due to his pure and perfect morality, he was reborn
in the deva realm upon his death.
(b) Ascetic Life adopted in His Final Existence
That worthy man (future Kumara Kassapa) was never reborn in the
apÈyas
throughout
the interval of an infinite world-cycle between the two Buddhas, but in the deva realm and
human realm. About the time of the appearance of Buddha Gotama, he was conceived in
the womb of the daughter of a merchant. This young woman had always been inclined on
becoming a recluse but her parents gave her in marriage (to a son of a another wealthy
man) and had to live in her husband's house. She became pregnant but did not know it. She
pleaded with her husband to allow her to become a
bhikkhunÊ
. With her husband’s consent,
she went to the nunnery of
bhikkhunÊs
who were disciples of the Venerable Devadatta.
As the pregnancy became visible, the
bhikkhunÊs
reported the matter to the Venerable
Devadatta and sought his advice. Devadatta said: ‚She is no more a
bhikkhunÊ
,‛ and
expelled her from his community. The young
bhikkhunÊ
then went to stay in the nunnery of
bhikkhunÊs
who were the disciples of the Buddha. There, the
bhikkhunÊs
reported her case
to the Buddha who authorized Venerable UpÈli to investigate and give a decision
The Venerable UpÈli called up a group of respectable ladies of SÈvatthi, including
VisÈkhÈ, and let them investigated into the case, to find out whether the pregnancy took
place before or after becoming a
bhikkhunÊ
. With sufficient evidence, the ladies reported to
the Venerable UpÈli that the pregnancy took place during lay life. The Venerable UpÈli
then gave the unequivocal ruling that since the pregnancy took place before entering the
Order, she stood as a clean
bhikkhunÊ
. The Buddha praised the Venerable UpÈli for his
competent judgment in the controversy
This young
bhikkhunÊ
gave birth to a bonny baby boy who looked like a golden statuette.
King PasenadÊ of Kosala took care of the child and brought him up in his palace like a
princeling. The boy was named Kassapa, and at the age of seven, he was dressed finely and
sent to the Buddha's monastery for novitiation. (For details see the JÈtaka, Ekaka NipÈta,
Nigrodhamiga JÈtaka).
The Name KumÈra Kassapa
As the young boy entered the Order at the age of seven, he was referred to by the Buddha
as KumÈra Kassapa, ‘Boy Kassapa’, in distinction to other novices by the name of Kassapa.
In another sense, ‘Kumara’ also means ‘prince’. Since Kassapa was fostered by King
PasenadÊ, KumÈra Kassapa may also be taken to mean ‘Prince Kassapa’.
The Background Story of The Vammika Sutta
KumÈra Kassapa started Insight-meditation since he was novitiated into the Order, and