THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
578
bhikkhunÊs
with our introduction and ask to be ordained there.‛ Accordingly, they went to
the monasteries of the
bhikkhunÊs
with the introduction of the Venerable and received
ordination. (They received ordination under the patronage of Uppalavan TherÊ, according
to JÈtaka Commentary) They attained arahatship within a short period of time through
mindful, earnest effort in the practice of the Path. (The Buddha expounded an account of
this episode in Culakalinga JÈtaka, vide Catukka Nipatta. For further particulars, please
refer to five hundred and fifty JÈtaka).
(N.B. This episode happened only when the Buddha was taking up residence at
Jetavana monastery of Savatthi, some time after the establishing of
bhikkhunÊ-
sÈsana
with the Buddha’s approval and also in compliance with MahÈ PajÈpati
GotamÊ's express request when He was residing in MahÈvana forest, Vesali. This
interesting episode has connections with the story of wandering Saccaka, hence its
exposition here.)
The Story of Wandering Ascetic Saccaka
As narrated above, the four women ascetics had a younger brother called wanderer
Saccaka, who was acting as an instructor of the royal princes of Vesali.
It was during the period when the Buddha was staying at Kutagara monastery in
MahÈvana forest, near Vesali, that wanderer Saccaka, son of sectarian Nigandha, was
proclaiming himself as one skilled in debating, one who was very learned; and people also
took him to be a holy person. He was boasting to the Vesali citizens:
‚I have never come across any person claiming himself to have
bhikkhu
followers,
to be a sectarian, a sectarian leader, a
samana
BrÈhmana or one worthy of Homage,
a Perfectly Self-Enlightened Buddha, who could resist without perspiring from
their arm-pits when I refute and rebuke them on grounds of views. Even senseless
logs or wooden blocks could not remain unshaken when I talk about things in
terms of views, leave alone the living creatures!‛
Wanderer Saccaka was, in fact, going about the city and boasting himself as one who was
out to find faults with Samana Gotama. On one morning, as he was strolling about and
taking walking exercise, he noticed the Venerable Assaji on his round of receiving alms, at
a distance. He thought to himself:
‚I am a person, who has been contemplating how to debate with Samana Gotama's
Teaching though I cannot do it yet, since I have no means of knowing His views. I must
therefore try to get to know His views before I could challenge Him in a proper manner.
Venerable Assaji is well versed in Samana Gotama's views and I should make Him to
declare their doctrine firmly before I could find fault with Gotama and rebuke Him.‛
He approached the Venerable Assaji with that end in view, and entered into conversation
with the him after exchanging friendly greetings: ‚O Assaji... how does Samana Gotama
exhort His disciples? In how many ways does He give them instructions in minute detail?‛
Whereupon, Venerable Assaji explained him in this way:
‚O descendent of Aggivessana, wanderer Saccaka, .... the Buddha exhorted His
disciples in this manner. He gave detailed instructions in various ways:-
Bhikkhus,
...... Corporeality (
r|pa
) is impermanent, sensation is impermanent,
perception is impermanent, volitional activities are impermanent, six-fold
consciousness is impermanent. Corporeality is not self, sensation is not self,
perception is not self, volitional activities are not self, six-fold consciousness
is not self (
attÈ
). All conditioned things are not permanent; all
dhammas
are
without self.
O descendent of Aggivessana, wanderer Saccaka,.....the Buddha had exhorted His
disciples in this way. He had given many detailed instructions in various ways.‛
The above is the Venerable Assaji's reply to heretic Saccaka's query.
[Points of special interest which are worthy to note: From the foregoing statement,
it will be seen that, in his reply to Saccaka's query, Venerable Assaji mentioned