THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
596
second day there came Makkhali Gosala; on the third, Ajita Kesakambala; on the fourth
day, Pakudha Kaccayana, on the fifth, Sancaya Belatthaputta; they all met the same fate as
Purana Kassapa, since they could not fulfil the condition set out by the rich man.
On the sixth day, Nigandha Nathaputta summoned his disciples and confided to them:
‚Go ye to the rich man of RÈjagaha and tell him: ‘The bowl is only fit for our Great Sage;
do not make our Great teacher come all the way through space for a negligible wooden
bowl such as that; do exempt our Great Sage from such a task and offer it to him.’‛ He
thus sent his disciples to the rich man of RÈjagaha.
His disciples went to the rich man of RÈjagaha and told him as instructed by their teacher.
Whereupon, the rich man gave them a firm reply: ‚Only those who can come through
space may get the bowl.‛
Nigantha Nathaputta had a desire to go there personally and so he confided these
instructions to his disciples:
‚I will make a sham attempt by lifting one of my legs and hands, as though I am
about to shoot up into the sky, and you all come saying: ‘O Great Sage .. What are
you going to do .. please do not demonstrate the secrets of the virtues of
arahatta-
phala
for the sake of a wooden bowl,’ and then you will push and make me fall to
the ground.‛
He thus confided to them his plans.
After conspiring with his disciples, Nathaputta went to the rich man and said: ‚Rich man
.. this bowl is not fit for anybody else, why should you want me to fly in the air for a
paltry wooden bowl. Do offer it to me.‛ ‚Venerable Sir... just fly up to the sky and take it,‛
was the rich man's terse reply.
Whereupon, Nathaputta said: ‚If that is the case I will shoot up into the sky‛ and turning
to his disciples he asked them to move aside and he lifted one of his hands and feet. Then
his disciples hastened to their teacher and said to him: ‚O Great teacher ... what do you
mean by this! ... it is not worth demonstrating the virtues of
arahatta-phala
for the sake of
a worthless wooden bowl‛ as previously arranged. They pulled him by his hands and feet
and caused him to fail to the ground. Nathaputta, while still lying on the ground, told the
rich man: ‚O rich man ... you have seen that my disciples would not allow me to fly into
the sky. I urge you to offer me that bowl.‛ But the rich man was not to be moved. He
calmly repeated: ‚Please take it only by flying into the sky.‛
Thus the six teachers made six attempts for six days in succession, but to no purpose.
Venerables MahÈ MoggallÈna and Pindola.
On the seventh day, the two Venerables, namely, Venerables MahÈ MoggallÈna and
Pindola came out of the VeÄuvana monastery to enter the City of RÈjagaha for the usual
round of receiving alms food. When they were putting on robes while on a huge rock near
the city, they overheard the calumniating remarks of some drunken persons:
‚Friends ... those six sectarian teachers used to go round announcing themselves as
arahats
in the past. It is now the seventh day since the rich man of RÈjagaha made
the announcement: ‘If there is an
arahat
, let him come through space to take the
bowl,’ after hanging the sandalwood bowl from a series of bamboo poles tied
together to a height of sixty cubits. Not even one person declaring: ‘I am an
arahat
’ has been able to fly into the sky. Only today we know well there are no
arahats
in the world.‛
On hearing that remark, Venerable MahÈ MoggallÈna asked the Venerable Pindola:
‚Friend ... do you hear the derogatory remark of those drunken persons? His sweeping
calumniating remark also affects the prestige of Buddha-SÈsana. You possess power; you
are mighty; Go and bring the sandalwood bowl by flying through space.‛ Whereupon,
Venerable Pindola Bharadvaja replied: ‚Friend ... The Buddha had elevated you to the
Chief position (
EtadaggaÑ
) with respect to your supernormal power, and, as such, I wish
you to do it yourself. I will accomplish the task only if you do not undertake it.‛ (This