The land of the Buddha: A journey Miroslav & Thitima with Rabi 2 There are four places, Ananda, that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. What are the four? ‘Here the Tathagata was born!’ This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. ’Here the Tathagata became fully enlightened in unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment!' This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. ‘Here the Tathagata set rolling the unexcelled Wheel of the Dhamma!’ This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. ‘Here the Tathagata passed away into the state of Nibbana in which no element of clinging remains!' This, Ananda, is a place that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. These, Ananda, are the four places that a pious person should visit and look upon with feelings of reverence. And truly there will come to these places, Ananda, pious bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, laymen and laywomen, reflecting: 'Here the Tathagata was born! Here the Tathagata became fully enlightened in unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment! Here the Tathagata set rolling the unexcelled Wheel of the Dhamma! Here the Tathagata passed away into the state of Nibbana in which no element of clinging remains!’ Digha Nikaya 16, 16-21 (tr. Sister Vajira and F. Story) Our journey 3 ❖ Varanasi (Sarnath) ❖ A Gaya ❖ B Rajgir ❖ Nalanda ❖ C Vaishali ❖ D Kusinagar ❖ E Savatthi ❖ G Lumbini ❖ H Kapilavatthu Lumbini 4 Asita the seer, in his mid-day meditation, saw the devas of the Group of Thirty — exultant, ecstatic — dressed in pure white, honoring Indra, holding up banners, cheering wildly, & on seeing 5 the devas so joyful & happy, having paid his respects, he said: "Why is the deva community so wildly elated? Why are they holding up banners & waving them around? Even after the war with the Asuras — when victory was the devas'. the Asuras defeated — even then there was no excitement like this. Seeing what marvel are the devas so joyful? They shout, they sing, play music, clap their hands, dance. So I ask you, who live on Mount Meru's summit. Please dispel my doubt quickly, dear sirs.” "The Bodhisatta, the foremost jewel, unequaled, has been born for welfare & ease in the human world, in a town in the Sakyan countryside, Lumbini. That's why we're all so wildly elated.” Sutta Nipata 3: 11 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Kapilavatthu 6 (Nepal) Lord, this Kapilavatthu is rich & prosperous, populous & crowded, its alleys congested. Samyutta Nikaya 55:21 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) 7 "Monks, I lived in refinement, utmost refinement, total refinement. My father even had lotus ponds made in our palace: one where red-lotuses bloomed, one where white lotuses bloomed, one where blue lotuses bloomed, all for my sake. I used no sandalwood that was not from Varanasi. My turban was from Varanasi, as were my tunic, my lower garments, & my outer cloak. A white sunshade was held over me day & night to protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt, & dew.” "I had three palaces: one for the cold season, one for the hot season, one for the rainy season. During the four months of the rainy season I was entertained in the rainy-season palace by minstrels without a single man among them, and I did not once come down from the palace. Whereas the servants, workers, & retainers in other people's homes are fed meals of lentil soup & broken rice, in my father's home the servants, workers, & retainers were fed wheat, rice, and meat.” Anguttara Nikaya 3:38 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) 8 "I, too, monks, before my Awakening, when I was an unawakened bodhisatta, being subject myself to birth, sought what was likewise subject to birth. Being subject myself to aging... illness... death... sorrow... defilement, I sought [happiness in] what was likewise subject to illness... death... sorrow... defilement. The thought occurred to me, 'Why do I, being subject myself to birth, seek what is likewise subject to birth?” "So, at a later time, while still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessings of youth in the first stage of life — and while my parents, unwilling, were crying with tears streaming down their faces — I shaved off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robe and went forth from the home life into homelessness.” Majjhima Nikaya 26 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Pragbodhi cave 9 “In search of what might be skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I wandered by stages in the Magadhan country and came to the military town of Uruvelā. There I saw some delightful countryside, with an inspiring forest grove, a clear- flowing river with fine, delightful banks, and villages for alms-going on all sides.” Majjhima Nikaya 26 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) 10 I thought: ‘What if I were to take only a little food at a time, only a handful at a time of bean soup, lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup?’ So I took only a little food at a time, only a handful at a time of bean soup, lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup. My body became extremely emaciated. Simply from my eating so little, my limbs became like the jointed segments of vine stems or bamboo stems.… My backside became like a camel’s hoof.… My spine stood out like a string of beads.… My ribs jutted out like the jutting rafters of an old, run-down barn.… The gleam of my eyes appeared to be sunk deep in my eye sockets like the gleam of water deep in a well … ‘ I thought: ‘Whatever contemplatives or brahmans in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their 11 striving, this is the utmost. None have been greater than this. Whatever contemplatives or brahmans in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None will be greater than this. Whatever contemplatives or brahmans in the present are feeling painful, racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None is greater than this. But with this racking practice of austerities I haven’t attained any superior human state, any distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones. Could there be another path to awakening?’ Majjhima Nikaya 36 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) Bodh Gaya 12 Indeed it is a delightful stretch of land, and the woodland grove is lovely, and the river flows clear with a delightful ford, and there is a village for support nearby. Indeed this does well for the striving of a young man set on striving.’ So I, monks, sat down just there, thinking: ‘Indeed this does well for striving.’ Majjhima Nikaya 26 (tr. Horner) 13 ‘I know you, demon; you’re Mara, the deceiver, the voice of Death! You’re the one who has kept me chasing delusions and running from shadows through life after life and death after death. This time, I’m not budging. You won’t shift me with your doubts and promises. ’ ‘You know nothing and you’ll get nothing out of sitting here. Death will sweep you away like a twig in a flood!’ said Mara. ‘And even before that comes, I can call on forces of fear, loneliness and longing that will drive you to despair and send you running for comfort. You just have one feeble body and a heart awash with confusion. How do you think that your sitting still is going to conquer me?’ ‘My body is mortal, but I’m not relying on that. My heart may sense fear and craving, but I’m not taking a stand on that. I have an inheritance of many lives spent in working for purity, both of conduct and of mind. And sitting still, alone, unarmed, I also can command a tide that will check your flood! I stand on being at peace with whatever arises. Here, now, I call this very Earth to witness that I am ready, ripe with all the perfections that are needed to sweep you and your demon host out of my heart.’ 14 In years to come, many people who heard his teachings came to acknowledge the profundity of his realization. Sensing his deep clarity and mastery of mind, they called him ‘Buddha’ — the Full-Knowing, the Enlightened, the Awake. Ajahn Sucitto, Parami, ‘Touching The Earth’. His firmness grew as he recollected the huge store of virtues and resolves that he had enacted over many lives; and in his mind’s eye, the very spirit of the Earth rose up like a goddess. Wrapping her long hair into a braid, she twisted it — and wrung out of it a great fountain of water that swept through the darkness of the grove ... His heart brimmed with confidence and clarity radiated around him: Mara and his entire host had dissolved like mist at dawn. 15 Varanasi and Sarnath "Then, having stayed at Uruvela as long as I liked, I set out to wander by stages to Varanasi.” Majjhima Nikaya 26 (tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu) 16 "Then, wandering by stages, I arrived at Varanasi, at the Deer Park in Isipatana, to where the group of five monks were staying. From afar they saw me coming and, on seeing me, made a pact with one another, (saying,) 'Friends, here comes Gotama the contemplative: living luxuriously, straying from his exertion, backsliding into abundance. He doesn't deserve to be bowed down to, to be greeted by standing up, or to have his robe & bowl received.