Living Happily In The Dhamma
The Story of Venerable Mahakappina
Chapter 6: The Wise • Verse 4
The Story of Venerable Mahakappina
Chapter 6: The Wise • Verse 4
He who drinks deep the Dhamma lives happily with a tranquil mind. The wise man ever delights in the Dhamma made known by the Noble One (the Buddha).
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Venerable Mahakappina.
Mahakappina was king of Kukkutavati. He had a queen named Anoja and a thousand ministers to help him rule. One day, while out in the park with his ministers, the king met some merchants from Savatthi.
Learning about the Triple Gem from these merchants, the king and his ministers immediately set out for Savatthi.
That day, surveying the world with his supernormal power, the Buddha saw Mahakappina and his ministers on their way and knew they were ready for Arahatship. He travelled a hundred and twenty leagues from Savatthi to meet them, and waited under a banyan tree on the bank of the Candabhaga River.
When the king and his ministers arrived and saw the Buddha with six-coloured rays radiating from his body, they approached and paid homage. The Buddha delivered a discourse, at the end of which the king and all his ministers attained the fruit of stream-entry.
They asked to join the Sangha. Reflecting on their past and seeing that they had offered yellow robes in a former existence, the Buddha said to them, 'Come, monks,' and they all became monks.
Meanwhile, Queen Anoja learned of the king's departure, and with the wives of the thousand ministers she followed his trail. They too came upon the Buddha and, seeing his six-coloured halo, paid homage to him.
By his supernormal power, the Buddha had made the king and his ministers invisible, so their wives could not see them. When the queen asked where the king was, the Buddha told her to wait a little, for the king and his ministers would soon appear.
The Buddha then gave another discourse, at the end of which the king and his ministers attained Arahatship, and the queen and the ministers' wives attained the fruit of stream-entry.
At that moment the women saw the newly ordained monks and recognized them as their former husbands. They too asked to enter the Sangha, and were directed to go on ahead to Savatthi, where they were ordained and soon attained Arahatship. The Buddha returned to the Jetavana Monastery with a thousand monks.
At the Jetavana Monastery, whether resting by night or by day, Venerable Mahakappina would often exclaim, 'Oh, what happiness!' (Aho sukham!). Hearing him say this so many times, the monks told the Buddha about it.
The Buddha replied that his son Kappina, having tasted the Dhamma, lived happily with a serene mind, and was uttering these words of joy with reference to Nibbana.
The Story of Venerable Mahakappina
Chapter 6: The Wise • Verse 4
He who drinks deep the Dhamma lives happily with a tranquil mind. The wise man ever delights in the Dhamma made known by the Noble One (the Buddha).
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Venerable Mahakappina.
Mahakappina was king of Kukkutavati. He had a queen named Anoja and a thousand ministers to help him rule. One day, while out in the park with his ministers, the king met some merchants from Savatthi.
Learning about the Triple Gem from these merchants, the king and his ministers immediately set out for Savatthi.
That day, surveying the world with his supernormal power, the Buddha saw Mahakappina and his ministers on their way and knew they were ready for Arahatship. He travelled a hundred and twenty leagues from Savatthi to meet them, and waited under a banyan tree on the bank of the Candabhaga River.
When the king and his ministers arrived and saw the Buddha with six-coloured rays radiating from his body, they approached and paid homage. The Buddha delivered a discourse, at the end of which the king and all his ministers attained the fruit of stream-entry.
They asked to join the Sangha. Reflecting on their past and seeing that they had offered yellow robes in a former existence, the Buddha said to them, 'Come, monks,' and they all became monks.
Meanwhile, Queen Anoja learned of the king's departure, and with the wives of the thousand ministers she followed his trail. They too came upon the Buddha and, seeing his six-coloured halo, paid homage to him.
By his supernormal power, the Buddha had made the king and his ministers invisible, so their wives could not see them. When the queen asked where the king was, the Buddha told her to wait a little, for the king and his ministers would soon appear.
The Buddha then gave another discourse, at the end of which the king and his ministers attained Arahatship, and the queen and the ministers' wives attained the fruit of stream-entry.
At that moment the women saw the newly ordained monks and recognized them as their former husbands. They too asked to enter the Sangha, and were directed to go on ahead to Savatthi, where they were ordained and soon attained Arahatship. The Buddha returned to the Jetavana Monastery with a thousand monks.
At the Jetavana Monastery, whether resting by night or by day, Venerable Mahakappina would often exclaim, 'Oh, what happiness!' (Aho sukham!). Hearing him say this so many times, the monks told the Buddha about it.
The Buddha replied that his son Kappina, having tasted the Dhamma, lived happily with a serene mind, and was uttering these words of joy with reference to Nibbana.