GIJJAKUTA -RAJAGALA- AMPARA.
In front of the cavern there are the places where the four Buddhas sat.There are caverns also of the Arhaths, one where each sat and meditated,amounting to several hundred in all.At the place where in front of his rocky apartment Buddha was walking from east to west(in meditation),and Devadaththa from among the beetling cliffs on the north of the mountain,threw a rock across ,and hurt Buddha.s toes,rock is still there( 14 or 15 cubits high and thirty paces round).
The hall where Buddha preached his Law has been destroyed,and only the foundations of the brick walls remain.On this hill the peak is beautifully green,and rises grandly up;it is the highest of all the five hills ( NILGALA , BUDDHANGALA , SAMANGALA , PIYANGALA AND Rajagala .In the New City Fa-Hsien bought incense (sticks),flowers,oil and lamps,and hired two bhikshus,long resident(at the place),to carry them(to the peak).When he himself got to it,he made his offerings with the flowers and incense,and lighted the lamps when the darkness began to come on.He felt melancholy,but restrained his tears and said,'here Buddha delivered the Surangama(Suthra) I,Fa-Hsien,was born when I could not see the foot prints which he has left,and the place where he lived,and nothing more' With this , in front of the rock cavern ,he chanted the Suragama Suthra,remained there over the night ,and then returned towards the New City.
THE SRATAPARNA CAVE,OR OF THE FIRST COUNCIL.
Out from the old city ,after walking over 300 paces,on the west of the road,he found the Karanda Bamboo Garden ,where the (old)vihara is still in existence,with a company of monks,who keep (the ground about it)swept and watered.
North of the vihara two or three le there was the Smansanam,which name means in Chinese ' the field of graves into which the dead are thrown'.
As they kept along the mountain on the south,and went west for 300 paces,they found a dwelling among the rocks,named the Pippala cave, in which Buddha regularly sat in mediation after taking his (midday)meal.
Going on still to the west
for five or six le,on the north of the hill,in the shade,they found the cavern called Srataparna, the place where,after the nirvana of Buddha,500 Arahaths collected the suthras. When they brought the Suthras forth,three lofty seats had been prepared and grandly ornamented. Saripuththa occupied the one on the left,and Moggallana that on the right.Of the number of five hundred one was wanting. Mahakashyapa was president (on the middle seat ).
Ananda was then outside the door,and could not get in.At the place there was raised a tope,which is still existing.
Along (the sides of) the hill,there are also a very great many cells among the rocks, where the various Arhaths sat and meditated.As you leave the old city on the north ,and go down east for three le ,there is the rock dwelling of Devadaththa,and at a distance of fifty paces from it there is a large ,square,black, rock.Formerly there was a bhikshu, who, as he walked backwards and forwards upon it,thought with himself:-'This body is impermanent,a thing of bitterness and vanity, and which cannot be looked on as pure.I am weary of this body, and troubled by it as an evil.' With this he grasped a knife, and was about to kill himself.But he thought again:-'The World-Honored-One laid down a prohibition against one's killing himself,' Further it occurred to him:-'Yes ,he did;but I now only wish to kill three poisonos thieves,'(evil desire,hatred, ignorance) Immediately with the knife he cut his throat. With the first gash into the flesh he attained the sata e of a Sothapanna;when he had gone half through, he attained to be an Anagami; and when he had cut right through,he was an Arahath, and attained to pari-nirvana;(and died).
GAYA ,SAKYAMUNI'S ATTAINING TO BUDDHASHIP From this place,after traveling to the west for four yojanas Fa-Hsien came to the city of Gaya; but inside the city all was emptiness and desolation.Going on again to the south for twenty le ,they arrived at the place where the Bodhisattva for six years practiced with himself painful austerities.All around was forest.(Laggala-ලග්ගල කැලේ )
Three le west from here they came to the place where,when Buddha had gone into the water to bathe,a deva bent down the branch of a tree,by means of which he succeeded in getting out of the pool.
Hiriwadunna-හිරිවඩුන්න
නෙරනජනා ගඟ (Neranjana river)
.
Two le north from this was the place where the rice-gruel made with milk; and two le north from this (again) was the place where ,seated on a rock under a great tree,and facing the east,he ate (the gruel).The tree and the rock are there at the present day. The rock may be six cubits in breadth and length, and rather more than two cubits in height.
Half a yojanas from this place to the north-east there was a cavern in the rocks,into which the Bodhisattava entered,and sat cross-legged with his face to the west.(As he did so), he had to himself,'If I am to attain to perfect wisdom (and become Buddha),rather more than three feet in length,which is still bright at the present day.At this moment heaven and earth were greatly moved,and devas in the air spoke plainly,'This is not the place where any Buddha of the past,or he that is to come,has attained,or will attain,to perfect Wisdom.Less than half a yojanas from this to the patra tree,Where all past Buddhas have attained, and all to come must attain,to perfect Wisdom.'When they had spoken these words,they immediately led the way forwards to the place,singing as they did so.As they thus went away,the Bodhisattva arose and and walked (after them)At a distance of thirty paces from the tree,a deva gave him the Kusa grass of lucky omen,which he received and went on.After (he had proceeded) fifteen paces,500 green birds came flying towards him, went round him thrice,and disappeared.The Bodhisattva went forward to the patra tree,placed the kusa grass at the foot of it,and sat down with his face to the east.Then king Mara sent three beautiful young ladies, who came from the north,to tempt him, while he himself came from the south to do the same.The Bodhisattva put his toes down on the ground,and dispersed,and the three young ladies were changed into old (grand-)mothers.
At the place mentioned above of the six years' painful austerities,and at all these other places,men subsequently reared topes and set up images,which all exist at the present day.
Where Buddha,after attaining to perfect wisdom,for seven days contemplated the tree,and experienced the joy of vimukti;where under the patra tree,he walked backwards and forwards from west to east for seven days;where the devas made a hall appear,composed of the seven precious substances, and presented offerings to him for sevendays;where the blind king naga Muchalinda encircled him for seven days;where he sat under the Nyagrodha tree on a square rock,with his face to the east, and Brahma- deva came and made his request to him ; where the four deva kings brought to him their alms-bowls; where the 500 merchants (Thapassu-Balluka )presented to him the roasted flour and honey;and where he converted the brothers Kasyapa and their thousand disciples; - at all these places topes were reared.
At the place where Buddha attained to perfect Wisdom, there are three monasteries, in all of which there are monks residing.The families of their people around supply the societies of these monks with anbundant suufficiency of what they require,so that there is no lack or saint.The disciplinary rules are strictly observed by them.The laws regulating their demeanor in sitting,rising,and entering when the those which are assembled,are those which have been practiced by all the saints since Buddha was in the world down to the present day.The places of the four great topes have been fixed, and handed down without break, since Buddha attained to nirvana . Those four great topes are those at the places where Buddha was born;where he attained to Wisdom;where he (began to )move the wheel of Law; and where he attained to pari-nirvana.
Special thanks to Mr .Kanchana Sumedha..
PLEASE READ NEXT-https://seehahelaithihasaya.blogspot.com/2018/10/mount-gurupada-where-kashyapa-buddhas.html.
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