THE BUDDHA PREACHING THE SERMON "THE WHEEL OF LAW" TO THE BAND OF FIVE DISCIPLES"
Soon after the birth of the Future Buddha, eight Brahmin fortune-tellers, observed the marks and characteristics of the Future Buddha's person. Five of these Brahmins interpreted that prince Siddhattha would unquestionably become a Buddha and with that belief, had already become ascetics. When Siddhattha retired from the world, they attended to his personal needs. Then seeing that the Future Buddha had given up extreme asceticism and gone back to the usual way of taking ordinary material food, they doubted if he would ever become a Buddha, and deserted him. Then they went and lived in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares.
The Blessed One, having attained the Supreme Wisdom, began his life as the Great Teacher. He first thought of the persons whom he should first aid with his teaching, and saw that these five ascetics had developed mature intellect. He therefore went to the Deer Park at Isipatana near Benares, 18 yojanas (1 yojana =about 8 miles) away from the Bodhi tree and preached his First Sermonto this "Band of Five Disciples" before sunset on the full moon day of Wazo (June-July). Kondanna was established in the first noble stage of the Ariyan Path, along with eighteen crores of higher and lower gods.
VENERABLE YASA AND HIS FATHER MET THE BUDDHA
Yasa was the first born son of Sujata who offered milk-porridge to the Great Being on the very day he was to become the Enlightened Buddha. He had been brought up in the greatest luxury as in the case of the Future Buddha, three separate mansions being provided for three different seasons, namely, the wet, cold and dry seasons. Waking up one night, he found his palace attendants, female musicians, asleep in unseemly conditions, and deeming the scene to be a cemetery, went out from his house and the city to the Deer Park of Isipatana that every night.
Yasa came into the presence of the Buddha and, after hearing the sermon from the Blessed One, was established in the first noble stage of the Ariyan Path. Yasa's father went in search of his son and came to the Buddha. The Buddha made Yasa invisible with his supernatural power and assuring him with these words, "You will find your son" preached a sermon to him. Yasa's father was also established in the first holy stage of the Aryan Path, while Yasa was established in the fourth holy stage of the Aryan Path. The Blessed One then discontinued the use of the supernatural power with the result that the father met the son, and ordained Yasa as a monk at his request.
BHADDA-VAGGIYA BROTHERS WENT SEARCHING FOR A WOMAN, AND WERE CONVERTED BY THE BUDDHA.
The Buddha went back from Benares to Uruvela, and on his way he entered a grove and sat under a tree. At that time, thirty Bhadda-vaggiya brothers, who were born of the same father as King Pasenadi of Kosala, were sporting with their wives in that grove. One of them had no wife and they had brought a courtesan for him, but while they were not noticing she had taken their bag of valuables and fled. They came seeking her, and when they came near the Blessed One they inquired, "Did you not see a woman ?" "What do you think, young men," Buddha replied, "which is better for you, to go in search of a woman or to go in search of yourselves?" The brothers admitted, "It is better to go in search of oneself'. Buddha then told them to sit down and preaching to them the evils of sensual indulgence, converted and ordained them as monks of the Holy Order.
BUDDHA SENDING OUT A MISSION OF SIXTY ARAHANTS
After the Buddha had kept his retreat at the Deer Park at Isipatana during the first rainy season, there were fully sixty Arahants besides the Blessed One. He called them and said. "Released am I, O Bhikkhus, from fetters both human and divine. Ye also are free from fetters both human and divine. Go ye, now O Bhikkhus, and wander for the gain of the many, for the good of the many, for the gain and welfare of gods and men. Preach, O Bhikkhus, the doctrine which is glorious in the beginning, glorious in the middle, glorious at the end, in spirit and in letter. Proclaim the Holy Life altogether perfect and pure. There are beings with a little dust in their eyes, who, not hearing the Doctrine will fall away. There will be those who will understand the Doctrine". With this exhortation the Buddha despatched His first sixty disciples in various directions.
THE BUDDHA TAMING THE DRAGON IN THE FIRE-SHED WITH HIS SUPERNATURAL POWER
After sending forth the Arahants to preach, the Blessed One went to Uruvela to convert a thousand hermits headed by the three Kassapa brothers known as Uruvela Kassapa, Nadi Kassapa and Gaya Kassapa. The Buddha tamed the King of the Dragons in a fire-shed by using a variety of his supernatural powers. The thousand hermits became monks and with this retinue, the Blessed One proceeded to Gayasisa. On arrival there he preached to them again and they all became arahants.
The Buddha went from there to Rajagaha accompanied by those monks and dwelt in the Toddy Palm Grove. King Bimbisara went there with a large following of 120,000 persons to pay his respects to the Buddha. As the ascetic Kassapa was held in high esteem by his people, he was at a loss to understand whether the Buddha was a disciple of Kassapa or the latter was a disciple of the former. The Venerable Kassapa knew this and placing his head upon the Buddha's feet acknowledged the Buddha's superiority, saying, "My teacher, Lord, is the Lord, I am the disciple" repeatedly.
