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The Calm Observation, Volume 1, Part 1, Page 2
1. The Dharma was then passed to the Maha Kasyapa1. Maha Kasyapa divided the relics into eight parts2, and collected the three baskets3.
2. The Dharma was passed to Ananda4. In the middle of the river, Ananda entered into the Samadhi of the Wind, and his body was divided into four parts5.
3. The Dharma was passed to Sanavasi. His hands rained down ambrosia, revealing five hundred doors to the Dharma6.
4. The Dharma was passed to Upagupta7. He attained three of the four fruits while still of the world. Upon receiving the precepts, many attained the four fruits8.
5. The Dharma was passed to Dhritaka9. He ascended the altar of ordination having attained the first fruit. Upon the confession of the three karmas10, he attained the four fruits.
6. The Dharma was passed to Micchaka11.
7. Miccaka passed the Dharma to Buddhanandi12.
8. Buddhanandi passed the Dharma to Buddhamitra13, who defeated the numerologists14 in debate and so received the threefold refuge15 of a King.
9. The Dharma was passed to the Parsva16, the Bhiksu of the Ribs. This Bhiksu arose from the womb with white hair. His hands emitted light, holding the scripture.
10. The Dharma was passed to Punyayashas17. His discourse won the tonsure18 of Asvagosha, who became his disciple.
11. Asvagosha19 wrote the Rastrapala20, a play about impermanence, suffering, and emptiness. Those that listened were awakened to the Path of Enlightenment.
12. The Dharma was passed to Kapimala21, who wrote the ‘Discourse on Selflessness’. This Discourse confronted the places of false views and defeated them.
13. The Dharma was passed to Nagarjuna22. His physical body was born under a tree and the Spiritual Body23 was attained from a Dragon.
14. The Dharma was passed to Deva24. Deva carved out a Heavenly Eye and gave it to a multitude of fleshly eyes25.
15. The Dharma was passed to Rahulata26. Rahulata comprehended the Writings of the Demons, defeated its followers in debate and converted those of heretical paths.
16. The Dharma was passed to Samghanandi27, who taught verse to test an Arhat28.
17. The Dharma was passed to Samgayasata29. He came upon a city by the sea where he taught in verse.
18. The Dharma was passed to Kumarata30. Seeing a multitude of riders, he recounted their horses' colors as well as the people's names and the clothes they wore.
19. The Dharma was passed to Jayata31. Jayata made a pit of fire for those that were heavily deranged. Upon making them repent, the pit became a pool as their sins were extinguished.
20. The Dharma was passed to Vasubandhu32.
21. Vasubandhu passed the Dharma to Manorhita33, who divided the Ganges River into two parts. His viewpoint influenced one part.
22. The Dharma was passed to Haklenayashas34.
23. Haklenayashas passed the Dharma to Simha35. He was mortally wounded by the King of Damira. Upon being beheaded, milk poured out instead of blood.
The people who passed down the Treasury of the Dharma - beginning with Kasyapa and ending with Simha - were 23 in all. When one holds Madhyantika and Sanavasa as being two patriarchs who lived at the same time36, there were 24 in all37.
The Golden Mouth of the Buddha prophesized of all these teachers and these saints were able to benefit many.
The kings of old did not build their elephant stables next to the temple. Instead they were built near the slaughterhouse38. How much more will those that are fond of the world value that which is noble if they are near the temple, and will they not benefit?
And as with the Brahman's skulls, there were those which a rod passed through completely, those that it did so half way, and those that it did not at all39. For those that it passed through, the people raised up a tower and offered worship, and so attained birth in heaven. The essence of hearing the Dharma is in attaining its merits and virtues. The Buddha transmitted the Treasury of the Dharma for benefits such as these40.
Footnotes:
1. Maha Kasyapa: ‘The Great’ Kasyapa – Actually Kasyapa refers to his prominent Brahman clan - his given name was Pippalayana (lit. ‘vehicle of the ficus religiosa, the tree of enlightenment’). From Magadha and one of Sakyamuni’s 10 closest historical disciples, he is said to have chaired the first Great Buddhist Council at Rajagriha during the first rainy season after the Buddha’s entry into Nirvana. Probably lived into the late 5th Century BCE.
2. The Relics (S. Sarira) – Maha Kasyapa chaired the First Council, which addressed what was to be done with the relics (ashes) of the Buddha. It was decided to split them among the laity of 8 main clans; each made a stupa for their worship. They were in Kapilavastu, Bodhgaya, Mrigadava, Jetavananatha, Pindadarama, Vaisali, Rajagriha, Kanyakubja, and Kushinagara
3. The Three Baskets (S. Tripitaka) – The three parts of the of the Buddhist Teaching (Dharma) were said to be divided by the First Council: #1 The Sutras (The Teachings in the Buddha’s words said to be compiled by Ananda) #2 The Vinaya (Disciplinary rules, said to be compiled by Upali) and the Sastras or Abhidharma (Commentaries or Analyses, traditionally said by many to be compiled by Sariputra but most probably compiled hundreds of years later - in fact, Sariputra was said to have predeceased Sakyamuni).
4. Ananda: Also one on the Buddha’s 10 closest disciples and said to be first cousin of the Buddha - said to have memorized the words of Buddha’s teachings; hence the Sutras traditionally begin with Ananda saying “Thus I have heard”. Probably lived in 5th Century BC possibly to early 4th Century BC.
5. Samadhi of the Wind: Meditation on the Dust in the Wind - Upon Ananda’s death, there was rivalry between King Ajatasatru of Magadha and the King of Vaisali for his ashes (sarira). Upon his cremation upon the river Ganges, it is said that the wind spread his ashes into four parts: one each for Magadha & Vaisali, one for the Dragon King (Naga Raja, under the water) and one for Sakra Devendra (up in heaven).
6. Sanavasi: Said to be a younger brother or disciple of Ananda, a native of Mathura, founder of the Natabhata Monastery at Urumunda. He is said to have produced a different meditation practice (samadhi) for each of his 500 disciples. Probably lived in early to mid 4th Century BC.
7. Upagupta: A Sudra (of the servant caste) by birth, he is said to have been the spiritual teacher of King Asoka who was instrumental in the spread of Buddhism in India. Probably patriarch in late 4th to early 3rd century BC.
8. The Four Fruits: The four stages in the
development of the ideal of early, so-called Small Vehicle (Hinayana) Buddhism,
the Arhat: The spiritual progress of the Arhat was
described as The Four Fruits:
A.
One
who has entered the stream (Srotapanna) to oppose the four currents (asravas)
of ignorance, sensory desire, craving for (self) existence & attachment to
views
B. One
who must return once more to oppose the stream (Sakradagami)
C. One
who will never again need to return to the stream (Anagami)
D. A
worthy (Arhat), who has reached the other shore
9. Dritaka: From Magadha. He is said to have converted Micchaka and his 8000 disciples in Madhyadesa.
10. The Confession of Three Karmas: The confession by the three creators of karmic destiny: the body, the mouth, & the thinking mind - a main component of the monk’s ordination ceremony.
11. Micchaka: - A native of Central India, he moved to Northern India after his conversion by Dhritaka.
12. Buddhanandi: Descendent of the Gautama family, from Kamarupa
13. Buddhamitra: From Northern India, a Vaisya (merchant caste) by birth, wrote a Meditation Manual called the Pancadvara-Dhyana-Sutra-Mahartha-Dharma & was known as the Great Meditation Teacher (Maha-Dhyana-Guru).
14. Numerologists – Most likely the proponents of the Sankhya philosophy
15. The Threefold Refuge – devotion to and reliance in the Buddha, the Dharma, & the Sangha (the teacher, the teaching, & and the taught), in other words, conversion to Buddhism.
16. Parsva – A Brahman from Gandhara, he vowed not to lie down until he mastered the Tripitaka and became an arhat. It took him three years. According to legend he was in the womb for 60 years, explaining the fact that he had white hair from birth. He supposedly was a master of the Vaibhasika philosophy. Said to have died in c. 36 BC.
17. Punyayashas: A descendent of the Gautama family from Pataliputra, he worked in Varanasi
18. Tonsure: Shaving of the head, in other words, conversion and ordination as a Buddhist monk
19. Asvagosha: A Brahman from Southern India whose patron was the Indo-Scythian King Kaniska, who first captured Asvagosha and later was converted by him. Asvagosha is credited with several important works, including the Buddhacarita (The Acts of the Buddha) and by some the Mahayana Sraddhodpada Sastra (Treatise on Inspiring Faith in the Great Vehicle). He helped lay the philosophical foundation for the Buddhism of the Great Vehicle (Mahayana). He lived in the first century CE.
20. Rastrapala: “Protector of the Kingdom” - a play said to be written by Asvagosha.
21. Kapimala: From Patna, converted by Asvagosha, he converted Nagarjuna to Buddhism. To the 2nd century CE.
22. Nagarjuna: His name means Dragon (Naga) - Tree (Arjuna). A native of Southern India, he is the founder of the Madhyamika School. Many important and influential works are attributed to him, including the Discourse on the Mean (Madhyamika Karika Sastra). Nagarjune is generally considered to be the most important single influence on the development of Great Vehicle (Mahayana) Buddhism in India. He lived in the 2nd century CE.
23. Spiritual Body: (S. Dharmakaya), embodiment of the Dharma, or Spiritual Reality; in other words, his spiritual life. It is said that Nagarjuna mastered the prevailing Sarvastivada teaching at the famous Nalanda monastery and then met the Chief Dragon (Mahanaga) of the ‘Nagas’ who gave him the Vaipulya (Universal Way) Sutras, which converted him to the Buddhism of the Great Vehicle.
24. Deva: From Southern India or Sri Lanka, he was also called Aryadeva, Kanadeva (One-Eyed Deva), and Nilanetra (Blue Eye). He lived in the late 2nd century CE and into the 3rd century CE in Pataliputra. The top disciple of Nagarjuna, he wrote the Discourse in a Hundred Verses and many other important works for the Madhyamika and ‘Three Treatise’ Schools.
25. Deva was said to have carved out the divine (third) eye from a statue of Mahesvara and given it to many thousands who just had (two) fleshly eyes.
26. Rahulata: Also called Rahulabhadra – Was said to have memorized the Brahmanic books that explained the names of the various demonic spirits, and so impressed its followers with his understanding that they were converted to Buddhism.
27. Sanghanandi: A prince from Sravasti, he lived in a cave in Hiranyavati where he was discovered by Rahulata.
28. The famous verse was “What is born from the seed of a Wheel-Turning King (a Cakravartin, a great ruler among men), and yet is not Buddha, and Arhat, or a Pratyekabuddha?” His disciple and successor, Samghayashas (who is said to have consulted the future Budha Maitreya in the Tusita Heaven) answered the riddle correctly: "A vessel made of clay" (a metaphor for a human being, a vessel for the spiritual life of the Dharma)
29. Sangayasata: or Gayasata, from Magadha, who worked among the Tokhari.
30. Kumarata: A Brahman from Tokhara
31. Jayata: From Northern India, he traveled to Rajagriha. He was the teacher of Vasubandhu.
32. Vasubandhu: Native of Purusapura (modern Peshawar) or Rajagriha (modern Rajgir), he wrote the authoritative work of the Sarvastivada School (the Abhidharma Kosa), and then was converted (reputedly by his younger brother Asanga) to the Yogacarya School, for which he wrote one of the definitive works, The Discourse on Mere Consciousness. He also wrote a well-known Commentary on the Lotus Sutra (Saddharma Pundarika Sutra Upadesa) and other important works.
33. Manorhita: An Indian Prince, said to be author of the Vibhasa Sastra. He workd in Western India & Ferghana.
34. Haklenayashas (also Padmaratna) was born in the palace of the king of Tokhara
35. Simha: also Aryasimha; From Central India, he worked in Kashmir, and was said to be martyred in 259 C.E. According to Hsuan Tsang, Danila was said to be a Dravidian kingdom in Southern India.
36. Ananda sent Madhyantika to Kashmir and Sanavasa to Central India at the same time
37. The Northern (Mahayana) lineage of Buddhist Patriarchs.
38. These were the stables that housed elephants used in the trampling execution of criminals. The sounds & smells of the slaughterhouse were effective in keep the elephants wild and dangerous. Obviously, the serene sounds & smells coming from the temple were not.
39. There was greater penetration with the rods (of understanding) from the skulls of greater capacity (emptiness)
40. The two levels benefits from Buddhist practice:
A. From worship of the Buddhas – birth in heaven (triumph of good over evil),
generally that ascribed to lay believers
B. Attaining the merits & virtues
of the Dharma – enlightenment (triumph of enlightenment over ignorance), generally
that ascribed to the Ordained.
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