Three days after the rainy season ended, a young man named Sudatta paid a visit to the Buddha to ask if he would come teach the Way of Awakening in Kosala. Sudatta was an extremely wealthy merchant. He lived in the capital city, Savatthi, in the kingdom of Kosala which was ruled by King Pasenadi. Sudatta was known to the people in his country as a philanthropist who always set aside a generous portion of his income to share with orphans and the destitute. His charitable efforts gave him much satisfaction and happiness. His people called him “Anathapindika,” which means “the one who cares for the poor and abandoned.”
Sudatta traveled frequently to Magadha to buy and sell goods. When in Rajagaha, he stayed with his wife’s elder brother, who was also a merchant. He was staying with his brother-in-law at the end of the rainy season when one day his brother-in-law said, “Tomorrow I have invited the Buddha and his bhikkhus for a meal.” Sudatta asked, with some surprise, “Doesn’t ‘Buddha’ mean ‘one who is awake?’”
“That is right. The Buddha is an awakened person, an enlightened master. Tomorrow you will have a chance to meet him.”
He couldn’t explain why, but just hearing the name Buddha filled Sudatta with happiness and inspiration. He asked to hear more about this enlightened teacher. The brother-in-law explained how after watching the serene bhikkhus beg in the city, he had gone to hear the Buddha at Bamboo Forest Monastery. He had become one of the Buddha’s lay disciples and had even built a number of thatched huts at the monastery as an offering, in order to protect the bhikkhus from the sun and rain.
Perhaps, Sudatta marveled, it was from a past-life connection, but he felt great love and respect for the Buddha within his heart. He couldn’t wait until the following day to meet the Buddha. He spent a restless night, anxiously waiting for daybreak so that he could pay a morning visit to Bamboo Forest Monastery. Unable to sleep any more, he got up even though the sky was still dark. The air was cold and misty. He made his way to Bamboo Forest. By the time he arrived, the first rays of morning sunlight were shining on the bamboo leaves. Though he wanted nothing more than to meet the Buddha, he felt somewhat nervous. To calm himself, he whispered, “Sudatta, do not worry.”
At that very moment, the Buddha, who was doing walking meditation, passed Sudatta. He stopped and said softly, “Sudatta.”
Sudatta joined his palms and bowed before the Buddha. They walked to the Buddha’s hut, and Sudatta asked the Buddha if he had slept well. The Buddha replied he had. Sudatta told the Buddha how restless a night he had spent, so anxious was he to come and meet the Buddha. He asked the Buddha to teach him the Way. The Buddha spoke to Sudatta about understanding and love.
Sudatta was filled with great happiness. He prostrated before the Buddha and asked to become a lay disciple. The Buddha accepted him. Sudatta also invited the Buddha and all his bhikkhus to come have a meal the following day at the home of his brother-in-law.
After the meal offering, Sudatta knelt down and said, “Lord Buddha, the people of Kosala have not yet had an opportunity to welcome you and your sangha and to learn the Way of Awakening. Please consider my invitation for you to come to Kosala and spend a period of time. Please show compassion to the people of Kosala.”
The Buddha agreed to discuss the idea with his senior disciples. He promised to give Sudatta a response within a few days.
A few days later, Sudatta visited Bamboo Forest Monastery and received the happy news that the Buddha had decided to accept his invitation. Sudatta assured the Buddha that he would find a suitable place for the Sangha and would provide for all their needs while they were there. Sudatta also suggested that the Buddha allow Venerable Sariputta to come to Kosala with him first in order to assist in preparations for the Buddha’s arrival.
A week later, Sudatta and Sariputta set off together, crossing the Ganga and traveling to Vesali. They rested the night in Ambapali’s mango grove. After bidding farewell to Ambapali, they headed northwest along the banks of the Aciravati River. Sudatta had never walked such distances before, having always used a carriage in the past.
Kosala was a large and prosperous kingdom, no less powerful than Magadha. Its southern border was marked by the Ganga and its northern border brushed the feet of the Himalayas. Sudatta, or Anathapindika, was known to everyone wherever he went. The people trusted what he told them, and they all looked forward to meeting the Buddha and his sangha. Every morning when Venerable Sariputta went begging, Sudatta accompanied him to speak to as many people as he could about the Buddha.
They reached Savatthi after a month. Sudatta invited Sariputta to his home for a meal and introduced him to his parents and wife. He asked Sariputta to speak about the Dharma, after which his parents and wife asked to take the three refuges and five precepts. Sudatta’s wife was a lovely and graceful woman. Her name was Pimnalakkhana. They had four children—three girls and a boy. The daughters were named Subhadra Elder, Subhadra Younger, and Sumagadha. Their son, the youngest child, was named Kala.
Sariputta begged every morning in the city and slept in the forest by the banks of the river at night. Sudatta lost no time in searching for a place to host the Buddha and the bhikkhus.
Of all the places Sudatta visited, none was more beautiful and peaceful than the park belonging to Prince Jeta. He felt sure it would serve as the perfect place from which the Buddha’s Way of Awakening could be spread to all corners of the kingdom. Sudatta went to see Prince Jeta and found him entertaining a palace official. Sudatta respectfully greeted them both and then expressed directly his hope that the prince would sell him the park to provide a practice center for the Buddha. The prince replied, “My father King Pasenadi gave me the park. I am very attached to it. I would only part with it if you agreed to cover every square inch of it in gold coins.”
Sudatta responded, “Agreed, I will meet your price. Tomorrow I will have the gold brought to the park.”
Prince Jeta was startled. “But I was only joking. I don’t want to sell my park.”
Sudatta answered with resolve, “Honorable Prince, you are a member of the royal family. You must carry out the words you have spoken.”
Prince Jeta submitted, but he secretly hoped Sudatta would not be able to meet his price. Sudatta bowed and departed. Early the next morning, he sent great carts of gold coins and had his servants spread it over the entire park.
Prince Jeta was astounded when he saw the great mounds of gold. This Buddha and his sangha must be truly extraordinary for the young merchant to go to such lengths. The prince asked Sudatta to tell him about the Buddha. Sudatta’s eyes shone as he spoke about his Teacher, the Dharma, and the sangha. He promised that he would bring Venerable Sariputta to meet the prince the following day. Prince Jeta found himself moved by the things Sudatta told him about the Buddha. He looked up to see that Sudatta’s men had already spread gold coins over two thirds of the forest. Just as a fourth cart was arriving, he held out his hand and stopped them.
He said to Sudatta, “That is enough gold. Let the remaining land be my gift. I want to contribute to this beautiful project of yours.”
Sudatta was pleased to hear this. When he brought Sariputta to meet the prince, the prince was impressed by the bhikkhu’s peaceful bearing. Together they went to visit the park, which Sudatta had decided to call “Jetavana,” or “Jeta Grove,” in honor of the prince. Sudatta suggested to Sariputta that he live at Jetavana to help direct the building of the monastery. He said his family could bring food offerings to Sariputta each day. Together Sudatta, Sariputta, and the prince discussed building huts, a Dharma hall, a meditation hall, and bathrooms. They selected an especially cool and tranquil spot to build the Buddha’s thatched hut. They oversaw the making of pathways and the digging of wells.
Sariputta began to give Dharma talks at Jetavana and the number of people who attended grew daily. Though none of the people had yet met the Buddha, they all felt drawn to his teaching.
Four months later, the monastery was nearly completed. Sariputta set off for Rajagaha in order to lead the Buddha and the bhikkhus back to Jetavana. He met them in the streets of Vesali and learned that they were dwelling nearby at Great Forest.
Ambapali was happy for the chance to offer the Buddha and his bhikkhus a meal in her mango grove. She only regretted that her son, Jivaka, was unable to attend because of his medical studies. On her way home from visiting the Buddha, her carriage was stopped by several princes of the Licchavi clan, the most powerful and wealthy lords in Vesali. They asked her where she was going, and she replied she was on her way home to prepare to receive the Buddha and his bhikkhus. After their encounter with her, then princes decided to go and see this teacher who was so highly respected by Ambapali. They left their carriages at the entrance to Great Forest and walked in.
The Buddha could tell that these young men possessed many seeds of compassion and wisdom. He invited them to be seated and he told them about his own life and search for the Way. He told them about the path to overcome suffering and realize liberation. He knew they belonged to the same warrior caste he had belonged to and looking at them, he could see himself as a young man. He spoke to them with warm understanding.
Their hearts were opened by the Buddha’s words. They felt they could see themselves for the first time. They understood that wealth and power were not enough to bring them true happiness. They knew they had found a path for their lives. They all asked to be accepted as lay disciples. They entreated the Buddha to come dwell in Vesali the following year. They promised to build a monastery in Great Forest where several hundred bhikkhus could dwell. The Buddha accepted their proposal.
Ambapali visited the Buddha early the next morning and expressed her desire to offer the mango grove to the Buddha and his sangha. The Buddha accepted her gift. Shortly afterward, the Buddha, Sariputta, and three hundred bhikkhus headed north for Savatthi.
The road to Savatthi was now familiar to Sariputta. Because he and Anathapindika had nourished people’s interest in the Buddha and the sangha, they were greeted warmly wherever they went. At nights the bhikkhus rested in the cool forests along the banks of the Aciravati River. The bhikkhus maintained peaceful serenity as they walked. Sometimes local people gathered in the forests or along the riverbanks to listen to the Buddha’s teaching.
The day they arrived in Savatthi, they were greeted by Sudatta and Prince Jeta who took them to the new monastery. Seeing how well planned Jetavana was, the Buddha praised Sudatta. Sudatta responded by saying it was all thanks to the ideas and labor of Venerable Sariputta and Prince Jeta.
Prince Jeta and Sudatta arranged a reception immediately after the Buddha’s arrival. Prince Jeta had come to deeply admire the Buddha through his contacts with Venerable Sariputta. They invited all the local people to come to hear the Buddha speak on the Dharma. Many came, including Price Jeta’s mother, Queen Mallika, and his sixteen-year-old sister, Princess Vajiri. After hearing about the Buddha for months, everyone was most anxious to see him in person. The Buddha spoke about the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
After hearing the Dharma talk, the queen and princess felt their hearts open. They both wanted to become lay disciples, but did not dare to ask. The queen wanted to first seek the approval of her husband, King Pasenadi. She was sure that in the near future the king would meet the Buddha and share her feelings. Pasenadi’s own sister, who was King Bimbisara’s wife, had already taken the three refuges with the Buddha three years before.
When the reception and Dharma talk were over, Sudatta respectfully knelt before the Buddha and said, “My family and I, together with all our friends and relations, offer Jetavana monastery to you and your sangha.”
The Buddha said, “Sudatta, your merit is great. Thanks to you, the sangha will be protected from sun and rain, wild animals, snakes, and mosquitoes. This monastery will draw bhikkhus from all four directions, now and in the future. You have supported the Dharma with all your heart. I hope you will continue to devote yourself to practicing the Way.”
Once a week the Buddha gave a Dharma talk at Jetavana. Great numbers of people attended. Thus, it was not long before King Pasenadi was well aware of the impact of the Buddha’s presence. King Pasenadi had a hard time believing that a monk as young as the Buddha could have achieved true enlightenment. According to the prince, the Buddha was thirty-nine years old, the same age as the king. He decided that when an occasion arose he would go and meet the Buddha himself.
The rainy season was approaching and the Buddha decided to spend it at Jetavana. Thanks to the experience gained during previous rainy seasons at Bamboo Forest, the Buddha’s senior disciples organized the retreat with ease. Sixty new bhikkhus joined the community in Savatthi. Sudatta also introduced many friends who became lay disciples and enthusiastically supported the activities of the monastery.
One afternoon, the Buddha received a young man whose face was lined with grief and misery. The Buddha learned that the man had recently lost his only son and for several days had stood in the cemetery crying out loud, “My son, my son, where have you gone?” The man was unable to eat, drink, or sleep.
The Buddha told him, “In love, there is suffering.”
The man objected, “You are wrong. Love doesn’t cause suffering. Love brings only happiness and joy.”
The bereaved man abruptly left before the Buddha could explain what he had meant. The man wandered aimlessly about until he stopped to chat with a group of men gambling in the street. He told them of his encounter with the Buddha. The men agreed with him that the Buddha was mistaken.
“How can love cause suffering? Love brings only happiness and joy! You’re right. That monk Gautama was wrong.”
Before long, news of this story spread throughout Savatthi and became a subject for heated debate. Many spiritual leaders contended that the Buddha was wrong about love. This matter reached the ears of King Pasenadi and that evening during the family meal, he said to the queen, “The monk the people call ‘Buddha’ may not be as great a teacher as the people seem to think he is.”
The queen asked, “What makes you say that? Has someone said something bad about Teacher Gautama?”
“This morning, I heard some palace officials discussing Gautama. They said that according to him, the more you love the more you suffer.”
The queen said, “If Gautama said that, it is undoubtedly true.”
The king retorted impatiently, “You shouldn’t speak like that. Examine things for yourself. Don’t be like some small child who believes everything the teacher says.”
The queen said no more. She knew that the king had not yet met the Buddha. The next morning she asked a close friend, the brahman Nalijangha, to visit the Buddha and ask him whether or not he had said that love was the source of suffering, and if he had to explain why. She asked her friend to note carefully everything the Buddha said and report back to her.
Nalijangha went to see the Buddha and asked him the queen’s question. The Buddha responded, “Recently I heard that a woman in Savatthi lost her mother. She was so grief-stricken that she lost her mind and has been wandering the streets asking everyone, ‘Have you seen my mother? Have you seen my mother?’ I also heard about two young lovers who committed suicide together because the girl’s parents were forcing her to marry someone else. These two stories alone demonstrate that love can cause suffering.”
Nalijangha repeated the Buddha’s words to Queen Mallika. One day soon after that she caught the king in a moment of leisure, and she asked him, “My husband, do you not love and cherish Princess Vajiri?”
“Indeed I do,” answered the king, surprised by the question.
“If some misfortune befell her, would you suffer?”
The king was startled. Suddenly he saw clearly that the seeds of suffering existed within love. His sense of well-being was replaced with worry. The Buddha’s words contained a cruel truth, which greatly disturbed the king. He said, “I will go visit this monk Gautama as soon as I have a chance.”
“Lord, I do not dare come closer. I am an untouchable.”