Than Hsiang DMS

Yes, my good man, this road leads to Rajagaha. Go along it for a while and you will see a village; go further and you will se a market town, go further still and you will see Rajagaha with its delightful parks, its delightful woods, its delightful meadows and its delightful ponds.

It was also at this time that two people who were to become the Buddha’s chief disciples became monks. Moggallana and Sariputta were childhood friends who had became disciple of Sanjaya, one of several wandering teachers who were popular in Rajagaha at that time and who is said to have had 250 disciples. One day Sariputta saw a Buddhist monk on his alms round and asked him about the Dhamma. What he heard impressed him and he repeated it to his friend, Moggallana, who then and there resolved to become a disciple of the Buddha.

It was also in Rajagaha that some of the Buddha’s disciples turned against him towards the end of his life. Devadatta, his proud and ambitions cousin, asked the Buddha to retire so that he could lead the Sangha, a request the Buddha firmly turned down. Humiliated at being rejected, Devadatta plotted murder. A rock was rolled down on the Buddha as he was walking up and down in the shade of the Gijjhakuta, injuring his foot.

Buddha delivered more discourses here than in any other place except Savatthi. Shortly after the Buddha’s final Nirvana, the capital of Magadha was shifted to Patna and Rajagaha went into decline although it remained a center of Buddhism for many centuries.

Bimbisara’s Jail

The large structure, about 60 meters squares, is identified as the place where Bimbisara was imprisoned by his son, Ajatasattu. Bimbisara came to the throne at the age of 15 and ruled for 52 years. Ajatasattu was impatient for power and began plotting to kill his father. Devadatta egged on Ajatasattu to have his father killed. Impatient that Bimbisara was taking too long to die, Ajatasattu had the old king’s veins opened. It is interesting to note that while Bimbisara was imprisoned, the commentaries say that he could see the Buddha on he Gijjhakuta. The pilgrim will note that the Gijjhakuta can indeed be clearly seen on the horizon towards the east.

Jivaka’s Mango Grove

Bimbisara built ‘night and day quarters, cells, huts, pavilions, a Fragrant Hut suitable for the Lord, and surrounded the mango grove with a copper colored wall eighteen cubits high.’ It was the site of one of the most important of the Buddha’s discourses, the Discourse on the Fruits of the Monk’s Life. King Ajatasuttu had his father killed and felt decidedly uneasy, due to guilt and perhaps thought that his own son might one day have him killed, in fact eventually happen. Discovering that the fruits of worldly ambitions could at times be bitter, he came to ask the Buddha what the fruits of the spiritual quest were and the Buddha replied with long discourse describing the complete training of a Buddhist monk.

Gijjhakuta

This is the Gijjhakuta, the Vulture Peak, the Buddha’s favorite retreat in Rajagaha a d the scene for many of his discourses. According to the commentaries, this place got its name because vulture used to perch on some of the peak’s rocks. Climbing the steps that lead to the top pilgrim passes a large cave. This is the Sukarakhata Lena Ithe Boar’s Grotto) where the Buddha delivered two discourses, the Discourse to Long Nails and the Sukarakhata Discourse. It was here too that Sariputta attained enlightenment.

Climbing further, the pilgrim can see the ruins of stupas and the foundations of a small temple built on the summit in ancient times. When Fa Hien came here, he was deeply moved by the atmosphere on the Gijjhakuta. ‘In the new city, Fa Hien bought incense, flowers, oil and lamps and hired two monks, long residents in place, to carry them to the peak. When he himself arrived, he made his offerings with flowers and incense and lit the lamps when the darkness began to come on. He felt melancholy but restrained his tears, and said, “Here the Buddha delivered the Shurangama Sutra. I, Fa Hien, was born when I could not meet the Buddha and now I only see the footprints which he has left and the place where he lived and nothing more.” With this, in front of the rock cavern, he chanted the Shurangama Sutra, remaining there overnight and then returned towards the new city.’

5/12/2011 :当天，参访王舍城(Rajgrih)的佛教圣地----Bimbisara Jail, Sone Bhandar宝庫, 竹林精舍遗址、那烂陀大学Nalanda University、灵鹫山Rajgir (可惜时間不足，沒上”七叶窟”, 第一次结集处).