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THE SUTRA STORY Episode 2 Mahakasyapa - The Start of Compiling the Sutra -
The aim of the Buddha's teaching is to bring everyone to infinite life.
To achieve that aim, we should take action to make our society into a great harmony.
About 2500 years ago,
a traveler arrived in the woods near Rajgir,
the capital city of Magadha.
You have finally come.
Finally I found you.
You're the teacher that I've been looking for all these years.
I'm also very delighted.
I've already attained enlightenment.
Let me pass it on to you, Mahakasyapa.
Yes.
THE SUTRA STORY Mahakasyapa - The Start of Compiling the Sutra -
The one who was waiting for the traveler was Shakyamuni Buddha.
The traveler was Mahakasyapa, who had been looking for wise teacher all the time.
If I did not know but claimed that I did,
if I had not attained enlightenment but claimed that I had,
my body would split into seven parts right here.
Yes.
Then, Shakyamuni Buddha started to expound the Dharma earnestly.
Mahakasyapa listened carefully without missing a sentence.
His name is Mahakasyapa.
He will be your mate from today.
- He looks so dirty. - Yes, he does.
Welcome to the Venuvana Vihara.
If you have any questions,
please feel free to ask me.
He doesn't seem to know how to speak.
Welcome. The practice is very strict here.
The Buddha is asking for trouble that he picked up this guy.
One must keep many disciplines as a Buddha's disciple.
One must live in the mountain forest far away from worldly life,
sustain one's life by going begging every day,
and is not allowed to choose between the poor and the rich to beg from.
One is allowed to have only one meal a day,
dress only in clothes made of rags,
and is not allowed to possess any other things, etc.
The regulations were very strict.
Mahakasyapa kept the disciplines happily...
...and practiced diligently, never falling behind others.
However, there were also some disciples who disliked Mahakasyapa.
They often slandered him behind his back.
Upananda, he's still not moving.
Let me see.
Astonishing. It's been three days already.
What is in his mind?
Perhaps he is thinking about nothing,
just pretending to practice but actually sleeping there!
It must be so!
It would be strange if someone who pretended to practice all the time...
...understood the Buddha's teaching!
He'd better forget about it and get out of here.
Happened to hear their words,
Shakyamuni Buddha thought,
he needed to make everybody aware of Mahakasyapa's merits.
One day, Shakyamuni Buddha gathered his disciples to speak Dharma.
So stinking!
As if he just came out of a garbage heap!
When the Buddha saw Mahakasyapa coming,
he started to talk about the hardest part of the Dharma.
But none of his disciples understood it at all.
All phenomena in the world are created by one's own mind.
All things come to exist with certain causes. All things go extinguished with certain causes.
All right, did you get it?
Did you understand?
No, I didn't.
What about you?
Me neither, I'm sorry.
So, none of you understood it.
Mahakasyapa,
you are over there.
Your seat is here.
Come here and sit down.
Why?
What I just talked about...
...seemed to be too difficult for everyone.
Mahakasyapa,
come here,
explain it again using a simpler language on behalf of me.
Ah...! What is going on?
I appreciate your kindness, my teacher.
But I'm not eligible to sit beside you,
not to speak of expounding Dharma on behalf of you.
I can't accept it in any case.
I'm already very satisfied...
...to enjoy the pleasure from the Dharma at your feet quietly by myself.
Mahakasyapa, it's very rare that our teacher...
It doesn't matter.
Let it be as Mahakasyapa will.
Mahakasyapa has already attained the wisdom of the Dharma...
...eight days after he met me.
After that, he got rid of desires through practice.
He is contented,
never speaks any unnecessary word,
practices the Dharma completely.
From now on, everyone should learn from Mahakasyapa...
...how to behave.
As I said, Mahakasyapa is not a simple role.
Liar! You have slandered him!
That's you! Don't point to others!
Say it again?!
Too noisy!
I reject.
That guy refused to talk about the Dharma,
because he was unsure of himself.
But the Buddha...
The Buddha favors him!
This is not funny at all!
Except the stubborn Upananda,
no one had said anything bad about Mahakasyapa anymore.
From then on,
everyone called Mahakasyapa "the silent man" with respect.
However,
although Mahakasyapa was contented with enjoying the pleasure from the Dharma quietly,
there was still one thing that he felt concern about.
It was his wife, Bhadda, who was waiting for him at home.
Mahakasyapa's first name was Pipphali.
He used to be the richest man in the Magadha Kingdom.
When he was young, he disliked all kinds of worldly entertainments.
He hoped to leave home,
live a simple life in peace.
But he couldn't refuse his parents’ request,
got married nominally with a girl named Bhadda from a rich family.
In the wedding night,
he found out that Bhadda also wished to leave home to seek the truth,
just like him.
Both of them were very happy.
After their parents passed away,
they inherited the family estate.
One day, Bhadda asked the maids...
...to dry the sesame seeds in the sun for extracting oil.
Ah, so many worms.
It's so bad to kill so many lives.
We can do nothing. That's the order of the madam.
Stop it! Stop!
Don't extract oil any more.
Everyone has a day off today.
On the farm,
her husband was looking at the laborers plowing the field.
So many bugs were killed!
Hey, move! Stop slacking!
Stop!
All stop right now!
That's it for today.
People suffer from the hard work on the farm.
Cattle got hurt, bugs got killed.
I never knew that...
...so many beings suffer for our rich life.
I'm so sorry about this cruel fact.
I also think so.
To eat, a bowl of rice is enough.
To sleep, a place to lie down is enough.
To dress, rags to cover the body are enough.
All else could be totally given up.
I want to give up our estate, leave home to seek enlightenment.
Me too!
Then,
Mahakasyapa gave his properties to the servants,
distributed his land to the farmers.
He decided to travel by himself first.
Bhadda, if I meet a wise teacher,
I'll come back and bring you over there.
For sure?
I promise!
It's said that...
...it was the very day on which Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under the Boddhi Tree.
Two years later,
having visited a lot of countries to look for wise teacher,
Mahakasyapa finally met his teacher for life,
Shakyamuni Buddha.
Bhadda,
I really want to bring you over here.
But there's no precedent for women to become a nun in Venuvana Vihara.
Please be patient a little longer.
The day that Mahakasyapa had been looking forward finally came.
Shortly after Shakyamuni Buddha moved his activity site...
...from Venuvana Vihara to Jetavana Vihara in Kosala,
he started to accept woman as his disciple.
Mahakasyapa was very happy.
He brought Bhadda over to Jetavana Vihara.
After became a disciple of the Buddha,
Bhadda devoted herself to the practice...
...and got praised by the Buddha.
She was regarded as the foremost in analyzing the prelives of beings.
As the number of the Buddha's disciples increased gradually,
he couldn't take care of some of the monks living in distant places.
In a village called Alavi, some monks even became slack in their daily lives.
Probably everyone has forgotten his determination at the beginning.
Look!
This bowl is a family heirloom of a king.
This bowl is regarded as a precious treasure by the rich people in the Kasi Kingdom.
Eh..., I lost.
Our favorite bowls...
...are like garbage compared to Upananda's marvelous bowl.
Where did they get the houses and the great bowls?
Maybe,
they forced the villagers to donate.
It'll be terrible if that's the case.
Today, I'm going to go begging with this bowl.
Just follow me,
I'll take you to rich families for some delicious dishes.
That's great!
He's still following us.
Perhaps, Mahakasyapa also wants to eat something delicious once a while.
That's the house.
This...
What an impolite guy.
Forget it. Let's move to that one.
What's going on?
This is so strange.
I don't understand.
I see.
You forced people to donate to build your house,
so they run away when they see you.
Right?
That makes a lot of sense!
If that's true, it's very bad.
Just like what I thought.
But it's not my duty to blame them.
Mahakasyapa.
It seems that he is up to something.
Come over here...
Could it be that he wants to beg from that old woman?
I'm very ill.
Everybody has left me.
I'm dying.
I don't know who you are.
What do you want from me?
I'm a practitioner at the feet of the noble Shakyamuni Buddha.
I'm here begging for some food from you.
Begging from me?
Yes.
I hope you can show your mercy...
...and donate some of your food to me.
What're you talking about?
I've never given anything to others before.
Now, even if I want to,
I have nothing to give.
I have nothing left,
nothing at all...
You look very virtuous.
If I had anything, I really would like to give you some.
But what can I do...
All I have now...
...is something that nobody wants,
like the smelly sour rice soup.
That's so embarrassing...
The kindness in you,
that's the most important thing!
You have the kindness to donate.
The one who possesses the kindness to help others...
...is not a poor person.
The one who has the feeling of shame...
...and can reflect on himself...
...is already a virtuous person.
Now, you already possess these qualities.
You are certainly a noble person who follows the Buddha's teaching.
Anyway, I really hope that you can give me some of your rice soup.
Ok.
Eh...
Thank you so much.
I've finished my meal for today.
Now, I have the strength to live until tomorrow.
That's all due to your merciful kindness. Thank you!
Mahakasyapa did such a thing?
He is truly the man we know.
He doesn't talk much, but he speaks Dharma through his action,
helps people in pain and sorrow to get released.
He did that also to teach you.
- Ananda. - Yes.
Pass on to all, from now on,
one can not ask people to make donations...
...for building nice vihara.
Did you get it?
Yes.
In addition, from now on,
one can not own several bowls like Upananda.
All unnecessary things should be given up.
Right now?
That's right.
Don't laugh.
Shakyamuni Buddha had considered Mahakasyapa as a close friend all the time,
rather than just a disciple.
Only Mahakasyapa really understood...
...what the Buddha had deep inside his mind.
The deep trust and friendship between them...
...had never changed for forty years.
When the Buddha was eighty years old,
he passed on all the Dharmas to Ananda and Mahakasyapa.
Ananda had heard all the Dharmas given by the Buddha,
and he learned them by heart.
Mahakasyapa was like a second Buddha,
he brought the Dharma into practice by himself.
The Dharma could be passed down till today...
...mostly due to the efforts of these two venerables.
This was also the Buddha's original intention.
Soon later,
Shakyamuni Buddha lied down between two Sal trees in Kushinagar...
...to have a rest for the last time.
At that time, Mahakasyapa was traveling.
Having heard this news, he hastened to Kushinagar with some other disciples.
I'm out of breath. Let's have a rest.
Traveler, may I ask where you come from?
Kushinagar.
May I ask,
have you heard any news of my teacher?
He already passed away seven days ago.
Today is his funeral.
I took this flower from there.
There's no need to be so grieve.
From now on,
he is not going to command us anymore.
We are free in the future.
It's rather a relieve,
isn't it?
I'm sorry... I just said the wrong thing.
Forgive me, Mahakasyapa, forgive me!
Forgive me, Mahakasyapa, forgive me!
Forgive me...
In Kushinagar, Ananda and the others were about to start the fire for cremation.
But they couldn't light the fire.
Mahakasyapa is there!
Teacher, I am reborn at this moment.
From now on,
I'll enjoy the pleasure from the Dharma not only by myself any more.
I'm going to burn myself like the sun,
make efforts to pass down the true Dharma into the future.
Please don't worry and leave in peace.
I will never break my promise.
Teacher!
It started to burn!
All things in the world change.
There is nothing that remains unchanged.
Everything cycles from birth to death,
from death to birth.
In this serenity, I have found an external life.
My disciples!
From now on, you have to rely on yourself,
rely on the Dharma.
Ninety days later,
Mahakasyapa gathered 500 disciples of the Buddha...
...in the Saptaparni Cave.
Bhadda was also one of them.
She is known as the Purple-golden Light Bhikshuni today.
Upananda.
Why don't you get inside?
Me... May I?
If it's not because of you and the Buddha,
I would still be the same as I was,
just a silent practitioner who only enjoyed himself.
Now, I called for a gathering to start the compilation of the Sutra,
Upananda, you're the first one to thank!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Thank you.
With the help of Ananda and other disciples,
Mahakasyapa started to hold councils to collect the Buddha's teachings,
so that they could be passed down into the future.
That was the start of compiling the Sutra.
Perhaps, Mahakasyapa and Upananda were brought together by a special Karma.
BASED ON The Buddhacharita
DIRECTOR 藤岡義昭
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PRODUCED BY Jodoshinshu, West Hongan-ji, Japan
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