After the Bodhisatta had completed the austerity practices (dukkaracariyā), for six years, it was about the first waxing of Vesākha (April-May) following the month of Citta (March-April) of the year 103 Mahā Era, that it occurred to the him thus:
“The Samaṇas and Brāhmaṇas of the past, in their practice of austerities, could have gone through only this much of pain and hardship at the most; they could not have gone through more hardship than what I am now enduring. The Samaṇas and Brāhmaṇas of the future, in their practice of austerities, will go through only this much of pain and hardship at the most; they will not go through more hardship than what I am now enduring. The Samaṇas and Brahmans of the present day also, in their practice of austerities, may go through only this much of pain and hardship at the most; they cannot go through more hardship than what I am now enduring. (What hardship I have endured will not be less, but may even be more than the pain and suffering undergone by the Samaṇas and Brāhmaṇas of the past, the future and the present. I have striven and practised the austerities strenuously for six long years). Although I have exerted so strenuously in this manner, I have not attained Enlightenment (Sabbaññuta-ñāṇa) and I have not realized Buddhahood. There may, perhaps, be another mode of practice, another path, to attain Enlightenment (Sabbaññuta-ñāṇa) and to realize Buddhahood.”
Keeping on reflecting thus, he came to perceive that he had developed and entered upon the first jhāna of ānāpāna while sitting under the shade of the rose apple (Eugenia) tree, at the time of the auspicious ‘Ploughing Ceremony’ performed by his father King Suddhodāna. He recognised then that the practice of the first jhāna of ānāpāna must certainly be the true path, the correct mode of practice for the attainment of sabbaññutā- ñāṇa, realization of the Buddhahood. He further reflected: “Why should I be afraid of the jhānic bliss realizable from the Ānāpāna Concentration Meditation. It is the bliss that arises purely from renunciation (nekkhamma) and entirely detached from the desires for material objects and sensual pleasures. I am certainly not afraid of the jhānic bliss of the Ānāpāna Concentration Meditation.”
Then again he continued to reflect: “I may not be able to exert and develop the said ānāpāna Concentration Meditation with this body of mine which is so much exhausted and withered. It will be well if I take some solid, coarse food such as boiled rice to resuscitate and freshen this emaciated body before I endeavour to attain the said jhāna through ānāpāna Concentration Meditation.”
Having considered thus, the Bodhisatta took the alms-bowl which he had laid aside, went round the market town of Sena for alms-food and sustained his withered, emaciated body with whatever food he received on his alms-round. Within two or three days, he regained strength and the major physical characteristics of a Great man (Mahā-pūrisa lakkhaṇās) which had disappeared at the time of strenuous practice of dukkaracariyā, reappeared distinctly in their original forms. At that time, the physical body of the Bodhisatta looked fresh in yellow, like the colour of gold.
(Here, it should be specially noted that at the time the Bodhisatta reflected on the correct path for realization of Omniscience, for attainment of Buddhahood, after discarding the practice of dukkaracariyā, he correctly considered that the eight mundane attainments of jhāna that he achieved after meeting the Sect-leaders Āḷāra and Udaka were just the basis of the round of suffering (vattapādaka). He also considered that the Ānāpāna Concentration, which was developed in the shade of the rose apple tree while his father, King Suddhodāna, was performing the auspicious ‘Ploughing Ceremony’, was the correct path for the realization of Omniscience and for the attainment of Buddhahood since the Ānāpāna Concentration was part of Mindfulness Meditation of the body, (Kāyagatāsati), and the basis of Insight Meditation, (Vipassanā) for all Bodhisattas.)
——Mulapaṇṇāsa Tīkā Vol I——
The Group of Five Bhikkhus (Pañcavaggī) left The Bodhisatta
It is a natural course of event, (dhammatā), that when a Bodhisatta is about to attain Buddhahood after having completed the practice of dukkaracariyā, either the attendant bhikkhus abandon him for some reason or other or he himself leaves them behind. This being so, when the Bodhisatta began to sustain his body by taking whatever coarse food of rice he received on his alms-round, the said group of Five Bhikkhus became disgusted with him, grumbling: “The Bhikkhu Gotama has become one who practises for the gain of material wealth. He has become one who has abandoned the practice of meditation, and reverted to the material accumulation.” Following the natural course of events, they abandoned the Bodhisatta and went on their way to Isipatana, the Deer Park near Varanasi where the First Sermon, the Wheel of Dhamma, is taught by all the Buddhas. (It is a natural rule for the attendant bhikkhus to abandon the Bodhisattas who are about to attain Buddhahood and to proceed to the Deer Park where every Buddha will teach without fail the First Sermon of Dhammacakka.)
The Group of Five Bhikkhus left the Bodhisatta about the new moon day of Citta and moved to Migadaya, the Deer Park. (It was. in fact, the time when the Bodhisatta had completed the practice of dukkaracariyā.) When the attendant bhikkhus had abandoned him, the Bodhisatta, living a solitary life, gained a considerable degree of solitude which was conducive to extra-ordinary progress and strengthening of his mental concentration. Thus, living in complete seclusion for fifteen days practising meditation and making progress in it, the noble Bodhisatta dreamed five Great Dreams after midnight, just approaching dawn on the fourteenth waxing day of the month of Vesākha.
The Five Great Dreams of The Bodhisatta
The said five Great Dreams were as follows:
(1) He dreamed that he was sleeping on the surface of the earth as his bed, with the Himalaya mountains as his pillow, placing his left hand on the Eastern Ocean, his right hand on the Western Ocean and both his legs on the Southern Ocean. This first dream presaged his realization of Omniscience and becoming a Buddha among devas, humans and Brahmās.
(2) He dreamed that the species of grass called Tiriyā with a reddish stalk about the size of a yoke emerged from his navel and while he was looking on, it grew up, first half a cubit, then one cubit, one fathom, one ta, one gāvuta, half of a yojana, one yojana and so on, rising higher and higher until it touches the sky, the open space, many thousands of yojanas above and remained there. This second dream presaged that he would be able to teach the Path of Eight Constituents (Aṭṭhāngika-magga), which is the Middle Way (Majjhima-paṭipadā), to humans and deva.
(3) He dreamed that hordes of maggots, with white bodies and black heads, slowly crept up his legs covering them from the tip of the toe-nail right up to the knee-cap. This third dream presaged that a great many people (with black heads) who wear pure white clothes would adore the Buddha and take Great Refuge (Mahāsaranagamaṇa) in him.
(4) He dreamed that four kinds of birds, blue, golden, red and grey in colour, came flying from the four directions and when they threw themselves down to prostrate at his feet, all the four kinds of birds turned completely white. This fourth dream presaged that clansmen from the four classes of people, namely, the princely class, the brahmin class, the merchant class, the poor class, would embrace the Teaching of the Buddha, become bhikkhus and attain arahantship.
(5) He dreamed that he was walking to and fro, back and forth on a large mountain of excreta without getting besmeared. This fifth dream presaged large acquisition of the four requisites of robe, alms-food, dwelling place and medicines and that he would utilise them without any attachment and clinging to them.
The Four Causes of Dreams
Dreams are caused by these four causes:
(1) Due to disturbance of metabolism, like malfunctioning of biles, etc., one dreams frightful dreams, examples, falling down from the mountain, travelling in the sky with a frightened heart, being followed closely by beasts of prey, such as wild elephant, wild horse, lion, leopard, tiger, etc., or by evil persons.
(2) Because of experiences of the past, one dreams seeing, hearing and using objects one had seen, heard or used before.
(3) All kinds of illusory objects are made manifest by devas in one’s dream, a good vision if they want to do one a good turn, or a bad vision if they want to do him an ill turn. One sees all these objects through the supernormal powers of devas.
(4) When one experiences a dream of omen, one sees pleasant or unpleasant visions that predict coming event because of one’s past good or evil deeds. Such dreams are like the dream of Mahā Māyā Devī which foretold the conception of a son or like that of King Kosala which presaged the sixteen great events or like the Five Great Dreams of the Bodhisatta.
Of the four kinds of dream, those due to (1) disturbance in metabolism and (2) experiences of the past generally prove to be false. (3) As for the dreams due to the deception by devas, they may or may not turn out to be correct. True, the devas, when angered are apt to show wrong visions in the dreams as a stratagem to cause ruin (see the story below). (4) The dreams which presage coming events invariably prove correct.
The Story of the Devas showing Wrong Visions in The Dream out of Anger
At the monastery of Nāga, in Rohana locality, in Sihala island, the presiding monk ordered a large ironwood tree to be cut down without informing the Sangha. The Rukkha deva (the tree spirit), who had his abode on the said ironwood tree, gave correct dreams to the said presiding monk in the first instance, in order to trick him into believing them. After winning the monk’s trust, the deva told him in a dream: “On the seventh day from today, Venerable Sir, your lay supporter, the king, will die.” The presiding monk, believing these words, informed the female palace attendants accordingly. Thereupon, they wept loudly in unison. When asked by the king, they told him what the presiding monk had said. With the king counting the days, the seven days had passed and the king, who was still alive, ordered the limbs of the presiding monk to be cut off (for causing panic by giving out wrong information).
——Sāraṭṭha Dīpanī Tika Volume II——
The said four kinds of dream are experienced only by the worldlings, the sotāpannas, the sakadāgāmins and the anāgāmins, because they have not divested themselves of hallucination (vipallāsa). Arahats, who have discarded the vipallāsa, do not dream such dreams.
As regards the time of the dreams, those dreamed during the day time, the first watch, the middle watch and the last watch of the night are usually not correct, whereas those dreamed at day break, when the food eaten has been digested and the resulting nutrients are absorbed by the body, are apt to be correct. A dream conveying a good omen usually brings good fortune, whereas one with bad omen usually brings ill-luck. (These notes are extracts from expositions on the Mahāsupina Sutta in Brāhmaṇa Vagga, Catutthapaṇṇsāka, Pañcaka Nipāta of the Aṅguttara Commentary.)
The aforesaid Five Great Dreams are not dreamed by worldlings, nor by kings, nor by Universal Monarch, nor by Chief Disciples, nor by Paccekabuddhas, nor by Omniscient Buddhas. Only the Bodhisattas dreamed such dreams. Our Bodhisatta dreamed the said Five Great Dreams after midnight, just before day break, on the 14th waxing day of Vesākha in the year 103 Mahā Era.
The Interpretation of The Five Great Dreams by The Bodhisatta Himself
The Bodhisatta, rising from his sleep and sitting cross-legged, after having dreamed the Five Great Dreams, thought to himself: “Had I dreamed the Five Great Dreams at the time when I was living in the royal city of Kapilavatthu, I could have related them to my father, King Suddhodāna. I could have related them also to my mother, if she were alive. But now, in Uruvelā forest, there is no one to listen to the Five Great Dreams and interpret them for me. I, myself, will read these omens. And then he himself read the dreams thus: “This first dream presages the attainment of such and such a benefit; this second dream such and such a benefit” and so on as has been said above.
The Offering of Ghana Milk-Rice by Sujātā
After dreaming the Five Great Dreams and having himself interpreted their meanings, the Bodhisatta concluded: “It is true that I will certainly attain Buddhahood this very day.” Then, when day-break came (on the morning of the Full-moon day), he cleansed his body and departed from that place and when he reached the banyan tree which was visited every year for worship by Sujātā, the daughter of a wealthy man, he stopped and sat at the base of the tree, facing east, waiting for the time to go for alms-round. Thereby the whole banyan tree shone brilliantly with his body radiance.
At that time, in the market town of Sena, in the locality of Uruvelā forest, Sujātā, the daughter of a rich man by the name of Senānī, on coming of age, had prayed at the foot of the banyan tree thus: “O, guardian deva of the banyan tree, if I be married into a rich family of the same caste, I will pay homage to you with the offering of Ghana milk-rice.” The prayer of Sujātā had been fulfilled. As a result, she had been paying homage to the guardian deva of the banyan tree with Ghana milk-rice on the full moon day of Vesākha every year.
(N.B. When reading the account of the offering of milk-rice by Sujātā, readers are generally apt to think, if care is not taken, that Sujātā paid homage for fulfilment of her prayer to the guardian deva of the banyan tree with the offering of milk-rice for the first time on that Full-moon day of Vesākha, the day on which the Bodhisatta was to attain the Buddhahood. In fact, the prayer had been fulfilled and the guardian deva of the banyan tree had been worshipped with offering of milkrice since about twenty years before that day, for the said son of Sujātā was in fact the wealthy young man, Yasa, and in the year when the Buddha was to appear, Yasa was already a married man, enjoying the luxury of a well-to do family. In view of this fact, it should be noted that Sujātā, had been paying homage to the guardian deva of the banyan tree with the offerings of Ghana milk-rice every year on the full moon day of Vesākha over the past twenty years when her prayer for a first born son was answered.)
Preparations made by Lady Sujātā to make offerings to the guardian deva of the banyan tree on that full moon day of Vesākha, when the Bodhisatta had completed six years practice of dukkaracariyā, were: (1) She first let one thousand milch cows graze in the wood of liquorice;and the milk obtained from these one thousand milch cows was fed to other five hundred milch cows. (2) The milk produced by these five hundred cows was fed to other two hundred and fifty cows. (3) Again, the milk produced by the said two hundred and fifty cows was fed to other one hundred and twenty-five cows. (4) Then the milk produced by these one hundred and twenty five cows was fed to other sixty-four cows. (5) Then the milk from these sixty-four cows was fed to other thirty-two cows. (6) Then the milk from these thirty two cows was fed to other sixteen cows; (7) Then the milk from these sixteen cows was fed to other eight cows. In this manner, Lady Sujātā took the above step-by-step procedure of transfer of milk in order to obtain thick savoury and nutritious cow’s milk to prepare milk-rice. (This account is as narrated in the Jātaka Commentary.)
According to the Jinālaṅkāra Tika, Lady Sujātā first let one hundred milch cows to graze in the wood of liquorice. Then she let the hundred milch cows born of the first hundred cows graze in the same wood. Then again she let the hundred milch cows born of the said second hundred, the third hundred, the fourth hundred, the fifth hundred, the sixth hundred milch cows graze in the pasture of liquorice wood. In this manner, she milked the seventh generation milch cows and made preparation to cook Ghana milk-rice.
With the intention, “I will make the sacrificial offering of Ghana milk-rice early today.”, Lady Sujātā rose early in the morning on the full moon day of Vesākha and had the above said eight milch cows milked. The calves (without having to tie them with rope) did not come near the dugs of their mother milch cows. What was strange was that, even as the milk bowl was placed closely under the udder, the milk flowed down continuously in profusion without being drawn. Lady Sujātā, on seeing such a wonderful event, personally conveyed the automatically flowing milk and pouring it into a new pot, and kindling the fire by herself to cook the Ghana milk-rice.
Assistance rendered by Devas and Brahmas.
When the Ghana milk-rice was being cooked, (1) big froths appeared in large numbers, turning clockwise, and not even a drop spilled out; (2) smoke did not, in the least, rise above the oven;(3) the Four Deva Kings, the guardians of the world, came and stood guard at the oven; (4) the great Brahmā provided an umbrella to cover over the pot of Ghana milk-rice; (5) Sakka arranged the faggots evenly and set fire to them to burn in a blaze; (6) by their supernormal powers, devas collected the nutrients, which were suitable for devas, and humans living in the Four Continents surrounded by two thousand small islands. They did so as if they were gathering honey from honey combs hanging from branches. Then they poured the nutrients so collected into the pot of Ghana milk-rice.
N.B: At other times, devas put the aforesaid nutrients, suitable for devas and humans, into each and every morsel of food as the Buddha was preparing to put it into His mouth. On two special occasions, however, the day the Buddha attained Buddhahood and the day he passed into Parinibbāna, devas poured the said nutrients into the pot.
Having seen in one single day many things of wonder at the place where the Ghana milkrice was being cooked, Lady Sujātā, called the maid servant, Puñña by name and ordered her thus: “Dear girl, Puñña, today our guardian deva of the banyan tree appears to be in good mood. For the past twenty years, I have never seen such wonderful things. Make haste, go and clean up the banyan tree, the residence of the guardian deva.” The maid servant thus made haste and was near the banyan tree where she saw the Bodhisatta sitting at its foot facing east and also the whole tree shining golden yellow with the radiance emitted from the Bodhisatta’s body. Frightened and thinking: “Today, the guardian deva of the banyan tree has come down the tree. It seems to me he is sitting there to receive the offering with his own hands,” she hurried back home and reported the matter to Lady Sujātā.
On hearing the words of the maid servant, Lady Sujātā felt very happy and saying, “From today, be an elder daughter of mine,” bestowed upon her all the apparel and ornaments befitting a daughter.
It is customary (dhammatā) for a Bodhisatta to be offered the alms-food of Ghana milkrice on the day he is to attain Buddhahood; and it is proper to receive that food only in a gold cup worth one lakh. The Lady Sujātā, intending, “I shall put Ghana milk-rice in a gold cup,” had one worth one lakh taken out from her chamber. She then poured the cooked Ghana milk- rice into the cup, tilting the pot. Thereupon, all the Ghana milk-rice flowed into the cup to the last drop, like water drops gliding down from a Paduma lotus leaf. The entire Ghana milk-rice was just enough to fill the cup to the brim, no more or less.
Lady Sujātā covered the gold cup full of Ghana milk-rice with another gold cup and wrapped them up with a piece of clean white cloth. Then, having adorned herself in full attire and carrying the gold cup on her head, she went to the banyan tree with great pomp and grandeur. She was overjoyed on seeing the Bodhisatta and mistaking him to be the guardian deva of the banyan tree, she proceeded in a respectful manner from where she saw him. She then lowered the gold cup from her head and opened it and carrying a golden jar of water perfumed with all kinds of fragrant flowers, approached the Bodhisatta and stood nearby.
The earthen alms-bowls, which had been offered to the Bodhisatta by Ghaṭīkāra Brahmā at the time of Renunciation and which had remained with him during the whole six years of dukkaracariyā, disappeared inexplicably just at the time when the rich man’s wife Sujātā came to offer the alms-food of Ghana. Not seeing the bowl, the Bodhisatta spread out his right hand to receive the water. Lady Sujātā offered the alms food of Ghana in the gold cup, placing it in his hands. He looked at Lady Sujātā, who, understanding perfectly well the way the Bodhisatta looked, addressed him: “O Venerable One, I have offered you the Ghana milk-rice in the gold cup; may you accept it together with the gold cup and go anywhere you like.” Then uttering words of prayer: “My heart’s desire is fulfilled. So too, may your heart’s desire be fulfilled!” she departed without showing the least concern for the gold cup which was worth one lakh, as if it were a withered leaf.
The Bodhisatta also rose from his seat and, after circumambulating the banyan tree, proceeded to the bank of River Nerañjarā carrying with him the gold cup containing the Ghana milk-rice. At the Nerañjarā river there was a bathing ghat, by the name of Suppatitthita, where many Bodhisattas went down and took bath on the day they were to attain Buddhahood. The Bodhisatta left the gold cup at the bathing ghat and, after taking bath, came up and sat facing east under the cool shade of a tree. Then he prepared exactly forty-nine morsels of Ghana milk-rice, each about the size of the seed of a ripe Palmyra nut (not about the size of a Palmyra nut) and ate the whole lot without water. The Ghana milk-rice, which was taken after being made into forty-nine morsels, served as nutrient (āhāra) to sustain him completely for forty-nine days (sattasattāha), while he was residing in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree after his attainment of Buddhahood. During these fortynine days, the Buddha passed the time absorbed in the peace of jhāna and of Fruition, without having any other meal, without taking bath, without washing His face and without making His body and the limbs clean.
After he had partaken of the alms food of Ghana milk-rice offered by Sujātā, the Bodhisatta made the resolution while holding the gold cup: “If I would attain Buddhahood today, may this gold cup float upstream; if I would not attain Buddhahood today, let it float downstream with the current.” He then let the gold cup float in the channel of the Nerañjarā. The gold cup cut across the current and went straight to the middle of the river and then floated upstream from there with the speed of a fast running horse for about eighty cubits and sank in a whirlpool. On reaching the mansion of the Nāga King, Kāḷa, it hit all the three gold cups used by the three previous Buddhas, namely, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana and Kassapa, on the day they were to attain Buddhahood, producing the (metallic) sound of ‘kili, kili’ and came to rest under the said three gold cups.
On hearing the sound, Nāga King, Kāla, said: “It was only yesterday that a Buddha appeared; today, another Buddha appears.” and then he rose uttering words of praise in many verses. (The period of time intervening the appearance of Buddha Kassapa and our Buddha was so long that in the meantime the Great Earth had risen by one yojana and three gāvutas. But as for Kāḷa Naga, it was so very short that he could say of these appearances as happening ‘yesterday and today.’)
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