Life As Prince Siddhartha

King Suddhodana saluting the Bodhisatta for the Second Time

 The day arrived for King Suddhodāna to perform the ploughing ceremony which was an annual seasonal festival. On that day, the whole royal city of Kapilavatthu was decorated like the abode of devas. All the people of the city including workers dressed in their best attires, having perfumed and adorned themselves with flowers, assembled in the palace square. In the fields where the ploughing ceremony was to be held, one thousand ploughs were kept in readiness, eight hundred of them were meant for the King and his ministers. Seven hundred and ninety-nine ploughs to be manned by the ministers were decorated with silver ornaments and equipped with ploughshares together with yokes, oxen and driving rods The plough to be ridden and driven by the King was fully ornamented with red gold.

When King Suddhodāna left the royal city with a great retinue of ministers, courtiers, bodyguards and other followers, he brought his son, the Bodhisatta, to the ceremonial sites and kept him under the delightfully cool shade of a big rose-apple (Syzgium Jambos) tree in full foliage. The ground underneath the tree was well-carpeted with the best velvet cloth, on which the royal child was placed. And above him was fixed a crimson red velvet canopy embroidered with gold and silver stars. The whole place was screened off with heavy curtains, and guards were posted for security. The King then dressed himself in the regal accoutrement, which was customarily put on for the ploughing ceremony. Accompanied by ministers and courtiers, he proceeded to the auspicious field where the ploughing ceremony would be held.

On arrival at the auspicious field, King Suddhodāna mounted the golden plough which was specially prepared for him. The seven hundred and ninety-nine courtiers taking part in the ceremony also rode and drove their respective silver ploughs. The remaining two hundred ploughs were handled by two hundred royal farm workers who proceeded to plough the field thoroughly, going back and forth many times across the field. King Suddhodāna ploughed the field only once to bring auspicious blessing to the ceremony by driving across the field from one side to the other. The ceremony was magnificently performed

The nursing attendants and security guards, who were assigned to look after the Prince, left their posts and went out of the royal enclosure, saying, “Lets us watch the grand spectacle of our lord performing the ploughing ceremony.”

The Prince’s attainment of the First Ānāpāna Jhāna

In the meanwhile, the Prince, on looking around and seeing no one, quickly rose and sat cross-legged quietly and calmly. He then practised ānāpāna meditation, concentrating on the inhaling and exhaling breath, and thereby attained the first rūpavacara jhāna. (In this matter, it should be understood that the Bodhisatta achieved the first rūpavacara jhāna within a short time as a result of the habitual practice of ānāpāna meditation throughout many existences of successive aeons.)

The attendants, who left their charge, loitered around the food stalls enjoying themselves for quite a while. All the trees, with the exception of the rose-apple under which the Bodhisatta was sitting, cast their shade in a natural manner, in line with the movement of the sun. When past noon, the shades of the trees fell on the east. However, the shade of the rose-apple tree, under which the Prince was resting, did not move with the sun, even after noon-time, strangely remaining in a round shape as before.

The nursing attendants, eventually remembering: “Oh, the son of our lord has been left behind alone”, hurried back and on getting inside, after parting the curtains of the enclosure, saw with their own eyes and to their amazement the Prince sitting cross-legged in the place of glory; and saw also the miracle (pāṭihāriya) of the shade of the rose-apple tree remaining fixed in the same position and in the same round shape. They went speedily to the King and reported: “Your Majesty, your royal son is sitting quietly and calmly in a certain strange posture. And though the shadow of other trees moved with the changing position of the sun, the shade of the rose-apple tree, under which the prince reposed, remained unchanged even after noon-time, retaining its circular shape.”

King Suddhodāna quietly went and observed. On seeing with his own eyes the two strange miracles, he uttered: “O Noble Son, this is the second time that I, your father, salute you,” and made obeisance to his son lovingly and adoringly.

Visukamma Deva created an Auspicious Royal Lake for the Prince

In this manner, when the Prince reached the age of seven, having grown up happily amidst the luxury like that of devas, King Suddhodāna one day asked his ministers: “O men, what kind of sport pleases the children of tender age?” When the ministers informed him: “Your Majesty, young children like to play in the water,” King Suddhodāna sent for artisans and ordered them to select a suitable site to dig a magnificent royal take.

Thereupon, Sakka, the deva king, becoming aware through reflection that steps were underway to select a lake-site, thought to himself: “It is not proper at all for the Bodhisatta to use a lake built by human beings; only the lake created by devas will be appropriate for him.” He summoned Visukamma Deva and assigned him the task of digging a lake, saying: “Go now, to the human abode, O deva, and create a suitable lake for the Bodhisatta to play about.” To the question: “What kind of lake would you like me to create?” Sakka replied thus: “The lake that you will create should be free of mud and slime; its bed should be strewn with rubies, pearls and corals; it should be surrounded by walls made of seven kinds of precious stones. The descending steps leading into the lake should be made with planks of gold, silver, and rubies; the hand-rails should be of rubies and the main balusters supporting the rails should have their tops encrusted with corals. Inside that celestial lake, for the Bodhisatta to play water-throwing, you should create a golden boat equipped with a silver throne, a silver boat with a golden throne, a ruby boat with a coral throne and a coral boat with a ruby throne. They should also be furnished with golden bowls, silver bowls, ruby bowls and coral bowls for water-throwing. The said lake should be beautifully covered and graced with five kinds of lotus.”

Visukamma Deva, after giving assent, descended to the human abode that very night and created a lake, complete in all details of the Sakka’s instruction, on the site chosen by King Suddhodāna. (Here, it may be questioned as to how the five kinds of lotus could grow and blossom in the lake which was devoid of mud. The answer is as follows: Visukamma Deva created small golden boats, silver boats, ruby boats and coral boats in such and such places in the said mud-free lake and made the solemn wish: “Let these small boats be filled with slime and thick mud and let five kinds of lotus grow and bloom in these mud-filled boats.” Thus created and resolved by Visukamma Deva, five kinds of lotus thrived and bloomed in the royal lake.) The pollen from the lotus flowers spread over the surface of the lake moving with the gentle breeze and rippling waves. Five species of bees in five different colours buzzed and droned merrily as they bustled from flower to flower. In this manner, Visukamma Deva created the royal lake as instructed by Sakka and returned to the celestial abode.

When the new day dawned, thousands of citizens saw the awe-inspiring magnificent lake, they exclaimed joyously: “Surely, this lake must have been created by Sakka and devas for the Prince!” And so, with joy and delight, they went and reported the matter to King Suddhodāna. King Suddhodāna, accompanied by a vast retinue, went to see the lakes. When he saw the magnificence and splendour of the lake, he exclaimed with delight: “This lake verily is the creation of divine beings because of the power and glory of my son!”

Thereafter, the Prince went to play in the water of the lake which was a requisite for celestial pleasures. (These are the words quoted from the exposition of the Sukhumāla Sutta, Devadūta Vagga, Tikanipāta, Aṅguttara Commentary, Volume II.)

The Construction of Three Palaces for the Prince

The Bodhisatta, Prince Siddhattha, grew up in great comfort and luxury, enjoying such delights as playing in the water of the celestial lakes covered and graced with five kinds of lotus as said above, wearing very soft and smooth garments which were newly made and produced in Kāsi country, being at all times given cover and protection against heat, cold, dust, mist and snow, with white umbrellas of devas and humans.

When he had grown to the age of sixteen years, King Suddhodāna thought: “It is time to build mansions for my son,” and he had the most celebrated and skilled architects, carpenters, masons, sculptors and painters summoned to the palace for discussion. He then gave orders for the construction of three palaces named Ramma Golden palace, Suramma palace, and Subha Golden palace which were specially designed to suit the weather conditions of the three seasons, after making necessary preliminary preparations such as ground breaking at the chosen site and at the time indicated as propitious by the stars.

These three palaces were of equal length, breadth and height. They differed only in the number of tiers in the spires.

(These three palaces are not described in detail in the Commentaries on the Buddhavaṃsa and Jātaka. They are described at length in the expositions of the Sukhumāla Sutta of the above Aṅguttara Commentary, in the exposition of the Māgandiya Sutta of the Majjhima Paṇṇāsa Commentary and that of the Agarikasampatti chapter in the Jinālaṅkāra Sub-Commentary. What is presented here is the combined account of the expositions in these various texts.)

(i) Ramma palace was built for residence during winter,
(ii) Suramma palace was built for residence during summer, and
(iii) Subha palace was built for residence during the rainy season.

(i) Ramma (Winter) Palace

The Ramma Palace had nine tiered-spire. The structure and room formations were designed to keep the floors somewhat low so as to retain warmth. And meticulous care was taken, in the arrangement of lion-propped windows and ventilators, to prevent elements of cold from outside, such as snow, mist, and breeze, from entering inside. Painters also drew pictures of blazing fires and flames on the walls, central planks, roofs, etc, of the said palatial mansion to dispel coldness on seeing them. Festoons of perfumes, flowers and pearls were hung dangling here and there at appropriate places. The ceilings were canopied with fabrics of pure wool and silk which were very soft and smooth and warmth-giving and which were adorned with stars of gold, silver and rubies giving out bright and flaming colours. Besides, there were woollen partitions and gauze curtains adorned with velvet and woollen shawls which were very soft and smooth to the touch. Velvet garments and woollen apparel appropriate for the cold season were also kept in readiness for wear. In the winter season, nourishing seasonal food, such as hot, spicy delicacies, were well prepared in readiness. To keep the room warm, windows were kept open in the day and closed at night.

(ii) Suramma (Summer) Palace

There were five tiers in the spire of the Palace named Suramma. The structure and room formations were so designed as to provide ventilation; the tiers were built high, windows and shutters kept spacious and wide, and to procure as much breeze and coolness as required from outside, the main doors and windows were kept not too secure; some doors had perforations and others had nettings (made of iron, gold, silver). The walls, central posts, roofs, etc., were decorated with paintings of blue, red and white lotus to give soothing impressions to the observers. Newly made pots filled with water to the brim were installed near the windows and placed therein were aquatic flowering plants such as blue, red, white lotus, and lotus with a hundred petals. Mechanical devices, such as fountains and showers, were installed to cool and freshen appropriate places simulating the rainy season when greenness pervaded the scenery. Inside the mansion, flower pots and barrels filled with scented mud and slime were placed at suitable corners and in them were planted five varieties of lotus. The ceilings were canopied with pure cotton fabric, which were soft and smooth and capable of generating a cooling effect. Besides, there were golden partitions and soft, thin curtains which were beautifully and marvellously decorated. Floor carpets of very white cloth, which were capable making the atmosphere cool. Sets of very thin white garments suitable for summer wear were also kept ready to wear. Cold and savoury food, having the quality of coolness (sīta-viriya), were also well prepared.

On the roof of the Suramma palace were hung a network of small tinkling golden bells producing sounds which were sweet, soft and pleasant and excelling the sounds of the five kinds of celestial music. Ceilings made of fine gold sheets with very tiny holes were fixed under the roofing. When the water from the four ponds (to be described later) on the four sides of the mansion was pumped up by mechanical devices on to the ceilings it fell on the ceilings and trickled down through the tiny holes like rain drops as if it were raining.

Above the ceilings of golden sheets were spread out dried sheets of buffalo hide; then pebbles were lifted aloft by machines to the rooftop and from there released to fall on the stretched buffalo hides. The sound produced by these falling pebbles resembled the rumbling of thunder during the rainy season.

One hundred and eight huge pots made of gold and silver were filled with perfumed water and placed around the royal bed which was in an enclosure of embroidered netting with blue lotus designs. To have the effect of cool and pleasant atmosphere, blue, red and white lotus were planted in large bronze barrels filled to the brim with scented mud and placed everywhere. The lotus bloomed when touched by the rays of the sun. All species of honey bees came inside the mansion and hovered around these lotus flowers sucking their sweet nectar. Thus, Suramma Palace, the summer resort of the Prince, was always pervaded with sweet fragrance of the flowers. The main door and the windows of that summer residence were kept closed by day and open by night (to have the cool wind element).

When the Prince took up his residence in this palace, and when it was time for playing in the water, pebbles were thrown on to the sheets of buffalo hides, as has been mentioned above, to produce roaring sounds similar to that of thunder; water pumped up to the ceilings trickled down in drops through the fine holes therein as if it were raining. At that time, the Prince, wearing blue garment and robe and adorning himself in blue, revelled in water, enjoying its coolness for the day in the company of forty-thousand attendants and followers who were also dressed and adorned in blue with their bodies perfumed.

On the four sides of Suramma (Summer) Palace were four ponds in which the water was emerald green, cool and clean and covered all over with five kinds of lotus. Aquatic birds, such as swans, ducks, herons, etc., of various hues, rising from the ponds on the east, flew across the palace making melodious sounds continuously, and went down and gambolled in the pond on the west. In this manner, these water birds from the west pond flew to the east, those from the north lake to the south and those from the south pond to the north and so on The summer palace, even during the summer months, was pleasant as in the rainy season.

(iii) Subha (Rainy Season) Palace

There were seven tiers in the spire of the palace named Subha. The structure and room formations were so designed as to be of medium size, neither too low nor too high and neither too wide nor too narrow in order to generate both heat and cold. The main door and windows were designed to suit both the cold and hot seasons, some fitted with closely knit planks and some with holes and wire meshes. There were paintings of blazing fires and flames and also pictures of lakes and ponds. Garments, robes and carpets, which would suit both the cold and heat, forming an assortment of apparels used in the two previously mentioned palaces, were kept ready to be used. Some of the doors and windows were open by day and closed by night; and others were kept closed by day and open by night. (The beauty and perfection of this palatial mansion for the rainy season was identical with that of the summer and winter residences.)

The Prince displayed His Archery Skill

After King Suddhodāna, the royal father, had the three palatial mansions constructed for his son in such grandeur and magnificence which no succession of kings had ever enjoyed before, he thought to himself: “My son has reached the age of sixteen. After crowning him king with the white umbrella raised, I shall watch him enjoying the luxury and glory of kingship.” He then ordered messages to be sent to his eighty thousand Sakyan relatives thus: “Dear Sakyan princes, my son has come of age and is sixteen years old now. I will crown him king. All Sakyan princes should bring their daughters, who have come of age, to my palace.”

When the Sakyan princes received the royal message from King Suddhodāna, they refused to comply with his request, replying in derogatory terms: “Prince Siddhattha lacks education, although possessing a pleasant personal appearance. Not having acquired any skill of a livelihood, he will not be able to discharge his obligation to support a family. So we cannot accede to the demands of King Suddhodāna and give our daughters.” (These words are as given in the Commentaries on the Buddhavaṃsa, the Aṅguttara and also in the Jinālaṅkāra Sub-Commentary. However, in the Introduction to the Jātaka Commentary, in the section on the Buddhavaṃsa, it is mentioned that Sakyan royal relatives made the derogatory remarks about Prince Siddhattha at one of their assemblies only, when the Bodhisatta, Prince Siddhattha, had already been living in luxury in the three palatial mansions amidst forty thousand attendants headed by his Chief Queen Yasodharā Devi.)

On receiving the replies from the Sakyan princes, the fathers of the princesses, King Suddhodāna went to the Prince and related the matter. The Prince asked: “My dear father, I do not have to learn anything. What skill do you want me to display?” King Suddhodāna replied: “Dear son, you should demonstrate to the royal relatives the art of archery with a bow which requires one thousand units of weight (pala) to draw.” Prince Siddhattha then said: “In that case, royal father, have it proclaimed by the beat of drums in the royal city that on the seventh day from today, there will be a display of archery by me.” King Suddhodāna accordingly had it proclaimed widely all over the kingdom of Kapilavatthu by the beat of drums.

After the proclamation had been made by means of beating the drum, arrangements were made to prepare a site for the Prince’s demonstration of archery skills and to construct a decorated viewing panel for the ministers, palace ladies, retinue, service personnel, soldiers, and distinguished royal relatives. On the seventh day, when all the arrangements were completed, the King with his ministers, military commanders and guests were all seated in their respective places. The Prince, after taking his seat on the gem-studded throne in the centre of the open ground, took hold of the big bow handed to him by the royal attendants. (The bow required one thousand men to draw; or the bow required one thousand units or two thousand units of weight, pala, to draw.)

Sitting cross-legged on the throne, the Prince held the bow in his left hand, twisted the bow string round one big toe with which it was pulled to make it taut, then he struck the bow string with his right hand to adjust it. The vibrating sound emitted from the string was so loud that it echoed throughout the city of Kapilavatthu which appeared as if it was on the verge of flying up into the sky.

Thereupon, some people asked: “What is that sound?”; and some people replied: “This is the roaring sound of thunder.” Others, however, said: “Oh, you do not know, this is not the sound of thunder. It is the sound produced when the Sakyan Prince Siddhattha, so graceful in form and resplendent in complexion, drew the bow which requires one thousand men (or two thousand units of weight, palas) to stretch, and struck the bow string.”

All the eighty thousand Sakyan princes and royal relatives witnessing the spectacular display by the Prince of striking and adjusting the bow strings were exceedingly delighted.