Bodhi Seal 
of the Patriarchs

THE VENERABLE AJNATAKAUNDINYA

Composed by the Venerable Master Hua
Translated by Disciple Bhiksuni Heng Ch’ih

      The Venerable Ajnatakaundinya, the first bhiksu in Buddhism, and the first enlightenment bhiksu, was the first Great Arhat. No one holds a higher position in the Sangha than he.

THE VENERABLE ONE WAS FROM CENTRAL INDIA AND A RELATIVE OF THE WORLD HONORED ONE'S MOTHER, when the World Honored One went to the Himalayas to sit in meditation, his father sent five people to attend upon him. But every day the Buddha ate only one grain of rice and one sesame seed, and soon three of the five could not stand to eat so little so they stole away and paid no further attention to Sakyamuni Buddha.

Two remained to protect him as he cultivated the Way. Eventually the Buddha reached the point where he was nothing but skin and bones. He was so emaciated that a heavenly maiden brought him milk, which he accepted and drank. After that his body began to put on weight. The two who had not run off witnessed this and said, "How can that be called cultivation? People who cultivate the Way must endure suffering, but someone brings you milk and you gobble it up. How can that be cultivation? We've lost interest in you. We're leaving, too."

After those two had departed Sakyamuni Buddha was left alone to cultivate. See how difficult cultivation of the Way is? Even with the kind of Way virtue and cultivation, which the Buddha had, all five of his attendants soon abandoned him. Although they were relatives of his father and mother who had been sent explicitly to accompany the prince in his cultivation of the Way, in the end none of the relatives were able to relate to, him. "Forget it," they said, and walked off. This Venerable One Ajnatakaundinya was one of those who left the Buddha. He was kin to the Buddha's mother, the Lady Maya.

LATER THE WORLD HONORED ONE REALIZED THE WAY. After they left him the Buddha no longer sat in meditation in the Himalayas, but walked until he arrived at the Bodhi tree. He saw that its massive sprawling foliage was like a great umbrella opening out into space, affording protection from the wind and rain. The Buddha decided upon that place and said, "I will cultivate here and not get up until I have become enlightened." He sat down and sat for forty-nine days until one evening he saw a bright star and awakened td the Way.

Once the Buddha accomplished the Way and became enlightened, he contemplated to see who he should first take across. After a while the five attendants, three relatives of his father and two relatives of his mother, came to mind and he knew, "Oh, those five are the ones I should save first.  I wonder where they are...Oh, they are in the Deer Wilds Park." Then the Buddha walked to the Deer Wilds Park to find the five.

As soon as they saw him approaching they gasped, "He's coming to get us! Quick: Run!" and they prepared to run away.

"Listen," said the World Honored One, "I have cultivated to realization of Buddhahood. Don't run away. Stay and let me speak Dharma for you."

"Oh?" replied the five, "You've become a Buddha? You were able to realize Buddhahood?" The three, who had left him first said, "Don't listen to him. How could he have realized Buddhahood in the midst of such bitterness?"  The two who had left later said, "Don't believe him. No one is protecting him now, and he's come to get us under the pretence that he is a Buddha. He drinks milk. Someone brought him milk and he gulped it right down. What kind of Buddha could he become?" None of them believed it.

"I'll just explain a little for you, and you might just listen a while," coaxed the Buddha. "Don't run away just yet."

The five looked at one another and decided to listen first and then decide what to do. Actually their interest had been aroused, and they sat attentively gazing at Sakyamuni Buddha.

The Buddha TURNED THE DHARMA WHEEL OF THE FOUR TRUTHS FOR THE FIVE. He said, "This is suffering, its nature is oppressive. This is accumulation, its nature is beckoning feeling. This is extinction, its nature can be certified. This is the Way, its nature is such that it can be cultivated."

Then he said, "This is suffering, I already know it, I don't need to know more. This is accumulation, I have already cut it off, I don't need to cut it off again. This is the Way, I have already cultivated it, and do not need to cultivate more. This is extinction, I have already certified to it, and do not need further certification."

Then he said, "This is suffering, you should know it. This is accumulation, you should cut it off. This is the Way, you should cultivate it. This is extinction, you should certify to it."

THE VENERABLE ONE, THE HEAD OF THE GROUP HEARD THE SOUND AND AWAKENED TO THE WAY. When he finished speaking, Ajnatakaundinya suddenly, in a complete reversal, said, "Oh, so that's the way it is!" and understood what the other four did not yet understand. Then he said, "I'm not listening. I'm not listening. That's enough." Why wasn't he listening? He already understood, didn't need to listen, and said, "My ear's deaf, I can't hear what you're saying." These are the words of someone enlightened. You should not think it otherwise.

As soon as he heard Sakyamuni Buddha explain this Dharma he became enlightened to the Way, BECOMING THE FIRST JEWEL OF THE SANGHA. He was the first; bhiksu in the Sangha, and the first Great Arhat. THEREFORE THE WORLD HONORED ONE CALLED HIM AJNATAKAUNDINYA. HE WAS ALSO CALLED CHU LIN. Both these names arc-Sanskrit. TRANSLATED THEY MEAN "ALREADY KNEW," "NO KNOWING"  THERE IS NOTHING HE DID NOT KNOW, TO THE POINT THAT HE KNEW NOTHING. You should not think that this means he was ignorant. It's not that he did not know. His knowledge reached the ultimate point and disappeared. "No Knowing" means eradication of foolish common knowledge and views. Ajnatakaundinya had broken through all the views of common folks, he had broken through ignorance to the point of "No Knowing," he understood ignorance and smashed it. You don't want to mistake this and think that he was ignorant, THE VERSE SAYS:

WHEN KALINGA WIELDED THE KNIFE

HE HAD ALREADY SAID IT EXPLICITLY.

IN THE DEER PARK AS SOON AS HE SPOKE

THE MASTER ALONE UNDERSTOOD.

WHEN THE EAR WENT DEAF

THE WORDS CEASED.

IGNITING THE WHOLE WORLD

HE IS SENIOR IN THE SANGHA.

When the King of Kalinga unsheathed his sword against the Buddha, the vow had already been stated clearly, "When I become a Buddha I will save you first."

ANOTHER VERSE SAYS;

THE TATHAGATA VOWED IN A LIFE GONE BY

TO SAVE THE VENERABLE ONE FIRST,

WITH COMPASSION AND EQUALITY

HIGHER THAN THE SKY.

WHEN HIS FOUR LIMBS WERE SEVERED THROUGH

HE WAS FREE OF ANY ANGER,

WITH THE MUTUAL FUNCTIONING OF SIX PENETRATIONS,

A WONDERFUL MYSTERY.

OPPORTUNITIES WERE AT DEER PARK,

AND HE WAS THE FIRST TO AWAKEN.

OF THE SANGHA OF VULTURE PEAK,

"BASIC LIMIT" WAS THE FIRST.

THE MAD MIND FROM NUMEROUS KALPAS

NOW WAS THE FIRST TO CEASE.

THE ENLIGHTENED GUARDIAN

TRANSFORMED MYRIAD CONDITIONS.

THE TATHAGATA VOWED IN A LIFE GONE BY TO SAVE THE VENERABLE ONE FIRST. This is identified with the line above, "He had already said it explicitly."  In the past the Buddha had vowed first to save the person who treated him the worst, and to guide him to Buddhahood. You can go find a present-day 3akyamuni Buddha and be impolite to him and perhaps he will also make a vow "When I become a Buddha I will first take you across," but such a one won't be easy to find.

WITH COMPASSION AND EQUALITY HIGHER THAN THE SKY. The Buddha is compassionate and walks the way of equality. If you are good to him, he remains the same; if you are bad to him, he doesn't change. He's not like we people who say, "if you treat me badly I will kill you with hatred. I will murder you and beat you to death." That is hardly the way of equality.  "Higher than the sky" means he was without any selfishness.

WHEN HIS FOUR LIMBS WERE SEVERED THROUGH HE WAS FREE OF ANY ANGER. The Diamond Sutra describes an event from Sakyamuni Buddha's life when he was on the causal ground, an immortal practicing patience. The King of Kalinga cut off his four limbs while asking him if he was angry. The Buddha always replied that he was not.

WITH THE MUTUAL FUNCTIONING OF SIX PENETRATIONS, A WONDERFUL MYSTERY.   His is an inconceivable ineffable state. OPPORTUNITIES WERE AT DEER PARK, AND HE WAS THE FIRST TO AWAKEN. At the Deer Wilds Park the opportunities were ripe and this Venerable One was the first to become enlightened.

OF THE SANGHA OF VULTURE PEAK, "BASIC LIMIT" WAS THE FIRST. He is also called "Understanding the Basic Limit," and "The Very First to Understand."  He is also called "Already Knew," "One of No Knowing," and "Knowing Nothing."  ATI these refer to the leader of the Sangha.

THE MAD MIND FROM NUMEROUS KALPAS WAS NOW THE FIRST-TO CEASE. The mad mind of this Venerable One, his arrogance, and hatred through many lives finally was put to rest.

THE ENLIGHTENED GUARDIAN TRANSFORMED MYRIAD CONDITIONS. This means that he helped Sakyamuni Buddha to teach and transform the living beings with whom he had conditions.
      The Chinese text for the preceding article appears below.

In the next issue Bodhi Seal of the Patriarchs will introduce Liang Dynasty Tripitaka Master The Venerable Jnanabhaisajya, Bodhisattva in the Flesh.