Once upon a time,the Tathāgata (Shakyamuni Buddha) went to the country of Varanasi, where five ascetics, including Kaundinya, were engaged in their spiritual practices.
Varanasi(city on the Ganges river)
When the five saw the Tathāgata approaching, they said to each other:
“Ascetic Gautama has abandoned his austerities. He must have come here to beg for food. We shouldn’t go out of our way to greet him.”
However, when the Buddha drew nearer, they found themselves rising from their seats, bowing, and welcoming him with reverence.
The Tathāgata then addressed them:
“Do not belittle the path I have realized, nor doubt it due to your immature wisdom. I abandoned extreme asceticism because it only led to agitation of the mind. But indulgence in pleasure also binds the mind in desire. That is why I followed the Middle Way, avoiding both extremes. Through this, I attained enlightenment.”
The Tathāgata taught them the Four Noble Truths.
When the five heard this, they were freed from suffering and attained the pure eye of wisdom that sees the true principle of the Dharma.
There is a reason why it was these five.
In the distant past, during the time of the Kassapa Buddha (one of the Seven buddhas of the past), there were nine disciples studying under him. Four of them were wise and quickly attained the path, but five were dull and could not grasp the teachings.
They made a vow:
“When Shakyamuni Buddha appears in the world, let us meet him.”
This is the background passed down through the tradition.
The Five Ascetics Hearing the First Sermon: In early representations, the Buddha was not depicted in human form, but symbolized by a Dharma wheel (chakra)
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
This text was created by using ChatGPT and Claude to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka
The place where the Buddha attained enlightenment is said to be on the banks of the Lilajan River (also known by its Sanskrit name Nirañjanā) , near Gaya in northern India. Today, the site is known as Bodh Gaya, the most sacred place in Buddhism.
A monumental temple called the Mahabodhi Temple has been built there, and numerous temples from Buddhist communities around the world -Japan included- surround the area.
Bodh Gaya: The Mahabodhi Temple viewed from the Lilajan River
I once stayed there. I was lodged in a monastic house belonging to some foreign country, but I no longer remember which one, nor how long I was there. Even my memories of the Mahabodhi Temple are vague.
But there are three things I clearly remember from Bodh Gaya:
– The samosas were delicious.
– The Lilajan River was beautiful.
– And a Japanese girl singing a cappella – her voice was so beautiful it moved me deeply.
Never again will I likely be so touched by an unaccompanied human voice.
The place where the Buddha gave his first sermon was Varanasi.
It’s quite far from Bodh Gaya. Even by train, it takes a full day to get there.
Since there were no means of transport back then, he must have walked for many days.
Why go so far?
On this, the scholar Hajime Nakamura offered an intriguing insight:
“When a scholar proposes a new theory, it doesn’t become established just by being proposed, right? It has to be accepted by others. At that time, the Buddha was a new thinker. He had to have his ideas recognized. So he went to a place where many practitioners had gathered.
It’s like how scholars today present their theories at academic conferences.”
Just outside Varanasi lies Sarnath, the site of the Buddha’s first sermon – the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.
I’ve been to Sarnath as well.
But I remember nothing – nothing except the setting sun.
Ah, how beautiful are sunsets on the continent!
Sarnath: The Dhamek Stupa
●Japanese
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