Pataligama

The Buddha’s next stop was the village of Pataligama, where the lay followers there greeted the Buddha and invited him to stay at their rest house. On the first night the Buddha taught the lay followers the importance of morality. Presumably this refers to the ten courses of wholesome conduct. The one following the ten courses of wholesome conduct will abstain from 1) taking life, 2) taking what is not given, 3) sexual misconduct, 4) false speech, 5) malicious speech, 6) harsh speech, 7) idle chatter, 8 ) covetousness, 9) ill will, and 10) false views.

“Householders, there are these five perils to one of bad morality, of failure in morality. What are they? In the first place, he suffers great loss of property through neglecting his affairs. In the second place, he gets a bad reputation for immorality and misconduct. In the third place, whatever assembly he approaches, whether of kshatriyas, brahmins, householders or ascetics, he does so diffidently and shyly. In the fourth place, he dies confused. In the fifth place, after death, at the breaking-up of the body, he arises in an evil state, a bad fate, in suffering and hell. These are the five perils to one of bad morality.

“And, householders, there are these five advantages to one of good morality and of success in morality. What are they? In the first place, through careful attention to his affairs he gains more wealth. In the second place, he gets a good reputation for morality and good conduct. In the third place, whatever assembly he approaches, whether of kshatriyas, brahmins, householders or ascetics, he does so with confidence and assurance. In the fourth place, he dies unconfused. In the fifth place, after death, at the breaking-up of the body, he arises in a good place, a heavenly world. These are the five advantages to one of good morality, and of success in morality.” (Ibid, pp. 236-237)

At the time of the Buddha’s visit to Pataligama, King Ajatashatru’s ministers, Varshakara and Sunidha, were also there building a fortress as a preparation for war between their kingdom of Magadha and the Vrijis. With his divine eye the Buddha observed that the gods themselves were taking up residence there. He told Ananda that someday the small village of Pataligama would become the capital city of a great empire and its name would be Patalitputra. The Buddha also predicted that the city would face danger from fire, flood, and internal feuding. In time, King Ajatashatru would move the capital of Magadha from Rajagriha to Pataliputra. Pataliputra would thereafter become the capital of the Maurya dynasty from 317 BC.E. – 180 C.E. and the Gupta dynasty 320 – 570 C.E. It is currently known as the city of Patna, the capital of the Indian state of Bihar.

The next morning, at their invitation, the Buddha and the Sangha ate with Varshakara and Sunidha. When they left the city, the ministers named the gate by which they left the Gautama Gate, and the ford by which they crossed the River Ganges the Gautama Ford. According to the traditional account however, the Buddha and his disciples did not cross over in the conventional way. Instead they bypassed all the small rafts that were being used to take people across and simply appeared miraculously on the other side. The Buddha then observed the people who were busily waiting for rafts, or making rafts and said: “When they want to cross the sea, the lake or pond, people make a bridge or raft – the wise have crossed already.” (Ibid, p. 239) This is a dramatization of the analogy of crossing over from this shore of birth and death to the other shore of enlightenment.