Đến cửa chùa rũ bỏ trần duyên tính xấu
Vào điện Phật giữ gìn mối đạo tâm lành.
The great registered companion.
Update: 09/09/2020
People were woken up through the success of cultivation of Kumararaja Siddhattha which was like the ring of echo at night to awake people submerging in craziness and abstraction. During the road of propagation the drama, Buddha had many followers who owned good qualities, wisdom, kabbalah, and transcendental etc. Among these followers, Ananda looked like a fragrant flower in a knowledge garden. Besides the nickname “multi Bahu-sruta”. He was also considered for the most diligent companion to his master - Buddha.
In the first 20 years, Buddha did not have any regular companions so Nāgasamāla, Nāgita, Upavāṇa, Sa-di Cunda, etc. rotated to support him. khuddaka-nikāya Sutra 2, Uruvelà Kassapa, page 471). One day, Buddha gathered monks for a talk, he said: “During 20 years guiding the noble community, there were a large number of disciples following Tathagata. However, there was no one volunteering to support him emphatically. Tathagata knew he would have one like that. (Life of Ānanda, page 20).
After Buddha’s word, the old man - Sāriputta, Moggallāna, etc, kneeling, putting his hands together and they said that they would like to volunteer to valet him, but he refused softly “You are getting old, you-yourself also need some companions”. At this moment, Moggallāna meditated and he knew that Buddha would like to choose Ānanda to be his companion. Because Ānanda owned unlimited power of retention which could save all Buddha’s sayings. On the contrary, Suddhi Panthaka had to spend over 3 months studying a verse so Bodhisattva Manjusri praised Ānanda.
“ His body form likens full-moon
His eyes look like a green lotus
Buddha-Dharma is like a huge ocean
It pours to Ānanda’s heart.”
(Buddha and Saints, Page 237)
Along with making a vow in past life, we would like to summarize as below:
It is about over one hundred thousand Mahakalpas, Buddha-Padumuttara was born in Hamsavati capital, he was the son of King Ananda and Queen Sujata. Once he was a prince, Buddha Padumuttara also had a brother of the same father but different mother that was Prince Sumana (the future old-man Ānanda). Then Prince Sumana was promoted to be the lord of a region. Sometimes, he visited his father and prostrated to his brother Buddha-Padumuttara). One day, there were some border rebellions. As his father’s belief, the prince pacified the enemies by himself and brought back the piece to the country. At that time, the King was very happy and he offered a special favor which he could choose whatever he wanted. However, the Prince was not interested in anything such as silk, brocade, elephants, horses, vehicles etc., he only proposed his wish to the King that he would like to be a Buddha Pudumuttara’s servant for three months - in the raining season. For the first time he met Bhagava, he could see the close connection between the companions and the master. Sumana was really respectful and wished for being like that so he made a great aspiration to be a close companion to Buddha in the future. Thereafter, that prince (precursor of Ānanda) practiced to do Dana, Brahma and did a lot of good karma which he created from his past lives so that they could bring up his wishes until the achievement day. (History of Buddhism, Episode 6a, Page 278 - 283).
Through Ananda’s great life, we realize that when the practitioners really take care and are loyal with all their heart to Buddha without expectations, they would be inheriting Buddha’s teaching as Ānanda. Today, the followers should be the same, in case you could have chances to work closely with masters, instructors, or precursors, you should learn how to cultivate your spiritual life. In this life, materials just only satisfy our desire in a certain amount of time. Such as there were some practitioners who met Buddha once in their life, listened to a short talking, then they looked for peaceful places to practice what they had been learnt so that they could lead to Subhadda. About Ānanda, he stayed with Buddha until the day he stepped to nirvana, he took care of Buddha devotedly. He is really a great and worthy helper.
Tâm Quý
Translated into English by Duong Dang Huynh Anh