Monday, May 31, 2010

From Buddhism: Anomadassi Buddha

Anomadassi Buddha is the seventh Buddha in the traditional succession of twenty-four Buddhas of Theravada Buddhism.

He had practiced the perfection for sixteen incalculable periods of hundred thousand kalpas, after which he was born in the realm of Tusita. There he passed away and was born in the park of Sunanda at Candavati, as the son of king Yasava and his queen Yasodhara. It is said that at his birth seven kinds of jewels fall from the sky; and since he had seen those precious objects he was named Anomadassi. He resided in three palaces: Siri, Upasiri and Vaddha. His spouse was Sirima, and they had a son Upavana by name. Anomadassi led the life of a householder till he was ten-thousand years old, and then renounced the world.

For a period of ten months he practiced austerities, after which, on the full moon day of Visakha, he went to the brahama village of Anupama to beg for alms. There, he received a meal of milk rice from the daughter of Anupama-setthi, and on his return Anoma, an ajivika, offered him grass for his seat at the foot of an ajjuna tree, where he sat in contemplation and gained supreme enlightenment.

His first sermon was delivered in the Sudassana park in the city of Subhavati; and the twin-miracle was performed at the foot of the asana tree, which stood at the entrance to the city of Osadhi.

He delivered sermons to three congregations, as a result of which king Isidatta from Soreyya, king Madhurindharassa from Radhavati, and king Soreyya also from Soreyya entered the Order.

His chief disciples were Nisabha and Anoma among the monks, and Sundari and Sumana among the nuns. His constant attendant was Varuna. Nandivaddha and Sirivaddha were his foremost supporters among laymen; and Uppala and Paduma among laywomen. His royal patron was king Dhammaka.

He lived for a span of one hundred thousand years and passed away at Dhammarama, his chief residence.

During the time of Anomadassi Buddha, the bodhisatta was born as a powerful yakkha-chief and had offered food to the Buddha. Anomadassi declared that the yakkha-chief would be born as the Buddha Gotama (our historical Buddha Sakyamuni) in the future.

Anomadassi Buddha lived during the Satya Yuga period of that kalpa as his life span was one hundred thousand years.

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