Devadatta

Category: The Buddha's Relatives

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• Pali :  devadatta

Devadatta was the son of King Suppabuddha and Pamita, an aunt of Gautama Buddha. Yasodhara was his sister. He was thus a cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Buddha. He entered the Sangha in the early part of the Buddha's ministry together with Ananda and other Sakya princes. He could not attain any of the stages of sainthood, but was distinguished for worldly psysic powers (Pali: pothujjanika iddhi). One of his chief supporters was King Ajatasattu who built a monastery for him.

During the early part of his career he led such an exemplary life that even Shariputra went about Rajagaha extolling him. Later, overcome by worldly gain and honour, and growing jealous of the Buddha, Devadatta became so radically changed in his character that he proved to be the greatest personal enemy of the Buddha. Simultaneous with the arising of ill-will in his heart towards the Buddha, his psychic powers automatically ceased.

Despite his evil ways and corrupt life, he had a large following and many admirers, and some even preferred him to Shariputra.

On one occasion he approached the Buddha and requested him to hand over the leadership of the Sangha to him as the Buddha was advanced in age. The Buddha straightway refused. Devadatta was enraged at this refusal and vowed vengeance. He, therefore, conspired with Prince Ajatasattu to kill the Buddha. Prince Ajatasattu was advised to kill his father and usurp the throne, while he himself decided to kill Gautama Buddha and lead the Sangha. Prince Ajatasattu succeeded in killing his devout father and usurp the throne.

Devadatta is noted for attempting to kill Gautama Buddha on three occasions :

1. Devadatta hired bowmen to murder the Buddha but, contrary to his expectations, all the hirelings became the Buddha followers.
2. When the Buddha was walking on the slopes of Gijjhakuta, Devadatta climbed the peak and mercilessly hurled a rock at the Buddha. Fortunately, it struck another piece of rock and a plinter slightly wounded the Buddha's foot, causing the blood to flow. Jivaka the physician attended on the Buddha and cured him.
3. Devadatta made another unsuccessful attempt to kill the Buddha by dispatching the elephant named Nalagiri, after infuriating him with liquor. When the ferocious elephant approached the Buddha, Ananda stepped forward to sacrifice his life for the sake of his master, but the Buddha told Ananda to step aside and subdued the beast by his metta. The elephant Nalagiri then bowed down to the Buddha.

By these wicked act, Devadatta became extremely unpopular, and public opinion was so much against him that King Ajatasattu was compelled to withdraw his patronage. Devadatta fell into disrepute and all his favours decreased. He now decided to live by deceit. His fertile brain devised another seeminly peaceful plan. With the help of equally evil-minded Bhikkhus like Kokalika, he thought of causing a schism in the Sangha. He requested the Buddha to enforce the following five rules among the Bhikkhus :

1. That monks should dwell all their lives in the forest.
2. That they should live on alms begged.
3. That they should wear robes made from rags collected from the dust-heap and cemeteries. (Pali: paṃsakūula)
4. That they should live at the foot of a tree.
5. That they should not eat fish or flesh throughout life. (Vegetarianism)

This he did, knowing fully well that the Buddha would not assent thereto. He desired to make the Buddha's refusal a pretext for disparaging the Buddha, and thereby winning the support of the ignorant masses.

The compassionate Buddha declared that his disciples were free to adopt these rules or not, but would not make them compulsory for all. Devadatta made this refusal a couse for schism in the Sangha. He appealed to the Bhikkhus, saying: "Brethren, whose words are the nobler, the words of Gautama or the words which I myself have uttered? Whoever desires release from suffering, let him come with me."

Newly ordained monks, who were not conversant with the Dharma, apparently approved of his demands and went over to him. Accompanied by them, he went to Gayasisa. But Shariputra and Maha Maudgalyayana, on the advice of the Buddha, went there and succeeded in winning them back after explaining the Dharma to them.

Thereafter, evil days fell upon Devadatta. He fell grievously ill, and before his death, he sincerely repented and desired to see the Buddha. After entering the monastery where the Buddha was living at the time, the earth opened to draw him straight into the deepest hell, known as the Hell of Avici. His bad karma interfered and he had to die a miserable death without seeing the Buddha at the last moment.

Although he suffers in the Hell of Avici for his heinous crimes, yet as a result of the holy life he led during the early part of his monkhood, he would finally become a Pacceka Buddha named Atthissara in the distant future. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha makes a noteworthy statement about how even Devadatta will in time become enlightened. This was meant to imply that, given enough time, even the worst individuals will eventually become Buddhas regardless of how bad their karma is.

Reference

• The Buddha and His Teachings by Ven. Narada Maha Thera