Buddha story- the first bhikkhuni

 After the Buddha's stepmother, Queen Mahapajapati Gotami, lost her position due to the Queen's death, she became the chief queen and looked after the newborn Prince Siddhattha while her own son, Nanda, was taken care of by a wet-nurse.

When the Buddha came back to Kapilavatthu after attaining enlightenment, Mahapajapati Gotami requested him to permit women to join the Buddhist Order as bhikkhunis. However, initially, the Buddha declined her request.

Mahaprajapati Gautami

After King Suddhodana passed away, Mahapajapati Gotami, along with five hundred women, traveled on foot to Vesali to meet the Buddha. They had shaved their heads and wore robes, and Mahapajapati made the request again. This time, the Buddha agreed but set eight special conditions (garudhammas) for Mahapajapati to follow.

Mahapajapati accepted the conditions and became the first bhikkhuni, and other women were admitted to the Order afterward.

However, some bhikkhunis later doubted Mahapajapati's status because she didn't have a preceptor. They stopped participating in certain ceremonies with her and raised the issue with the Buddha.

The Buddha responded by saying that he himself had given the eight garudhammas to Mahapajapati and that she had practiced them faithfully. He declared that he was her preceptor, and it was wrong to doubt the status of an arahat like her.

Buddha story- A new monk

  In the past, there was a monk who followed the teachings of Buddha. The monk received guidance from Buddha regarding what to concentrate on during his meditation practice. Despite spending extended periods in meditation, the monk didn't experience significant advancement and instead started feeling unhappy and disheartened. He decided to go to the Jetavana monastery to seek further instructions from the Buddha. On his way there, he saw a huge fire and climbed a mountain to watch it. As he observed the fire spreading, he realized that just like the fire consumes everything, the deep understanding of the path to enlightenment can free us from all the things that hold us back in life.

Buddha story

Meanwhile, the Buddha, who was in the Gandhakuti hall at the Jetavana monastery, knew what the monk was thinking. He used his special abilities to appear before the monk and encouraged him, saying that he was thinking in the right direction. The Buddha reminded him that all living beings can break free from the things that tie them down in life by developing deep insight into the path of enlightenment.

Old Monk story

 Tissa was son of Buddha's maternal aunt. He was staying with Buddha at a Monastery. He had become a Bhikkhu in his old age only. He posed as a Senior Bhikkhu and felt good when other Bhikkhus asked him permission to serve him. He was not able to do duties what a junior Bhikkhu were expected to do. He quarrelled with other Bhikkhus and if someone rebuked him for his behaviour then he would go to Buddha complaining and became upset and frustrated. When other Bhikkus also approached Buddha. The Buddha told them not to hold enmity towards another because enmity could only be appeased by not having enmity in mind.

old monk

Dhammapada Verses 3 and 4
Tissatthera Vatthu

Akkocchi mam avadhi mam
ajini mam ahasi me
ye ca tam upanayhanti
veram tesam na sammati.

Akkocchi mam avadhi mam
ajini mam ahasi me
ye ca tam nupanayhanti
veram tesupasammati.

Buddha story- A blind monk

 Once, a senior Bhikku named Thera Cakkhupala went to visit and show respect to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery. One night, while he was walking back and forth in deep meditation, the senior Bhikku accidentally stepped on some insects without noticing.

Blind Monk

 The next morning, some other Bhikkhus who were visiting the senior Bhikku found the dead insects. They formed a negative opinion about him and reported the incident to the Buddha. The Buddha asked them if they had actually seen the senior Bhikku intentionally killing the insects. Since they hadn't witnessed it, the Buddha explained that just as they hadn't seen him doing harm, the senior Bhikku hadn't seen those living insects either. Furthermore, as the senior Bhikku had already achieved a high level of spiritual enlightenment (arahatship), he couldn't have had any intention to kill, and thus he was innocent in this matter.

Dhammapada Verse 1
Cakkhupalatthera Vatthu

Manopubbangama dhamma
manosettha manomaya
manasa ce padutthena
bhasati va karoti va
tato nam dukkhamanveti
cakkamva vahato padam

All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, 'dukkha' follows him just as the wheel follows the hoofprint of the ox that draws the cart.

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Buddha - Story of Novice Monk

 Once there was a rich man in Savatthi who had a young son named Pandita. When Pandita was only seven years old, he became a samanera, a novice monk. One day, while he was accompanying Thera Sariputta on an alms round, he noticed some farmers directing water into their fields. Curious, he asked the thera if water, which has no consciousness, could be guided wherever one wanted. The thera replied that indeed, water could be guided as desired.

Novice Monk

As they continued their walk, Pandita saw fletchers heating their arrows with fire to straighten them and carpenters cutting and shaping timber. These observations made him reflect on the fact that if water, bamboo, and timber, which lack consciousness, could be directed and transformed, then as a person with consciousness, he should be capable of taming his own mind and practicing meditation.

Filled with this realization, Pandita asked the thera for permission to return to his room in the monastery. There, he wholeheartedly and diligently focused on his meditation, specifically contemplating the body. The devas, including Sakka, aided him by ensuring a quiet and peaceful environment. Before mealtime, Pandita achieved the stage of Anagami Fruition, a high level of spiritual attainment.

Meanwhile, Thera Sariputta was on his way to bring food to Pandita. However, the Buddha, using his supernatural abilities, saw that Pandita had attained Anagami Fruition and was on the verge of attaining arahatship, the highest level of enlightenment. To allow Pandita to achieve this milestone undisturbed, the Buddha intercepted Sariputta at the door and engaged him in conversation. During their discussion, Pandita reached the state of arahatship. Thus, on the eighth day after becoming a novice, Pandita became an arahat, a fully enlightened being.

Dhammapada Verse 80
Panditasamanera Vatthu
Udakam hi nayanti nettika
usukara namayanti tejanam
darum namayanti tacchaka
attanam damayanti pandita.

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