Devadatta

Devadatta is usually presented as the archetypical earthly enemy of the Buddha, in much the same fashion that Mara (see demons) is portrayed as the Buddha's heavenly opponent. A cousin of the Buddha, Devadatta became a disciple shortly after the Buddha's enlightenment and eventually became one of the Buddha's foremost disciples, possessing great spiritual powers.

About eight years prior to the Buddha's nirvana, Devadatta succumbed to the demon of jealousy and turned against the Buddha. To that end he used his spiritual powers to impress Ajatasatru, with whom he formed an alliance. Ajatasatru would kill his father Bimbisara and become king himself and Devadatta would kill the Buddha. He made three attempts on the Buddha's life: sending archer-assassins, setting an avalanche, and loosing a drunken elephant. All failed. Afterwards Devadatta attempted to create a schism in the Sangha and set up his own sangha with slightly different monastic rules.

At the end of his life Devadatta again wished to draw near to the Buddha, but on the journey the earth is said to have opened up and swallowed him. At the moment of being swallowed up he tried to declare his taking refuge with the Buddha, but before he could finish, he died and was reborn in the deepest of the hells, where he began to undergo one hundred thousand aeons of the most painful suffering because of the karma he had created.

"Devadatta was the Buddha's cousin, but he opposed everything the Buddha ever did. Some people say that he was the Buddha's enemy, but that is not the case. Devadatta actually helped the Buddha become a Buddha. Not only did he help him in one life, but in life after life. However, he did so in a back-handed way. He 'helped' Shakyamuni Buddha by 'opposing' him. How does that work? Say, for instance, someone resolves to cultivate the Way, but another person gives him trouble all day long, by either scolding him or ridiculing him or generally giving him a hard time. The opposition serves as a test to the cultivator's resolve. One of my disciples once asked, 'Is it okay to give people tests to help them out?' I said, 'No. If your attainment of the fruition has been certified and you know that your testing will help them realize the Way, then it is okay. If you haven't certified to the fruition, then don't test other people. If you test others, others will test you. If you test people and they fail, then they will fall. If people test you and you fail, then you will fall.'

"The situation with Devadatta was different, however. Devadatta's state was inconceivable. His spiritual powers were as great as those of the Buddha, and it was Devadatta's opposition that spurred the Buddha on to his attainment of the Way. . . . In the past Devadatta lectured on the to Shakyamuni Buddha, helping him to become a Buddha." (DFS X 1)

"How did Devadatta come to aid Shakyamuni Buddha in his realizing the Way? Let us look into the way it happened. Long ago there was a wealthy elder named Hsu-t'an whose fortune of the seven gems was impressively abundant. His eldest son was called Hsu-mo-t'i. When his wife died, Hsu-t'an, although advanced in years, remarried and had another son named Hsiu-p'i-ye. The elder passed away when his younger son was only about eighteen or twenty. The two sons proceeded to divide their father's riches, but HsuÄ mo-t'i, the elder brother, decided he didn't want to give his younger brother half. And so he took him up to Vulture Peak for a holiday barbecue, and when they got near the top, Hsu-mo-t'i pushed his younger brother right off the edge! Then he threw rocks on top of him to bury him. And then he went home and took possession of all of his father's wealth.

"Hsu-mo-t'i, surprisingly enough, was Shakyamuni Buddha in a former life. You shouldn't think that Shakyamuni Buddha never did anything wrong. The younger brother was Devadatta in a former life, and the elder was King Ajatasatru, the one who locked his parents in jail. Life after life, Shakyamuni Buddha was involved with these people in varying combinations of affinities, and so even after he became a Buddha, they still came and gave him trouble." (DFS X 2)

Even though Devadatta kept trying to kill the Buddha, not only did Shakyamuni Buddha not seek revenge or harbor resentment

or ill-will towards him, he expressed his gratitude toward his former teacher and bestowed upon him the prediction of Buddhahood. Of course Devadatta must first undergo the consequences of his own actions and then cultivate the proper Path to Buddhahood.

It is because of my good and wise advisor, Devadatta, that I have perfected the Six Paramitas, kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, as well as the Thirty-two Major Physical Characteristics and Eighty Minor Characteristics, coloring of burnished purple-gold, the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Dharmas of Attraction, The Eighteen Unshared Dharmas, the power of the way of spiritual penetrations, the realization of equal and proper enlightenment, and the rescue of vast numbers of living beings. All this came about because of my good and wise advisor, Devadatta. (DFS X 40)

I announce to the Four Assemblies that, after limitless aeons have passed, Devadatta will become a Buddha by the name of King of Gods Thus Come One. (DFS X 50)

(Source: Epstein, 2003: pp. 52 - 53)

1) Chinese Mandarin: , 2) Sanskrit: , 3) Pali: .

See also: demons.

Buddhist Text Translation Society (http://www.BTTSonline.org) References: DFS X (Ch12 "Devadatta"); FAS-PII(3) 78-79; VBS #196, pp. 4-5; VBS #197, pp.4-5.

(NOTE: Numerous corrections and enhancements have been made under Shastra tradition and "Fair Use" by an Anonymous Buddhist Monk Redactor (Compiler) of this Online Buddhist Encyclopedia Compilation)

Primary Original Source: The Tripitaka Sutra, Shastra and Vinaya teachings
(as found in the scripture storehouse of the Indian Sanskrit-Siddham, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese traditions of the Nalanda Tradition of ancient Nalanda University) of Shakyamuni Buddha, and his Arya Sagely Bodhisattva Bhikshu Monk and Upasaka disciples.

These Good and Wise Advisors (Kaliyanamitra) Dharma Master teachers include Arya Venerables Nagarjuna, Ashvaghosha, Aryasura, Kumarajiva, Shantideva, Chandrakirti, Chandragomin, Vasubandhu, Asanga, Hui Neng, Atisha, Kamalashila, Dharmarakshita, Tsong Khapa, Thogme Zangpo, Patanjali, Sushruta, Charaka, Vagbhata, Nichiren, Hsu Yun, Hsuan Hua, Shen Kai, Tenzin Gyatso, Kyabje Zopa, Ajahn Chah, Vasant Lad, and other modern day masters. We consider them to be in accord with Master Hsuan Hua’s "Seven Guidelines for Recognizing Genuine Teachers"

Nalanda Online University's teachings are based especially on the Dharma Flower Lotus Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Ksitigarbha Sutra, the Bhaisajya Guru Sutra, the Dharani Sutra, the Vajra Sutra, the Prajna Paramita Hridayam Sutra, the Guhyasamaja, the Kalachakra and their commentaries (shastras) by the above Arya Tripitakacharya Dharma Masters.

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See also: Tripitaka (1. Sutras, 2. Vinaya, 3. Shastras or Abhidharma, or Tantra), Taisho Catalog Numbering System, Dharma, and names of individual sutras (such as Shurangama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra [Flower Adornment Sutra], Lotus Sutra [Wonderful Dharma Flower Sutra], Earth Store Sutra, Dharani Sutra, Brahma Net Sutra, Medicine Master Buddha Sutra, Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra, Sutra in 42 Sections, Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching, et al.

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Compilation Sources for the Above Material on the Teachings of the Buddha:

Primary Compilation Source: Epstein, Ronald B., Ph.D, compiler, Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z, Burlingame, California: Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2003. ISBN: 0881393533 Paperback: 284 pages. www.BTTSOnline.org www.Amazon.com
http://www.bttsonline.org/product.aspx?pid=118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881393533/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20

Secondary Compilation Source: The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism, 2nd ed., San Francisco, California: Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada, 1998: www.budaedu.org.tw

Secondary Compilation Source: Muller, Charles, editor, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism [DDB], Toyo Gakuen University, Japan, 2007: Username is "guest", with no password.
http://buddhism-dict.net/ddb - Based in large part on the Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms with Sanskrit and English Equivalents (by Soothill and Hodous) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.

Secondary Compilation Source: Ehrhard, Diener, Fischer, et al, The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications, 1991. 296 pages. ISBN 978-0-87773-520-5 www.Shambhala.com, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877735204/ref=ase_medicinebuddh-20,
http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-0-87773-520-5.cfm

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Updated May 10, 2008