Today is ‘Esala Full Moon Poya Day’. As the Esala Poya day dawns, the main incident of the Buddha’s life that comes to mind is that it was on Esala Full Moon Day that the Prince Siddhartha gave up his lay life and became an ascetic in search of seeking liberation from the suffering resulting from life and death.
On Esala Full Moon Poya Day many important events took place, not only for humans, but for the devas as well. This is the day on which the Supreme Buddha proclaimed the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and the Wheel of Dhamma was set in motion, also many other great events took place on this day. Among them, the conception of Prince Siddartha in Queen Mahamaya’s womb occurred on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day. Buddhist literature reveals that a thousand years ago Queen Mahamaya, in one of her previous lives, had the same unusual dream on an Esala Full Moon Poya Day.
The commencement of the Vassana season (rainy season) began in the month of Esala. Vas signifies the cessation from going about begging alms (Pindapatha) during the rainy season for the bhikkhus residing in a definite place, either in a sanctuary of their respective vihares or in a particular abode. Buddhist laity provided the bhikkhus with food, robes and other necessities during the rainy season.
It was on Esala Full Moon Poya Day, the Buddha visited Thusitha Heaven by using his miraculous power to preach the Abhidhamma to his mother the Matru Divyaraja and other gods.
The first Buddhist Council (First Dhamma Sangayana) was also held on the Esala Poya Day under the patronage of King Ajasaththa, three months after the Parinibbana of the Buddha.
It was on the same Esala Full Moon Poya Day, that Prince Rahula, the only child of Prince Sdiddartha and Princess Yashodhara was born.
An additional factor that enhances the value of this Poya to Sri Lanka is the first local ordination of a Sri Lankan, when Prince Arittha, the nephew of the king, entered the Order at Anuradhapura, under Ven. Arahant Mahinda Thera, following the introduction of Buddhism.
On this day there also took place the laying of the foundation for the Maha Sthupa Ruwanvelisaya.
“Aparuta tesan amatassa dvara - Ye sotavanto pamugnchantu saddhan
Vihimsasagngnii pagunam nabhasin, - Dhamman panitan manujesu brahme thi.”
(Open are the doors to the Deathless to those with ears. Let them show their conviction. Perceiving trouble, O Brahma, I did not tell people the refined, sublime Dhamma.) (Aryapariyesana Sutta - Majjhima Nikaya- 26)
These words were spoken to Brahma Sahampathi by the Buddha just after the Enlightenment.
During the fifth week after the Enlightenment, the Buddha stayed at the foot of the Ajapala Banyan Tree. When the Buddha was at first reluctant to teach the Dhamma that he had realized. He considered, “Enough now with teaching what only with difficulty I reached. This Dhamma is not easily realized by those overcome with aversion and passion. What is abstruse, subtle, deep, hard to see, going against the flow — those delighting in passion, cloaked in the mass of darkness, won’t see.”
Having known with his own awareness, the line of thinking in the Buddha’s awareness Sahampati Maha Brahma immediately appeared before the Buddha and invited him to preach Dhamma.
Accepting the invitation of Sahampathi Maha Brahma, the Buddha, first of all, looked at the nature of other beings with the eye of an Awakened One. Then the Buddha realized that the beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace and danger in the other like. Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses — born and growing in the water — might flourish while immersed in the water, without rising up from the water; some might stand at an even level with the water; while some might rise up from the water and stand without being smeared by the water.
The Buddha with great compassion towards other beings decided to preach Dhamma in order to escape the beings from lust and grand illusion. He uttered that the Buddha has opened the path to Nibbana and those who are delighted to listening to the Buddha’s teachings, may they develop Shraddha. Since the Dhamma is hard to realize, he was wondering to whom he should teach the Dhamma first and who will quickly understand the Dhamma?
He first thought to preach Dhamma to Ascetic Alara Kalama, who had taught him meditation to attain the realm of infinite consciousness, but devas told him that he had passed away only last week. Next, he thought about Uddaka Ramaputta, but devas told him that Uddaka Ramaputta had also passed away the previous night.
Then the Buddha decided to preach the Dhamma first to the five ascetics who attended him when he was resolute in exertion. With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, the Buddha saw that they were staying near Varanasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then the Buddha left Bodhgaya to Varanasi by foot.
On his way to Varanasi Upaka the Ajivaka saw the Buddha and asked the Buddha, “Clear, my friend, are your faculties. Pure your complexion, and bright. On whose account have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? In whose Dhamma do you delight?” The Buddha replied him “All-vanquishing, all-knowing am I, with regard to all things, unadhering. All-abandoning, released in the ending of craving: having fully known on my own, to whom should I point as my teacher? I have no teacher, and one like me can’t be found. In the world with its devas, I have no counterpart. For I am an arahant in the world; I, the unexcelled teacher. I, alone, am rightly self-awakened. Cooled am I, unbound. To set rolling the wheel of Dhamma I go to the city of Kasi. In a world that has become blind, I beat the drum of the Deathless.”
“‘From your claims, my friend, you must be an infinite defeater.’ ‘Defeaters are those like me who have reached fermentations’ end. I’ve conquered evil qualities, and so, Upaka, I’m a conqueror.’ “When this was said, Upaka said, ‘May it be so, my friend,” and — shaking his head, taking a side-road he left.
“Then, the Buddha arrived at Varanasi, at the Deer Park in Isipatana, to where the group of five monks was staying. Seeing him coming, the five ascetics agreed not to greet him, or to offer him water or a seat, because in their view he had reverted to a life of comfort, and had abandoned the struggle for enlightenment. Their view was that en¬lightenment could only be attained by self-mortification — by punishing the body to remove attach¬ment. However, when the Buddha approached, the five ascetics could not adhere to their agreement and one greeted the Buddha and received the robe and bowl. Another spread out a seat. Another set out water for washing the Buddha’s feet. However, they addressed Him by name and as Ayushmathun (friend). The Buddha said not to call him Ayushmathun since he had attained enlightenment and urged them to listen to him.
It was on Esala Full Moon Poya Day, the Buddha preached the First Sermon, Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta to the five ascetics- Kondangna, Wappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama, and Assaji.
When the Buddha was coming to the Deer Park at Isipathana, the millions and billions of gods and Brahmas were waiting to listen to the First Dhamma Sermon by the Buddha. The gods and Brahmas were waiting for many years to learn Dhamma from the Buddha. The Five Ascetics were so blessed to listen to the first sermon preached by the Buddha. When the first Dhamma Sermon was preached, the darkness of the entire world system was dispelled.
Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta - Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dhamma
The sermon consisted of the central teachings of the Buddha- the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. In the end, Kondangna Thera attained the first stage of sainthood.
Dhammachakkapavattana sutta marked the birth of Triple Gem – Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
The Middle Path
The First Noble Truth - The noble truth of suffering
The Second Noble Truth - The noble truth of the origin of suffering
The Third Noble Truth - The noble truth of the cessation of suffering
The Fourth Noble Truth - The noble truth of the way leading the cessation of suffering
This noble eightfold path itself, namely: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
When the Wheel of the Dhamma had been set in motion by the Buddha, thus at that moment, the voice spread as far as the Brahma-world, and this thousand-fold world system (Dasa Dahasak Sakwala) trembled and an immeasurable glorious radiance appeared in the world surpassing the divine majesty of the devas.
Then the Buddha uttered this inspired word (the Udana): “Kondanna has indeed understood! Kondanna has indeed understood!” In this way, the Venerable Kondanna acquired the name “Agngna Kondanna- Who Has Understood.”
This marks the beginning of the transmission of the Buddha’s understanding to others. The commentary adds that millions of Brahmas and countless devas also realized Nibbana while listening to the Dhammachakka Sutta. Hearing this, Devas and Brahmas of all the other planes also raised the same joyous cry.
We are very fortunate that even today the teachings of the Buddha are in their pure, original form and continue to survive as a result of the efforts of many generations of the Buddha’s followers. However, because they have been passed down from hand to hand for so many generations, it is not something that we are expected to follow blindly, but rather a process of coming to understand and improving oneself. It is a step by step practice and even a single step of the way one’s simple intellect continues to grow into full-fledged Wisdom that makes one’s life easier and better.
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