The Buddha and Devadatta

Devadatta was the son of Suppabuddha, and hence the cousin and brother-in-law of the Buddha. He entered the Order in the early part of the Buddha’s ministry, and was distinguished for psychic powers (Iddhi). Later, overcome by worldly gain and honor, he so completely changed his life that he became the greatest adversary of the Buddha. He once approached the Buddha and expressed his desire to lead the Order as the Teacher was old. The Buddha refused. Devadatta thereafter committed many an evil act for which he still suffers in Avici.

Knowing perfectly well that the Buddha would not assent, but in order to make it a pretext to disparage the Buddha and thereby win the support of the ignorant folk, he requested the Buddha to enforce the following five rules:-

I. That monks should dwell all their lives in the forest,

II. That they should live on alms begged,

III. That they should wear Pamsukula robes (i.e., robes made from rags collected from the dust heap and cemeteries),

IV. That they should live at the foot of a tree,

V. that they should not eat fish or flesh throughout life.

The compassionate, far-seeing Buddha declared that those who wished were free to observe them, but He would not make them compulsory.

Devadatta made this refusal a weapon to cause a schism in the Order. Instigated by Him, Ajatasattu caused the death of his innocent and devout father, King Bimbisara.

Failing in all efforts to destroy the Buddha, finally Devadatta himself made an unsuccessful attempt to kill Him by hurling a rock from above on His head. Books state that in the remote future he would become a Pacceka Buddha, named Atthissara, as a result of the Holy Life he red before his wicked career.