The Buddha: Where I grew up in LUXURY

Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven, Ven. Karunananda, Wisdom Quarterly edit based on Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) Sukhamala Sutra, "Luxury Discourse" (AN 3.38; Thai 3.39; BJT 3.39)

A prince who lives in luxury sees the truth and renounced (Tamvir Singh Multani).

Kapilavastu in Afghanistan, ancient Sakya-Land, Sakastan of the Indo-Scythians (Shakyans)

Snow-capped Himalayan foothills seen from pre-US invasion Kabul, Afghanistan (BBC4).

 

The Buddha-to-come in the Himalayas.

"Ascetics, I lived in luxury, utmost luxury, total luxury. My father [the Indo-Scythian King Suddhodana who ruled an area west of what we call "India" today in what are now Afghanistan, Gandhara, and Pakistan] even had lotus ponds made in our palace -- one where red-lotuses bloomed, another where white lotuses bloomed, and yet another where blue lotuses bloomed -- all for my sake. 

• Translator's note: The Pali Text Society editions treat this discourse as if it were two discourses (III.38 and III.39) divided here into two parts. Much older Asian editions treat it as one, numbered III.39. The autobiographical verse at the end of the second half, which is identical with the verse concluding AN 5.57, fits neatly with the autobiographical first half of the discourse, suggesting that the two halves were meant to go together. [Editors' note: Sukhamala, which we translate here as "luxury," may also be interpreted as a "string of happiness" or "unalloyed pleasantness" as in good times.]

"I only used the best quality sandalwood that came from Varanasi. My turban was from Varanasi, as were my tunic, my lower garments, and my outer cloak. A white sunshade (parasol) was held over me day and night to protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt, and drizzle.

 

"I had three palaces: one for the cold season, one for the hot season, one for the rainy season.

• 

  Central Asia 100-200 AD

  [Only one of these royal palaces was located in Kapilavastu, what is generally regarded as the hometown or even home "country" of the Buddha's childhood. What would be the sense of having seasonal capitals in the same city for the king and his administration to rule? It would not make sense. The three capitals may have been today's Bamiyan (ranajitpal.com), Mes Aynak, and Kabul, Afghanistan. The janapada or "foothold of the Shakya clan" was run from various cities in their fluctuating territory as they vied with neighboring clans. This is a common practice in Central Asia and Northern India, where extremes of weather make having the capital in only one location very problematic. Kashmir, for example, has two seasonal capitals today, Srinagar and Jammu, in J&K state, India.

During the four months of the rainy season, I was entertained in the rainy-season palace by female minstrels without a single man among them. And I did not once come down from the palace. Whereas the servants, workers, and retainers in other people's homes are fed meals of lentil soup and broken rice, in my father's home the servants, workers, and retainers were fed wheat, rice, and flesh.
 

Former monastic caves used by the Shakyan monastics dot the cliffs of Bamiyan.

 

Gandhara-style Buddha

"Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total luxury, the thought occurred to me: 'When an ordinary uninstructed worldling (an untaught, run-of-the-mill person), who is subject to aging and in no way beyond aging, sees another who is aged, that person is horrified, repulsed, and disgusted, oblivious to the fact that this person is also subject to aging and in no way beyond aging.

"'If I -- who am subject to aging and in no way beyond aging -- were to be horrified, disgusted and repulsed on seeing another person who is aged, that would not be fitting for me.' As I repeatedly gave attention to this, the [typical] young person's intoxication with youth entirely dropped away.
 

"'Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total luxury, the thought occurred to me: 'When an ordinary uninstructed worldling, subject to illness and in no way beyond illness, sees another who is ill, one is horrified, disgusted, and repulsed, oblivious to the fact one is also subject to illness and in no way beyond illness.

The caves of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, the real Kapilavastu (near Kabul (wiki/WQ).

 
"'And if I -- who am subject to illness and in no way beyond illness -- were to be horrified, disgusted, and repulsed on seeing another person who is ill, that would not be fitting for me.' As I repeatedly gave attention to this, the healthy person's intoxication with health entirely dropped away.
 

"'Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total luxury, the thought occurred to me: 'When an ordinary uninstructed worldling, subject to death and in no way beyond death, sees another who is dead, one is horrified, disgusted, and repulsed, oblivious to the fact that one is also subject to death and is in no way beyond death.

"'And if I -- who am subject to death and in no way beyond death -- were to be horrified, disgusted, and repulsed on seeing another person who is dead, that would not be fitting for me.'

"As I gave repeated attention to this, the living person's intoxication with life entirely dropped away.

Part II: Intoxication

The portion of the Himalayan range known as the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan (Davric).

 
"Ascetics, there are these three forms of intoxication. What are the three? They are intoxication with youth, intoxication with health, and intoxication with life.

 

"Drunk with the intoxication of youth, an ordinary uninstructed worldling engages in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct. Having engaged in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct, one -- on the breakup of the body, after death -- reappears in the plane of deprivation, the unfortunate destination, the lower realms, even in [the lowest] hell.
 

Did Sid once play along this hill? Bamiyan

"Drunk with the intoxication of health, an ordinary uninstructed worldling engages in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct. Having engaged in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct, one -- on the breakup of the body, after death -- reappears in the plane of deprivation, the unfortunate destination, the lower realms, even in hell.
 

"Drunk with the intoxication of life, an ordinary uninstructed worldling engages in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct. Having engaged in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, and mental misconduct, one -- on the breakup of the body, after death -- reappears in the plane of deprivation, the unfortunate destination, the lower realms, even in the lowest hell.
 

"Drunk with the intoxication of youth, a monastic leaves this training [this high life] and returns to the lower life [of a layperson]. Drunk with the intoxication of health, a monastic leaves the training and returns to the lower life. Drunk with the intoxication of life, a monastic leaves the training and returns to the lower life."
 

The Buddha saw the Truth and was free (WQ).

"Subject to birth, subject to aging, subject to death, ordinary uninstructed worldlings are repelled by those who suffer from that to which they themselves are subject and have not in any way escaped.

"'And if I were to be repelled by beings subject to these things, it would not be fitting for me, living as they do.' As I maintained this attitude -- knowing the Dharma without clinging -- I overcame all intoxication with health, youth, and life as one who sees renunciation (letting go) as rest. For me, energy arose, nirvana was clearly seen.

• [Seeing, touching, or glimpsing nirvana leads to a change of lineage as one goes from ordinary ignorant worldling to the lineage (gotrabu) of Nobles Ones, or this may refer to an earlier stage when one turns attention to the dissolution phase of all phenomena that arises, turns, and goes out, which leads to disillusionment with sensuality, anger, and delusion, and one turns away to peace.]

"There was now no way I could partake of sensual pleasures with clinging. Having followed the high life, I will not return [to the lower]."

• See also Sn 4.15
• Where was the Buddha born? (ranajitpal.com)
• Buddhism in Pakistan

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