Veḷuvana draft, untranslated

Veḷuvana 01. A park near Rājagaha, the pleasure garden of Bimbisāra. When the Buddha first visited Rājagaha, after his Awakening, he stayed at the Laṭṭhivanuyyāna (Vin.i.35). The day after his arrival, he accepted the king’s invitation to a meal at the palace, at the end of which the king, seeking a place for the Buddha to live “not too far from the town, not too near, suitable for coming and going, easily accessible to all people, by day not too crowded, by night not exposed to noise and clamour, clean of the smell of people, hidden from men and well fitted to seclusion,” decided on Veḷuvana, and bestowed it on the Buddha and the fraternity. This was the first ārāma accepted by the Buddha, and a rule was passed allowing monks to accept such an ārāma. Vin.i.39f.; according to Bv­a. (19; cf. Ap­a.i.75) the earth trembled when the water – poured over the Buddha’s hand by Bimbisāra in dedication of Veḷuvana – fell on the earth. This was the only ārāma in Jambudīpa the dedication of which was accompanied by a tremor of the earth. It was the dedication of Veḷuvana which was quoted as precedent by Mahinda, when he decided to accept the Mahā Meghavana, at Anurādhapura, from Devānampiyatissa (Mhv.xv.17). The Buddha at once went to stay there, and it was during this stay that Sāriputta and Moggallāna joined the Saṅgha. Vin.i.42.

Kalandakanivāpa (q.v.) is the place nearly always mentioned as the spot where the Buddha stayed in Veḷuvana. There many Vinaya rules were passed – e.g., on the keeping of the vassa (Vin.i.137), the use of food cooked in the monastery (Vin.i.210f), the picking of edible (kappiya) fruit in the absence of any layman from whom permission to do so could be obtained (Vin.i.212), surgical operations on monks (Vin.i.215f), the eating of sugar (Vin.i.226), the rubbing of various parts of the body against wood (Vin.ii.105), the use of the kinds of dwelling (Vin.ii.146) and the use of gold and silver (Vin.ii.196).

During the Buddha’s stay at Veḷuvana, Dabba Mallaputta, at his own request, was appointed regulator of lodgings and apportioner of rations (Vin.ii.74. The Buddha was at Veḷuvana when Dabba also decided to die. He went there to take leave of the Buddha, Ud.viii.9). Sāriputta and Moggallāna brought back the five hundred monks whom Devadatta had enticed away to Gayāsīsa (Vin.ii.200). The Buddha spent the second, third, and fourth vassas at Veḷuvana. Bv­a.3; it was while the Buddha was at Veḷuvana that Devadatta attempted to kill him by causing Nālāgiri to be let loose against him (Ja.v.335). It was a very peaceful place, and monks, who had taken part in the first Convocation, rested there, in Kalandakanivāpa, after their exertions. It was there that they met Purāṇa, who refused to acknowledge the authenticity of their Recital (Vin.ii.289f).

Numerous Jātakas were recited at Veḷuvana – e.g., Asampadāna, Upahāna, Ubhatobhaṭṭha, Kandagalaka, Kāḷabāhu, Kukkuṭa, Kumbhila, Kuruṅga, Kuruṅgamiga, Giridanta, Guttila, Cūḷa Dhammapāla, Cūḷa Haṁsa, Cūḷa Nandiya, Jambu, Tayodhamma, Thusa, Dummedha, Dūbhiyamakkaṭa, Dhammaddhaja, Nigrodha, Parantapa, Pucimanda, Maṅgala, Maṇicora, Manoja, Mahā Kapi, Mahā Haṁsa, Mūsika, Romaka, Rohantamiga, Ruru, Lakkhaṇa, Laṭukika, Vānara, Vānarinda, Vinīlaka, Virocana, Saccaṅkura, Sañjīva, Sabbadāṭha, Sarabhaṅga, Sāliya, Sigāla, Sīlavanāga, Suvaṇṇakakkaṭa, Haṁsa and Hāritamātā. Most of these refer to Devadatta, some to Ajātasattu, and some to Ānanda’s attempt to sacrifice his life for the Buddha.

The books mention, in addition, various Suttas which were preached there. Among those who visited the Buddha at Veḷuvana were several Devaputtas: Dīghalaṭṭha, Nandana, Candana, Sudatta, Subrahmā, Asama, Sahali, Niṅka, Akoṭaka, Veṭambarī and Māṇavagāmiya; also the Dhanañjanī Brahmin; the Bhāradvājas: Akkosaka, Asurinda, Bilaṅgika, Aggika, Acela Kassapa, Susīma; the thirty monks from Pāvā (SN.ii.187); Theras, like Mahā Kappina, Aññā Kondañña (just before his death); Soṇagahapatiputta, Samiddhi, Moliya Sīvaka, Tālapuṭa, Maṇicūḷaka, Mahā Cunda (during his illness) (SN.v.181), Visākha (after his visit to Dhammadinnā, who preached to him the Cūḷa Vedallasutta), Abhayarājakumāra, Gulissāni, Vacchagotta, Bhūmija, Samiddhi, Aciravata, Sabhiya, Vassaka, Suppabuddha, Pilindavaccha, Jāṇussoṇī and the princess Cundī; also Bimbisāra’s wife, Khemā, who went to Veḷuvana because she had heard so much of its beauty. Sāriputta and Ānanda visited the Buddha there on several occasions, sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of others, and Ānanda lived there for some time after the Buddha’s death, and during his stay there preached the Gopakamoggallānasutta.

Sāriputta is mentioned as having held discussions there with, among others, Candikāputta and Lāḷudāyī. A sermon preached by Mahā Kassapa to the monks at Veḷuvana is given at AN.v.161ff.; for other Suttas preached by the Buddha, see also SN.i.231; ii.32, 183, 242, 254; iv.20; v.446; Ud.iv.9.

It is said that Māra visited Veḷuvana several times (e.g., SN.i.106f) in order to work his will on the Buddha. The Buddha was there when three of the monks committed suicide – Vakkali, Godhika and Channa – and he had to pronounce them free from blame. News was brought to the Buddha, at Veḷuvana, of the illness of three of his disciples – Assaji, Moggallāna and Dīghāvu – and he set out to visit them and comfort them with talks on the doctrine. Near Veḷuvana was a Paribbājakārāma, where the Buddha sometimes went with some of his disciples in the course of his alms rounds. Two of his discussions there are recorded in the Cūḷa Sakuladāyīsutta and Mahā Sakuladāyīsutta.

During the Buddha’s lifetime, two Thūpas were erected at the gate of Veḷuvana, one containing the relics of Aññā Koṇḍañña (SN­a.i.219), and the other those of Moggallāna (Ja.v.127).

Veḷuvana was so-called because it was surrounded by bamboos (veḷu). It was surrounded by a wall, eighteen cubits high, holding a gateway and towers (Snp­a.ii.419; Vin-a.iii.576).

After the Buddha’s death, Dāsaka, Upāli’s pupil, lived at Veḷuvana, and there ordained Soṇaka with fifty-five companions. From there Soṇaka went to the Kukkuṭārāma (Mhv.v.115 f, 122; Dpv.iv.39).

The dedication of Veḷuvana was among the scenes depicted in the Relic Chamber of the Mahā Thūpa (Mhv.xxx.80).

On one side of the main building of the Veḷuvana vihāra was a building called Ambalaṭṭhika (MN­a.ii.635). There was also a senāsana, built for the use of monks practising austerities (MN­a.ii.932).

It is said that, after death, Vassakāra was born as a monkey in Veḷuvana and answered to his name. He had been told during his lifetime that this destiny awaited him, and therefore took the precaution of seeing that the place was well supplied with fruit trees (MN­a.ii.854).

According to Xuanzang (Beal-Xuan, op.cit., ii.159), the Kalandakanivāpa (Karaṇḍaveṇuvana, as he calls it) lay one li to the north of Rājagaha.

Veḷuvana 02. A bamboo grove in Kajaṅgalā, where the Buddha once stayed. The upāsakas of Kajaṅgalā, having questioned the Kajaṅgalā Bhikkhunī, went to the Buddha there and asked him to verify her answers. AN.v.54f.

Veḷuvana 03. A bamboo grove in Kimbilā, where the Buddha stayed and was visited by Kimbila. AN.iii.247, 339: iv.84.

Veḷuvana 04. A monastery in Ceylon, built by Aggabodhi II. It was given by him to the Sāgalikas (Cv.xlii.43). It probably lay between Anurādhapura and Maṇihīra, and Saṅghatissa once lay in hiding there disguised as a monk (Cv.xliv.29; Cv.Trs.i.77, n.2). Jeṭṭhatissa III. gave to the vihāra the village of Kakkalaviṭṭhi. Cv.xliv.99.

Veḷuvana 05. A monastery erected by Parakkamabāhu I. in the suburb of Vijita in Pulatthipura. It consisted of three image houses, each three storeys high, a Thūpa, a cloister, a two-storeyed pāsāda, four gateways, four long pāsādas, eight small ones, one refectory, one sermon hall, seven fire hoses and twelve privies. Cv.lxxiii.152, lxxviii.87f.; see also Cv.Trs.ii.113, n.1.