Tôn giả Upavāṇa – Top 80 trưởng lão ( nhóm phải – từng làm thị giả cho Đức Phật)

I. Giới thiệu khái quát

Tôn giả Upavāṇa – từng làm thị giả cho Đức Phật.

Từ palikanon.com

https://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/u/upavaana.htm

1. Upavāna.-A thera. He belonged to a very rich brahmin family of Sāvatthi, and having seen the Buddha’s majesty at the dedication of Jetavana, he entered the Order and became an arahant with sixfold aññā. For some time, before Ananda was appointed upatthāka, Upavāna waited on the Buddha. Once when the Buddha was attacked by cramp, Upavāna, with the help of his lay-friend Devahita, obtained hot water and suitable medicines, with which the ailment was healed; the Buddha, thereupon, expressed his gratitude. ThagA.i.308ff; this ailment does not seem to be mentioned in Milinda 134f. where several others are given. This incident is given at greater length in S.i.174f; see also DhA.iv.232f.

When the Buddha lay on his death-bed at Kusināra, Upavāna was by his side fanning him; the Buddha, seeing that he obstructed the vision of the devas who had come to pay their last homage to the Teacher, asked Upavāna to move away (D.ii.138f).

Two occasions are mentioned on which Upavāna consulted the Buddha on matters of doctrine, once regarding the arising of suffering (S.ii.41-2) and once on the immediate and practical use of the Dhamma (sanditthikadhamma) (S.iv.41). There is also recorded a visit of Upavāna to Sāriputta when they were both staying in the Ghositārāma at Kosambī. Sāriputta asks him about the bojjhangas as being conducive to a happy life and Upavāna explains (S.v.76). On another occasion Upavāna is the enquirer, and he asks Sāriputta about the “end-maker” (antakara); Sāriputta explains that the “end-maker” is the one who knows and sees things as they really are (A.ii.163).

When an unpleasant interview took place between Sāriputta and Lāludāyī (q.v.) and no one was found to support Sāriputta, the matter is reported to the Buddha, who declares that Ananda should have taken Sāriputta’s side. Soon afterwards Ananda seeks Upavāna and tells him that he was too timid to interfere, and if the Buddha referred to the matter again, would Upavāna undertake to answer? In the evening the Buddha engages Upavāna in conversation and asks him to explain the five qualities which make a monk esteemed and loved by his colleagues. At the end of the discourse the Buddha applauds Upavāna (A.iii.195f).

In Padumuttara’s time Upavāna had been a poor man. Seeing people making great offerings at the Buddha’s Thūpa, he was much touched, and having washed his upper garment, he hung it as a flag over the Thūpa. A yakkha named Abhisammataka, who was the guardian of the cetiya, took the flag three times round the cetiya, he himself remaining invisible.

A monk whom the man consulted after this miracle foretold that for thirty thousand kappas he would be in the deva-worlds and that he would be deva-king eighty times. One thousand times he was Cakkavatti. In his last life his wealth was eighty crores. When he was Cakkavatti, his banner was held aloft, three leagues in height. Ap.i.70ff.

1. Upavāna. – Thera. Ông thuộc một gia đình Bà-la-môn rất giàu có ở Sāvatthi, và đã nhìn thấy sự uy nghi của Đức Phật khi cúng dường Jetavana, ông đã gia nhập Dòng và trở thành một vị A-la-hán với sáu bậc aññā. Trong một thời gian, trước khi Ananda được bổ nhiệm làm upatthāka, Upavāna đã chờ đợi Đức Phật. Một lần khi Đức Phật bị chuột rút tấn công, Upavāna, với sự giúp đỡ của người bạn cư sĩ Devahita, đã lấy được nước nóng và các loại thuốc thích hợp, nhờ đó bệnh được chữa lành; Đức Phật, ngay sau đó, bày tỏ lòng biết ơn của mình. ThagA.i.308ff; căn bệnh này dường như không được đề cập trong Milinda 134f. nơi một số người khác được đưa ra. Sự cố này được đưa ra ở độ dài lớn hơn trong Si174f; xem thêm DhA.iv.232f.

Khi Đức Phật nằm trên giường lâm chung tại Kusināra, Upavāna ở bên cạnh và quạt cho Ngài; Đức Phật, khi thấy Ngài đã cản trở tầm nhìn của chư thiên, những người đã đến để đảnh lễ lần cuối cùng với Vị Thầy, đã yêu cầu Upavāna rời đi (D.ii.138f).

Hai lần được đề cập đến mà Upavāna đã hỏi ý kiến Đức Phật về các vấn đề giáo lý, một lần liên quan đến sự phát sinh của đau khổ (S.ii.41-2) và một lần về việc sử dụng Giáo pháp (sanditthikadhamma) tức thời và thực tế (S.iv.41) ). Cũng có ghi chép về chuyến viếng thăm của Upavāna đến Sāriputta khi cả hai đang ở trong Ghositārāma tại Kosambī. Sāriputta hỏi anh ta về bojjhangas có lợi cho cuộc sống hạnh phúc và Upavāna giải thích (Sv76). Trong một dịp khác, Upavāna là người hỏi han, và ông ta hỏi Sāriputta về “người tạo ra cuối cùng” (antakara); Sāriputta giải thích rằng “người sản xuất cuối cùng” là người biết và nhìn mọi thứ như thực tế của chúng (A.ii.163).

Khi một cuộc phỏng vấn khó chịu diễn ra giữa Sāriputta và Lāludāyī (qv) và không tìm thấy ai ủng hộ Sāriputta, vấn đề được báo cáo với Đức Phật, người tuyên bố rằng Ananda nên đứng về phía Sāriputta. Ngay sau đó Ananda tìm Upavāna và nói với ông rằng ông quá nhút nhát để can thiệp, và nếu Đức Phật đề cập lại vấn đề này, Upavāna có cam kết trả lời không? Vào buổi tối, Đức Phật bắt chuyện với Upavāna và yêu cầu ông giải thích năm phẩm chất khiến một nhà sư được đồng nghiệp quý trọng và yêu mến. Vào cuối bài pháp, Đức Phật hoan nghênh Upavāna (A.iii.195f).

Vào thời Padumuttara, Upavāna là một người nghèo. Nhìn thấy mọi người đang cúng dường lớn lao ở Thūpa của Đức Phật, ông rất cảm động, và đã giặt áo trên của mình, ông treo nó như một lá cờ trên Thūpa. Một yakkha tên là Abhisammataka, người bảo vệ cetiya, cầm cờ ba lần quanh cetiya, bản thân ông vẫn vô hình.

Một nhà sư mà người đàn ông tham khảo ý kiến sau phép lạ này đã báo trước rằng với ba mươi nghìn kappa, anh ta sẽ ở trong các thế giới deva và rằng anh ta sẽ làm vua deva tám mươi lần. Một nghìn lần anh ta là Cakkavatti. Trong cuộc sống cuối cùng của mình, tài sản của ông là 80 crores. Khi anh ấy còn là Cakkavatti, biểu ngữ của anh ấy được treo trên cao, cao ba giải đấu. Ap.i.70ff.

II. Trưởng lão tăng kệ – Tiểu bộ kinh Nikaya

(CLIII) Upavàna (Thera. 24)

Trong thời đức Phật hiện tại, ngài sanh trong một gia đình Bà-la-môn ở Sàvatthi, được đặt tên là Upavàna. Thấy được uy nghi đức Phật khi Kỳ Viên được dâng cúng. Ngài xuất gia, phát triển thiền quán, chứng được sáu thắng trí.

Rồi Upavàna trở thành vị thị giả đức Phật. Bấy giờ, Thế Tôn bị đau nhức mỏi, một đệ tử cư sĩ của ngài tên là Devahita sống ở Sàvatthi cúng dường bốn vật dụng cần thiết cho ngài. Khi Upavàna đến với y và bát, Devahita biết ngài cần dùng một vật đặc biệt nên hỏi. Ngài trả lời với bài kệ như sau:

185. Bậc ứng Cúng, Thiện Thệ,

ẩn sĩ bị phong thấp,

Nếu ông có nước nóng,

Hãy cúng dường ẩn sĩ.

186. Cúng dường người đáng cúng,

Cung kính người đáng kính,

Tôn trọng người đáng trọng,

Ta mong muốn vị ấy,

Ðược vật cúng mang đến.

Rồi vị Bà-la-môn dâng cúng nước nóng và thuốc trị bệnh. Nhờ vậy, bệnh của Thế Tôn thuyên giảm và Thế Tôn tỏ lời cảm ơn.

III. https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Thera_2.33:_Upavana

Chapter II.
Two Verses

153. Upavāna

Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthi, in a brahmin’s family, he was named Upavāna. He saw at the Jeta Grove presentation the majesty of the Buddha, and entering the Monk’s order, practised for insight, and won sixfold abhinna(higher knowledge).

Now Upavāna. became attendant on the Exalted One(Buddha).^[1] And at that time the Exalted One was attacked by cramp. And Devahita, a brahmin(priest) lay-friend of the Thera, living at Sāvatthi, was supplying him with the four necessaries. Seeing him come with bowl and robe, Devahita discerned that he needed something different and said: ‘Let your reverence be supplied. What do you need?’ And Upavāna. answered:

[185] Arahaɱ sugato loke vātehābādhito muni,||
Sace uṇhādakaɱ atthi munino dehi brāhmaṇa.|| ||

[186] Pūjito pūjanīyānaɱ sakkareyyāna sakkato,||
Apacitopacanīyānaɱ tassa icchāmi hātave’ ti.|| ||

[185] The Arahant(enlightened), the Tathagatha (i.e. Buddha) of all men,
The Holy Sage, he suffers much with wind.
If there be any water heated here,
O give it to me, brahmin(priest), for the Sage.

[186] Revered by them to whom we reverence owe,
Cherished by them who claim our pious care,
Honoured by them to whom honour is due,
For Him I do beseech it may be brought.

because of that the brahmin(priest) offered both hot water and suitable medicine. By that the Lord(Buddha)’s sickness was healed, and to him the Exalted One rendered thanks.

^[1] See CCLX. On the ailment cf. Milinda i., 194, n. 4.

2.4-3 [153] Commentary on the stanza of Upavāṇatthera

The stanza starting with arahaṃ sugato constitutes that of the venerable Thera Upavāṇa. What is the origin? It is said that he was born in the family of a pauper at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara; On having attained the age of intelligence, when the Blessed One entered parinibbāna, he made his reverential offering of a flag which he made after fastening his own upper garment, which had been well washed at a bamboo-top, at the solid shrine of seven leagues (yojanika) when the same was made of seven sorts of gems by human and divine beings, by dragons (nāga) and garuḍa birds (garuḷa), by celestial demons (kumbhaṇḍa), ogres (yakkha) and celestial musicians (gandhabba) after having collected His relics. The commander-in-chief of ogres, named Abhisammataka, who was posted (ṭhapito) for the purpose of looking after the reverential offerings of the shrine, by divine beings, with his body being unseen, caught hold of that flag, held it in the sky and circumambulated the shrine three times. On having noticed it, he became much more pious-minded. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths and was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose; he gained the name Upavana; on having come of age, he happened to have notice the power of Buddha at the accepting celebration of Jetavana, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, kept on doing the deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā), attained Arahantship and became possessed of six sorts of higher-knowledge. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–

“The Conqueror named Padumuttara,

proficient in all truths (dhamma)

having shone bright like a mass of

fire, Buddha the awakened entered

parinibbāna.

The multitude of men came together,

made reverential offerings to Tathāgata,

heaped up a funeral pile (citaṃ) well

finished (sugataṃ) and had the body

specially mounted (on it).

Having done their duty to the (demised)

body, they brought together relics there.

All those divine and human beings built

a shrine of Buddha.

Firstly the shrine was made of gold;

secondly it was made of emerald (maṇi);

thirdly, it was made of shining silver

(rūpiya), fourthly it was made of crystal;

there fifthly also it was made of red ruby;

sixthly it was made of cat’s eye precious

stone (masāragalla); all above was made

of gems.

The lower portion of the shrine (jaṅgha)

was made of emerald (maṇi); the railings

were made of gems; the shrine was made

wholly of gold; it went a league (yojana)

up above.

Divine beings assembled there and con-

sulted unitedly (ekato) then; we also

shall set up a shrine for such a great

personage as the protector of the world.

There exists no special relic; the body

had become a single lump (of relics); at

this shrine of Buddha we shall make an

encasement (kañcuka).

With seven sorts of gems, divine beings

increased the shrine by another league,

(yojana); the shrine became two leagues

(yojana) in height; that shrine dispelled

(byapahanti) darkness (timiraṃ)

dragons assembled there and consulted

unitedly then; human as well as divine

beings, they set up a shrine of Buddha.

Let us not be negligent; the world

together with the divine world, are

diligent. We also shall set up a shrine

of such a sage as the protector of the

world. Having had the celestial sovereign

sapphire (indanīla), the mighty sapphire

(mahānīla), besides the emerald of shining

essence (jotiresamaṇi) assembled together

they enveloped the shrine of Buddha.

As far as the shrine of Buddha became

entirely made of emerald (maṇi) it well

became three league (yojana) high, the

maker of light then. Garuḍa birds also

came together and consulted unitedly then;

those human beings, divine-beings and

dragons made reverential offerings to

Buddha.

Let us not be negligent; the world

together with the divine world had been

diligent. We also shall set up a shrine

for such a sage as the protector of the

world. They also made an encasement;

a shrine entirely made of emerald;

they also increased outstretching

(āyataṃ) the shrine of Buddha by a

league (yojana). Four leagues (yojana)

in height, the shrine of Buddha shone

forth (virocati); it illumined all

directions resembling the sun that

has risen (sataraṃsīva uggato).

Celestial beings (kumbhaṇḍa) also

came together, and consulted unitedly

then; human beings, and divine beings

also, dragons and likewise garuḍa birds

as well, respectively built the most

excellent shrine, for Buddha the best;

let us not be negligent; the world

together with the divine world, had

been diligent.

We also shall set up a shrine for such

a sage as the protector of the world.

Stretching out (āyataṃ) the shrine of

Buddha, we shall encase it with gems.

Outstretching the shrine of Buddha

they also increased it by a league

(yojana). Five leagues in height, the

shrine then had shed its light.

Ogres came together there, and con-

sulted unitedly then; human and divine

beings, dragons, garuḍas and divine

demons, respectively (paccekaṃ) set

up the most excellent shrine; let us

not be negligent; the world together

with the divine world had been diligent.

We also shall set up a shrine of such a

sage as the protector of the world; let

us encase it with crystal (phalika) in

stretching out the shrine of Buddha.

They also in stretching out the shrine

raised it by a league (yojana). Six

league (yojana) in height, the shrine

shone forth then.

Celestial musician (gadhabbā) came

together and consulted then unitedly;

human beings, divine beings, dragons

divine demons and likewise garuḍas,

all of them had built a Buddha shrine;

here, we are non-doers; we also shall

set up a shrine, of such a sage as the

protector of the world.

Having made seven railings (vediyo),

they made a flag and an umbrella;

the celestial musicians made then the

shrine entirely of gold.

Seven leagues (yojana) in height, the

shrine shone forth then. People did

not know about day and night; there

was light at all times (sabbadā).

Sun and moon together with the stars

did not overwhelm the light of that

shrine. For a league (yojana) all

round, the lamp also was not bright.

At that time, those human beings who

made reverential offerings to the

shrine, did not ascend the shrine;

they threw their offerings up to

the sky.

The ogre named Abhisammata, posted

by the divine beings, specially mounted

either the flag or flower wreath fur-

ther up.

The donors did not see that ogre;

they, however, saw their flower-

wreath going up; those who went

away after seeing their offerings

in this manner, all went to the

excellent existence (sugati).

Those human beings who were hostile

(viruddha) to the teachings of Buddha

(pāvacana) and those human beings (who)

were piously pleased with the dis-

pensation (sāsana), who were desirous

of seeing the miracle (pāṭihīraṃ) made

their reverential offerings to the

shrine. In the city of Haṃsavatī,

I was then a wage earner; having seen

the multitude bemused (āmoditaṃ) I

thought over in this manner, then.

This (eso) Blessed One to whom there

is such a relic residence (dhātughara)

as this (īdisa) cannot but be excellent

(na uḷāro); this multitude of men are

jouful also; they are not satiated

with their doing acts of worship

(kārṃ kubbaṃ na tappare). I also

shall perform my act of worship (kāraṃ)

to such a sage as the protector of

the world. In time to come I shall

become an heir to His teachings of

truth (dhammesu).

I had my upper garment (uttareyyaṃ

pataṃ) well-washed and dyed (sudhotaṃ

rajakena), had it hung (ālaggatvā)

at a bamboo top (veḷagge), I hoisted

(to flew) a flag in the sky, Abhisam-

mataka took hold of my flag and carried

it in the sky. On having seen my flag

shaken by breeze I roused my joy much

more.

Having made my mind piously pleased

over that act, I approached a monk;

having paid my homage to that monk, I

asked him about the result (vipāka) of

that flag (offering).

He spoke to me gladdening words (ānandī)

arousing my zest (pītisañjananaṃ); ‘you

will enjoy, at all times, the good result

of that flag’.

A fourfold (caturaṅginī) army (comprising)

elephants, horses, chariots and foot

soldiers will be your retinue (parivāressanti)

always; this is the fruit of flag-offering.

Sixty thousand musicians and well decorated

drums will surround you always; this is

the fruitful result of your flag offering.

Eighty six thousand well-adorned ladies,

wearing variegated clothes and ornaments,

adorned with emerald ear-rings, with

thick eye-lashes (aḷārapamhā) with

‘smiling speech’ (hasulā), having

good understanding (susañña), with

tender waist (tanumajjhimā), will

always surround you; this is the

fruitful result of your flag offering.

For thirty thousand aeons (kappa)