Maha Buddhavamsa鈥擳he Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes The Prince鈥檚 attainment of the First Anapana Jhana contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as the Performance of the Ploughing Ceremony. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Part 2 - The Prince鈥檚 attainment of the First 膧n膩p膩na Jh膩na
In the meanwhile, the Prince, on looking around and seeing no one, quickly rose and sat cross-legged quietly and calmly. He then practised 腻苍腻辫腻苍补 meditation, concentrating on the inhaling and exhaling breath, and thereby attained the first 谤奴辫补惫补肠补谤补 箩丑腻苍补. (In this matter, it should be understood that the Bodhisatta achieved the first 谤奴辫补惫补肠补谤补 箩丑腻苍补 within a short time as a result of the habitual practice of 腻苍腻辫腻苍补 meditation throughout many existences of successive aeons.)
The attendants, who left their charge, loitered around the food stalls enjoying themselves for quite a while. All the trees, with the exception of the rose-apple under which the Bodhisatta was sitting, cast their shade in a natural manner, in line with the movement of the sun. When past noon, the shades of the trees fell on the east. However, the shade of the rose-apple tree, under which the Prince was resting, did not move with the sun, even after noon-time, strangely remaining in a round shape as before.
The nursing attendants, eventually remembering: 鈥淥h, the son of our lord has been left behind alone鈥�, hurried back and on getting inside, after parting the curtains of the enclosure, saw with their own eyes and to their amazement the Prince sitting cross-legged in the place of glory; and saw also the miracle (辫腻峁璱丑腻谤颈测补) of the shade of the rose-apple tree remaining fixed in the same position and in the same round shape. They went speedily to the King and reported: 鈥淵our Majesty, your royal son is sitting quietly and calmly in a certain strange posture. And though the shadow of other trees moved with the changing position of the sun, the shade of the rose-apple tree, under which the prince reposed, remained unchanged even after noon-time, retaining its circular shape.鈥�
King Suddhod膩na quietly went and observed. On seeing with his own eyes the two strange miracles, he uttered: 鈥淥 Noble Son, this is the second time that I, your father, salute you,鈥� and made obeisance to his son lovingly and adoringly.