Part 1 - The Bodhisatta’s Practice of Severe Austerities (Dukkaracariya)

The Bodhisatta’s Practice of Severe Austerities (Dukkaracariya) in Uruvelā for Six Years fter his departure from the Sect-leader Udaka, the Bodhisatta went about in the

Magadha country in search of Nibbāna and eventually arrived in the market town of Senā. Near Senā was Uruvelā forest. In the forest, the natural lay out of the land was delightful enough for noble and virtuous men. The forest itself was pleasant. The river Nerañjarā had an attractive landing place, free of mud and mire, with a sand beach like silvery sheets spread out, with pleasingly clean and clear currents full of sportive fish and tortoises, the river flowed continuously. There were also small villages where forest dwelling ascetics could easily receive alms-food. When the Bodhisatta saw all these features, he noted them carefully and then decided: “This is an ideal place for sons of good families seeking Nibbāna to undertake meditation.” Accordingly, he built a small dwelling place with available dry firewood and leaves and stayed in the forest of Uruvelā to engage in meditation.

The Manifestation of Three Similes to the Bodhisatta

Then there appeared in the mind of the Bodhisatta three similes. They are:

(1) In order to make fire, however hard a man rubs with a fire-kindling stick, a big piece of wet firewood (wet fig-tree wood) soaked in water, he cannot produce fire and will only become miserable. In the same way, in this world, the so-called recluses and brahmins, in whom the wet and slimy elements of sensual passion have not dried up and who do not stay away from sense objects either, will not realize the Path and Fruition but will only become miserable, however hard they work to rid themselves of defilements. This was the first simile that manifested to the Bodhisatta.

(In this simile, those, in whom the slimy elements of sensual passion have not dried up, are likened to the big piece of wet fig-tree wood. The act of keeping themselves in the water of sense objects is likened to the act of making in water of the big piece of wet fig-tree wood. The inability to secure the fire or the knowledge of the Path however hard they work without giving up sense objects is likened to the non-producing of fire but the producing of misery however hard the big piece of wet fig-tree wood soaked in water is rubbed. This simile signifies the asceticism called saputtabhariyā-pabbajjā of those wandering ascetics each of whom living a household life with a wife and children,)

(2) In order to make fire, however hard a man rubs with a kindling stick, a big piece of wet fig-tree wood kept on land away from water, he cannot still secure fire because of the wetness of the wood; instead he will only become miserable. In the same way, in this world, the so called recluses and brahmins in whom the slimy elements of sensual passion have not dried up will not realize the Path and Fruition but will only become miserable however hard they work, staying away from the water of sense objects physically as well as mentally. This was the second simile that manifested to the Bodhisatta.

(In this simile, those, in whom the slimy elements of sensual passion have not dried up, are likened to the big piece of wet fig-tree wood. The inability to secure the fire of the knowledge of the Path however hard they work, staying away from sense objects both physically and mentally, is likened to the nonproducing of fire but the producing of misery instead of fire because of the wetness of the wood, however hard the big piece of wet fig-tree wood kept on land away from water is rubbed. This simile signifies the asceticism called brāhmaṇadhammikā-pabbajjā of those brahmins who, having renounced their wives and children, devote themselves to the wrong practice, pāsanḍa.)

(3) In order to make fire, when a man rubs with a fire-kindling stick, a big piece of dry fig-tree wood kept on land away from water, he can secure fire easily as the wood has been kept on land away from water and is itself dry. In the same way, in this world, those who are called recluses and brahmins, in whom the wet and slimy elements of sensual passion have dried up and who have stayed away from sense objects physically as well as mentally, can realize the Path and Fruition when they practise the correct ascetic doctrine, whether with difficulty or with ease. This was the third simile that manifested to the Bodhisatta. (Comparisons should be made in the aforesaid manner. This smile signifies the asceticism of the Bodhisatta himself.)

The Group of Five came and waited upon The Bodhisatta

The group of five recluses, who had already taken up an ascetic-life even just after the birth of the Bodhisatta, was enquiring whether the Bodhisatta Prince had renounced the world and became a recluse or not. On hearing that the Bodhisatta had, they began to visit villages, market towns, etc., one after another, to look for the Bodhisattas and finally caught up with him in Uruvelā forest. Having strong hopes then, that “In no time he will become a Buddha! In no time he will become a Buddha!” they waited upon him who was engaged in the severest austerities (dukkaracariya) which would last for six years. They moved about him, fulfilling their duties, such as sweeping the place, fetching him hot and cold water and so on.

The Bodhisatta’s Practice of Dukkaracariya, Strenuous Exertions

The strenuous Exertion made up of fourfold determination, namely, (1) “Let only the skin be left!” (2) “Let only the sinews be left!” (3) “Let only the bones be left!” and (4) “Let the flesh and the blood be dried up!” is called Padhāna-viriya. The practices to be mentioned now are called work of Exertion (padhāna) as they are done with padhānavīriya. They are also called Dukkaracariyā as they are difficult for ordinary people to practise.

(a) Having repaired to the market town of Senā for alms-round, the Bodhisatta spent a large number of days practising meditation for the development of loving-kindness (mettā-bhāvanā). Then it occurred to him: “What benefit will accrue from depending on this coarse and rough food, swallowed in morsels? By eating such food to my heart’s content and developing loving-kindness, I will not achieve Omniscience which is my goal.” And so he gave up living on alms-food and sustained himself by eating big and small fruit, which fell in Uruvelā forest. Failing to achieve Omniscience even in this way, he thought to himself: “This food consisting of big and small fruit is still coarse. Searching for fruit is also a kind of impediment (palibodha).” Accordingly, he sustained himself only with the fruit which dropped from the tree he was using as a shelter.

(b) Then the Bodhisatta considered: “It would be good if I, grinding my teeth and clicking my tongue, were to suppress unwholesome consciousness associated with wrong thoughts, such as sensual ones, etc., with my wholesome consciousness associated with powerful right thoughts. It would be good if I were to eradicate it. It would be good if I were to remove it by means of the fire of energy.” So, grinding his teeth and clicking his tongue, he suppressed unwholesome consciousness with wholesome consciousness one. He did not let it arise but eradicated it. He removed it from his person by means of the fire of energy. Thereupon, sweat came out, trickling from his armpits. For example, it was like the trickling down of sweat from the armpits of a feeble man when a man of strength held him by the head or the shoulder and pressed him down. At that moment, the Bodhisatta’s effort was very vigorous. It was not slackened at all. His mindfulness was extremely distinct and steadfast; never did he lose his awareness. But his painful effort battered, as it were the whole of his body, which was heated all over and knew no relief. Although he was in such a miserable plight, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

(c) Then it occurred to the Bodhisatta: “It would be good if I were to develop appanākajhāna by restraint of out-breathing and in-breathing.” So, with unrelenting effort, he restrained exhalation and inhalation through his mouth and his nose so that the air could not go out or come in. Then, having no chance, the air accumulated and escaped through his ears, through his mouth and his nose. The sound produced by the wind escaping was forceful like that coming out from the bellows of a blacksmith. At that moment, the Bodhisatta’s effort was very vigorous. It was not slackened at all. His mindfulness was extremely distinct and steadfast. Never did he lose his awareness. But his painful effort battered, as it were the whole of his body, which was heated all over and knew no relief. Although he was in such a miserable plight, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

(d) Then it occurred to the Bodhisatta: “It would be good if I were to repeat developing appanāka-jhāna.” So with unrelenting effort, he restrained exhalation and inhalation through his mouth, his nose and his ears. Then having no chance to escape through his mouth, his nose and his ears, the wind rushed up to his head, battering and piercing it. For example, it was as if a man of strength was churning the head with a sharp and pointed drill. Even at that time, his energy was as vigorous as before, it was not slackened at all. His mindfulness also was still very distinct and steadfast. Never did he lose his awareness. But his painful effort battered, as it were the whole of his body, which was heated all over and knew no relief. Although he was in such a miserable plight, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

(e) Again, it occurred to the Bodhisatta: “It would be good if I were to repeat developing appanāka-jhāna.” So, with unrelenting effort, he kept on restraining exhalation and inhalation through his nose and his mouth and his ears. Thereupon, the violent wind battered his head and as a result, he suffered from very severe ricking headaches. For example, it was like a great suffering caused by a man of tremendous strength who fastened a leather string around the head and tightened it (Reader, imagine that a man of strength puts a large loop of strong leather string around your head and he twisted it with a stick to tighten it. His headaches were similar to this.) At that time, too, his energy was as vigorous as before, it was not slackened at all. His mindfulness was still very distinct and steadfast. Never did he lose his awareness. But his painful effort made the whole of his body battered, as it were, which was heated all over and knew no relief. Although he was in such a miserable plight, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

(f) Still again, it occurred to the Bodhisatta: “It will be good if I were to continue on developing appanāka-jhāna.” So, with unrelenting effort, he kept on restraining exhalation and inhalation through his nose, his mouth and his ears, as before. Thereupon, the air of great intensity injured his abdomen as if carving it up. For example, it was as if a skilful butcher (or his assistant) cut up the abdomen with a sharp butcher’s knife. At that time, too, his energy was as strong as before, it was not slackened at all. His mindfulness was very distinct and steadfast. Never did he lose his awareness. But his painful effort made the whole of his body battered, as it were, which was heated all over and knew no relief. Although he was in such a miserable plight, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

(g) Once more, it occurred to the Bodhisatta: “It would be good if I were still to go on developing appanāka-jhāna.” So, with unrelenting effort, he kept on restraining exhalation and inhalation through his mouth, his nose and his ears, as before. Thereupon, the whole of his body suffered from violent burning ḍāharoga, ‘burning disease’. For example, it was like severe burnt when a weak man was grilled on a big heap of fire by two strong men, each on one side, holding him by the right arm and the the left. At that time, the whole of the Bodhisatta’s body remained burning hot. At the same time, his energy was not slackened but remained as strong as before. His mindfulness was extremely distinct and steadfast. On account of the trauma of his strenuous Exertion (padhāna), he could not, however, get peace. Nevertheless, his willingness to pursue the struggle remained unflinching.

Note: Paragraph (a) is from the Jinālaṅkāra Tika; Paragraphs from (b) to (g) are from the Mahāsaccaka Sutta.

The Bodhisatta fainted and fell into A Sitting Position while Walking

Afflicted thus with a great heat all over his body, the Bodhisatta fainted and fell down into a sitting position while walking. (He did not fall down lying on his face in an unsightly manner. Being one endowed with great mindfulness, he just fell into a sitting posture while walking up and down.) When the Bodhisatta fell down in this manner, the devas who were present near the walk made three different comments:

(1) Some devas said: “Samana Gotama is dead.” (2) Others said: “Samana Gotama is not dead, he is dying.” (3) Still others said: “Samana Gotama is neither dead nor dying, he has become an arahat. Such is the posture in which an arahat stays.”

Out of these devas making their comments, those who said. "Samana Gotama is dead,” went to King Suddhodāna and told him thus: “Your son is dead.” When the King asked, “Is my son dead before or after attaining Buddhahood?” they replied: “Your son did not get the chance to become a Buddha. While striving, he fell down and died there on the walk.” “I do not believe your word at all! Without attaining Omniscience, death cannot occur to my son,” asserted the King emphatically.

The Bodhisatta took Less Food

When he recovered from his faint, the Bodhisatta thought thus: “It would be good if I were to practise without eating any food at all.” Thereupon, the devas said to him: “O Bodhisatta, Noble Samana! Do not cut off the food altogether. O Bodhisatta, Noble Samana! If you cut off the food altogether, we shall have to inject divine food through your pores. And with that food you will be sustained.” Then it occurred to the Bodhisatta thus: “If I decide not to take food at all, if these devas give me divine food through my pores, and if I live on that despite my claim to fast completely, my sustenance with divine food will go against myself and becomes self-contradictory.” So he said to the devas: “O Devas, do not inject divine food through my pores. I shall take food just enough to sustain myself.”

Henceforth, the Bodhisatta did not cut off the food altogether but took food just little by little. For one day’s meal, sometimes he took a handful of lentil soup, sometimes a handful of bean soup, sometimes a handful of grain soup and at other times a handful of pea soup.

By taking just a handful of bean soup, the physical frame of the Bodhisatta reached the stage of extremely exhaustion and emaciation.

Just because the Bodhisatta was taking very little food, his limbs, big and small, protruded at the joints of the bones and were thin and depressed at the places other than these joints, like the knots of the creepers named Āsītika and Kāḷa.

The hips of the Bodhisatta wrinkled all over like the big hoofs of a camel and the anus was depressed.

The back (or spine) of the Bodhisatta protruded with depressed intervals like a string of big beads.

The flesh between his ribs sank, causing unsightliness, inelegance and bad shape like the rafters of an old shed, house or a recluse dwelling.

His eye-balls were sunk into the eye-sockets like the bubbles of water in a large deep well.

The skin of his head wrinkled and withered like a little tender gourd plucked and dried up in the sun.

As the skin of his belly was stuck to spinal column, the spinal column was felt when the belly skin was touched, and his belly skin was felt when the spinal column was touched.

When sitting to answer the call of nature, his urine did not come out at all as there was not enough liquid food in his belly to turn into urine. As for the excrement, just one or two hardened balls of the size of a betel nut was discharged with difficulty. Sweat trickled profusely from his whole body. He fell on the spot with his face downwards.

When the Bodhisatta rubbed his body with his hand in order to give it some slight soothing effect, his body-hairs, which were rotten at the base because of getting no nourishment from the flesh and blood due to its scarcity, came off from his body and stuck to his hand.

The natural complexion of the Bodhisatta was bright yellow like the colour of siṅgīnikkha pure gold. But of those who saw him during his engagement in austerity, some said: “Samana Gotama is of dark complexion.” Others said: “Samana Gotama is not dark; his complexion is brown.” Still others said: “Samana Gotama is neither dark nor brown;he has grey skin like that of a cat-fish.”

(Readers of this Buddhavaṃsa may stop reading for a while and think. The Bodhisatta took up this practice of austerities, which ordinary people would find difficult to do, not for a short period of days and months. In fact, he did it for six long years. Despite his six years long struggle, it never occurred to him thus: “I have not attained Omniscience although I have practised thus with difficulty. Well, in view of this situation, I will go back to my golden palace, and being pampered by forty thousand palace ladies headed by my Queen Yasodharā. I will happily take care of my mother (meaning aunt Gotamī), father and eighty thousand relatives who are still alive.” or “Having enjoyed excellent food which is like that of devas, I will rather stay comfortably in a luxurious bed.” There had never been the slightest thought in him for an easy-going and self-indulging life. An ordinary man would not dare to think of practising this kind of austerities, much less, actually practising it. Therefore, it is called dukkaracariyā, (a practice which is difficult to undertake by ordinary people.)