54 Facts About Maudgalyayana

Maudgalyayana, known as Mahamaudgalyayana or by his birth name Kolita, was one of the Buddha's closest disciples.

In many early Buddhist canons, Maudgalyayana is instrumental in re-uniting the monastic community after Devadatta causes a schism.

Furthermore, Maudgalyayana is connected with accounts about the making of the first Buddha image.

Maudgalyayana dies at the age of eighty-four, killed through the efforts of a rival sect.

Maudgalyayana has traditionally been associated with meditation and sometimes Abhidharma texts, as well as the Dharmaguptaka school.

In some Chinese accounts, the clan name Maudgalyayana is explained as referring to a legume, which was eaten by an ancestor of the clan.

Maudgalyayana's mother is a female Brahmin called Mogallani, and his father is the village chief of the kshatriya caste.

Maudgalyayana falls ill though, and dies, causing the two disciples to look further.

Maudgalyayana then expresses the essence of the Buddha's teaching in these words:.

The answer given is that Sariputra and Maudgalyayana are like kings, who require a longer time to prepare for a journey than commoners.

Maudgalyayana says that both disciples aspired many lifetimes ago to become chief disciples under him.

Maudgalyayana then invited Buddha Anomadassi and the monastic community to have food at his house for seven days, during which he made his resolution to become a chief disciple for the first time.

Maudgalyayana and Sariputra are born on the same day, and die in the same period.

For example, when Sariputra falls ill, it is described that Maudgalyayana used his psychic powers to obtain medicine for Sariputra.

Sariputra is considered the wisest disciple of the Buddha, but Maudgalyayana is second to him in wisdom.

Several teachings in the Pali Canon are traditionally ascribed to Maudgalyayana, including several verses in the Theragatha and many sutras in the Samyutta Nikaya.

Maudgalyayana is seen as learned and wise in ethics, philosophy and meditation.

Maudgalyayana is compared with the master who trains the child up, in that he develops his students further along the path to enlightenment.

Maudgalyayana is given the responsibility to train Rahula, the Buddha's son.

Furthermore, Maudgalyayana plays a crucial role during the schism caused by the disciple Devadatta.

Maudgalyayana obtains information that Devadatta is enjoining Prince Ajatasattu for help, and the two form a dangerous combination.

Varying accounts in the Pali Canon show Maudgalyayana travelling to and speaking with pretas in order to explain to them their horrific conditions.

Maudgalyayana helps them understand their own suffering, so they can be released from it or come to terms with it.

Similarly, Maudgalyayana is depicted as conversing with devas and brahmas, and asking devas what deeds they did to be reborn in heaven.

Maudgalyayana is able to use his powers of mind-reading in order to give good and fitting advice to his students, so they can attain spiritual fruits quickly.

Maudgalyayana is described as using his psychic powers to discipline not only monks, but devas and other beings.

Maudgalyayana then shakes the building, to teach the monks to be more restrained.

The account of Maudgalyayana looking for his mother after her death is widespread.

In most versions of the story, Maudgalyayana uses his psychic powers to look for his deceased parents and see in what world they have been reborn.

The Buddha brings him to his mother, who is located in a hell realm, but Maudgalyayana cannot help her.

In some other Chinese accounts, Maudgalyayana finds his mother, reborn as a hungry ghost.

When Maudgalyayana tries to offer her food through an ancestral shrine, the food bursts into flames each time.

Maudgalyayana therefore asks the Buddha for advice, who recommends him to make merit to the Samgha and transfer it to his mother.

Several scholars have pointed out the similarities between the accounts of Maudgalyayana helping his mother and the account of Phra Malai, an influential legend in Thailand and Laos.

Maudgalyayana often teaches about the visits he has made to heaven and hell, the fruits of leading a moral life, and the dangers of leading an immoral life.

At that time, Maudgalyayana dwells alone in a forest hut.

Maudgalyayana is dutiful, and takes care of all the household duties.

Maudgalyayana's parents urge him to find a wife to help him, but he persistently refuses, insisting on doing the work himself.

Maudgalyayana's wife looks after his elderly parents, but after a short period becomes hostile to them.

Maudgalyayana complains to her husband, but he pays no attention to this.

Maudgalyayana's parents tell him to fend for himself and implore the imaginary thieves to leave their son.

The Buddha then says that because Maudgalyayana has contracted such karma in a previous life, so he could not avoid reaping the consequences.

Indologist Richard Gombrich raises the example of the murder to prove another point: he points out that Maudgalyayana is able to attain enlightenment, despite his heavy karma from a past life.

Gifford speculates that Maudgalyayana believes he is experiencing heavy karma from a past life.

In Buddhist history, Maudgalyayana has been honored for several reasons.

In some canons such as the Pali Tipitaka, Maudgalyayana is held up by the Buddha as an example which monks should follow.

In East Asia, Maudgalyayana is honored as a symbol of filial piety and psychic powers.

Maudgalyayana has had an important role in many Mahayana traditions.

Maudgalyayana's account helped greatly to improve this problem, and has therefore been raised as a textbook example of the adaptive qualities of Buddhism.

Apart from the Ghost Festival, Maudgalyayana has an important role in the celebration of Magha Puja in Sri Lanka.

Scholars have their doubts on whether Maudgalyayana was really the author of these works.

French scholar Andre Migot has proposed that in most text traditions Maudgalyayana was associated with meditation and psychic powers, as opposed to Sariputra's specialization in wisdom and Abhidharma.

Maudgalyayana was a very popular teacher, and his sermons with regard to afterlife destinations were very popular.

The Buddha then had an image painted on the gate of the Veluvala monastery to honor Maudgalyayana, depicting the Wheel of Becoming.