Cecily Zamora
Devadatta, also known as Devadutt, was a Buddhist monk and the cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Buddha. He was the son of King Suppabuddha and Queen Pamita, and his sister, Yasodhara, was married to Buddha. Devadatta is often portrayed as an evil figure in Buddhism, attempting to kill Buddha and usurp his position as the leader of the Sangha. He is also credited with causing a schism in the Sangha by persuading 500 Buddhist monks to follow him. Devadatta's attempts to kill Buddha included throwing a rock at him from a great height, releasing an intoxicated elephant named Nalagiri, and hiring assassins. Despite his enmity towards Buddha, Devadatta is believed to have been one of the 11 disciples whom Buddha termed Brahmans or saints.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Devadatta |
| Other Names | Devadutt |
| Relationship with Buddha | Cousin and brother-in-law |
| Parents | King Suppabuddha and Queen Pamita |
| Siblings | Ananda, Yasodhara |
| Enemies | Buddha, Siddhartha |
| Attempted Murders of Buddha | 3 |
| Karma | Bad |
| Greatest Desire | To lead the Sangha |
| Greatest Weakness | Jealousy |
| Greatest Admirer | King Ajatasattu |
| Greatest Enemy | Buddha |
| Greatest Regret | Not seeking forgiveness from Buddha before death |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Devadatta was the brother of Yasodhara, the wife of Buddha
Devadatta was the son of King Suppabuddha and his wife Pamita, who was an aunt of the Buddha. Devadatta's sister was Yasodhara, the wife of Buddha, making him the brother-in-law of Buddha. Devadatta was also Buddha's cousin, playmate, and rival while growing up.
Devadatta was a Buddhist monk and an important leader in the Sangha. He was a follower and ordained student of Buddha and is believed to have split the Sangha by persuading about 500 Buddhist monks who admired and followed him. Devadatta was quite jealous of Gautama Buddha and desired worldly fame. When he could not attain arhat, his anger and jealousy grew, and he began thinking he should be the leader of the Order of Monks.
Devadatta asked Buddha to make him the leader of the Sangha, but Buddha turned down this request. Devadatta then became the greatest personal enemy of Buddha. He approached Prince Ajatasattu, son of King Bimbisara, and encouraged him to kill his father, the king, while Devadatta killed Buddha. However, Ajatasattu failed to kill the Buddha and became a disciple of Buddha instead. Devadatta then tried to kill Buddha himself by throwing a rock at him from a great height, but this failed. He then tried to kill Buddha by letting an intoxicated elephant, Nalagiri, loose on Buddha, but this attempt also failed.
Devadatta is a complex figure who has been caricatured and narrowed down in the eagerness to paint him as a villain. He is often presented as the antagonist to establish Buddha's character and amplify his wisdom.
Iowa Drug Possession Laws: Understanding the Legal Definition
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Devadatta was a Buddhist monk
Devadatta was the son of King Suppabuddha and his wife Pamita, the aunt of the Buddha. His sister, Yasodhara, was married to the Buddha, making Devadatta the Buddha's brother-in-law. Devadatta entered the order of monks in the early part of the Buddha's ministry, along with Ananda and other Sakyan princes. Initially, he was a good monk, known for his grace and psychic powers. However, he was unable to attain any stage of sainthood, and his ill-will and jealousy towards the Buddha grew over time.
Driven by his ambition to overcome the Buddha, Devadatta proposed a set of strict ascetic rules for the sangha, including dwelling all their lives in the forest, living entirely on alms, and wearing only robes made of discarded rags. When the Buddha refused to make these rules compulsory, Devadatta caused a schism by initiating 500 of the Buddha's followers away from him and his teachings. He also approached Prince Ajātashatru, the heir to the throne of Magadha, and encouraged him to kill his father, King Bimbisāra, while Devadatta would assassinate the Buddha. Despite several attempts on the Buddha's life, including throwing a rock at him and releasing an intoxicated elephant, Devadatta failed to kill him.
Devadatta's actions and attempts to usurp the Buddha led to his downfall, as he became consumed by his desire for power and status. He is considered a complex figure in Buddhism, with some sources portraying him as a saint and others emphasizing his negative qualities.
The GOP: Constitutional Law Breakers?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![[(Jaya : An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata)] [By (author) Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik] published on (October, 2011)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/713raJnPZjL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Devadatta was the cousin of Buddha
Devadatta is often depicted as an evil figure in Buddhism, and he is known as the greatest enemy of Buddha. He became jealous of Buddha and desired worldly fame and gain. He believed that he should lead the Sangha instead of Buddha and asked Buddha to step down and let him take over. When Buddha refused, Devadatta's anger, ill-will, and jealousy grew, and he plotted to kill Buddha. Devadatta's first attempt to kill Buddha was by throwing a rock at him from a great height, but this failed. He then tried to kill Buddha by letting loose an intoxicated elephant, but this attempt also failed.
Devadatta then tried to cause a schism in the Buddhist community by proposing a set of strict rules for monks, including dwelling in the forest, living only on alms, and wearing only robes made of rags. Buddha refused to make these rules compulsory, and Devadatta successfully turned 500 monks to his side by claiming that his rules were a surer path to enlightenment. However, Buddha sent his disciples to teach the true meaning of Dharma to the wayward monks, and they returned to Buddha.
Despite his numerous attempts to seek revenge on Buddha, Devadatta ultimately succumbed to illness, which was believed to be a consequence of his evil karma. On his deathbed, he regretted his actions and wished to see Buddha, but he died before he could.
The First Physical Law: A Historical Discovery
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![The Girl Who Chose: A New Way Of Narrating The Ramayana [Paperback] [Jun 27, 2016] Devdutt Pattanaik](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71e3IcGWwML._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Devadatta tried to kill Buddha multiple times
Devadatta is depicted in traditional Buddhist teachings as the Buddha's evil cousin who tried multiple times to murder the Buddha and who later created a schism in the Sangha or monastic community. Devadatta was the son of King Suppabuddha and his wife Pamita, who was an aunt of the Buddha. Devadatta’s sister was Yasodhara, making him both a cousin and brother-in-law of the Buddha.
Devadatta tried to kill the Buddha three times. His first attempt was to hire a man to kill the Buddha. The plan was that the man be killed by two other men who would in turn be killed by four other men. Finally, the four men would be killed by eight other men. However, when the first man came close to the Buddha, he became frightened, put aside his weapons, and took refuge in the Buddha. Devadatta's second attempt was to kill the Buddha himself by throwing a rock at him from a great height while the Buddha walked on the slopes of a mountain. This failed, and as a consequence, he decided to have the elephant Nalagiri intoxicated and let loose on the Buddha while he was on alms-round. This attempt also failed as the Buddha radiated his loving-kindness (metta) towards the elephant, calming him.
After his failed attempts to kill the Buddha, Devadatta tried to foment schism in the Buddhist community. He gathered some allies among the monks and demanded that the Buddha make the following rules compulsory for monks: they should dwell all their lives in the forest, live entirely on alms obtained by begging, wear only robes made of discarded rags, dwell at the foot of a tree, and abstain completely from fish and flesh. The Buddha refused to make any of these rules compulsory. Devadatta then used these issues to gain supporters and followers.
How Congress Crafts Laws
You may want to see also
Devadatta was jealous of Buddha and wanted to lead the Sangha
Devadatta was the cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Siddhārtha, otherwise known as the Buddha. According to the Pāli Canon, Devadatta taught his sangha to adopt five tapas or austerities throughout their lives. These included dwelling in the forest, accepting no invitations to meals, and wearing only robes made of discarded rags.
Devadatta had been jealous of the Buddha since he was young. He resented constantly being in the Buddha's shadow and wanted to take over as the leader of the Sangha. Devadatta was a Buddhist monk and had developed psychic powers, which attracted many admirers. However, his powers and attention only served to increase his pride and ambition.
Devadatta's ego became inflated due to the abundant offerings he received, and he desired to make himself a Buddha and lead the Sangha. He approached the Buddha and asked him to step down and let him lead, but the Buddha refused. Devadatta then conspired with Prince Ajatasattu, who desired to become king, to kill the Buddha. They sent a man to assassinate him, but the plan failed as the assassin became a disciple of the Buddha. Devadatta then tried to kill the Buddha himself by throwing a rock at him, but this attempt also failed. Finally, he tried to kill the Buddha by releasing an intoxicated elephant, but the Buddha's love radiated towards the elephant, calming it.
Devadatta's actions led to him being declared a monk whose acts and words were disavowed by the Sangha. Devadatta then actively worked against the Buddha, encouraging Prince Ajatasattu to kill his father, King Bimbisāra, while he would kill the Buddha. However, this plan also failed, and Devadatta fell sick, realizing the wrongs he had committed. He tried to apologize to the Buddha, but it was too late, and he was sucked into purgatory for his evil deeds.
The Evolution of Law: A Historical Perspective
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Devadatta was the brother of Yasodhara, the wife of Buddha. Therefore, he was Buddha's brother-in-law.
Devadatta was a Buddhist monk and the cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Buddha. He is often regarded as an evil figure in Buddhism, who led a breakaway group in the religion's early days.
No, in his early days, Devadatta was a good monk known for his grace and psychic powers. However, he later became conceited with worldly gain and fame, and his jealousy towards Buddha grew.
