1. Kassapa Buddha.-Also called Kassapa Dasabala to distinguish him from other Kassapas.
The twenty-fourth Buddha, the third of the present neon (the Bhaddakappa) and one of the seven Buddhas mentioned in the Canon (D.ii.7).
He was born in Benares, in the Deer Park at Isipatana,
of brahmin parents, Brahmadatta and Dhanavatí, belonging to the Kassapagotta.
For two thousand years he lived in the household, in three different palaces, Hamsa, Yasa and Sirinanda. (The BuA.217 calls the first two palaces Hamsavá and Yasavá).
He had as chief wife Sunandá, by whom he begot a son, Vijitasena.
Kassapa left the world, traveling in his palace (pásáda), and practiced austerities for only seven days.
Just before his Enlightenment his wife gave him a meal of milk-rice, and a yavapála named Soma gave him grass for his seat.
His bodhi was a banyan-tree, and
he preached his first sermon at Isipatana to a crore of monks who had renounced the world in his company.
He performed the Twin-Miracle at the foot of an asana-tree outside Sundaranagara.
He held only one assembly of his disciples; among his most famous conversions was that of a yakkha, Naradeva (q.v.).
His chief disciples were Tissa and Bháradvája among monks, and Anulá and Uruvelá among nuns, his constant attendant being Sabbamitta.
Among his patrons, the most eminent were Sumangala and Ghattíkára, Vijitasená and Bhaddá.
His body was twenty cubits high, and,
after having lived for twenty thousand years, he died in the Setavya pleasance at Setavyá in Kásí.
Over his relics was raised a thúpa one league in height, each brick of which was worth one crore.
It is said (MA.i.336ff ) that there was a great difference of opinion as to what should be the size of the thúpa and of what material it should be constructed; when these points were finally settled and the work of building had started, the citizens found they had not enough money to complete it. Then an anágámí devotee, named Sorata, went all over Jambudípa, enlisting the help of the people for the building of the thúpa. He sent the money as he received it, and on hearing that the work was completed, he set out to go and worship the thúpa; but he was seized by robbers and killed in the forest, which later came to be known as the Andhavana.
Upavána, in a previous birth, became the guardian deity of the cetiya, hence his great majesty in his last life (DA.ii.580; for another story of the building of the shrine see DhA.iii.29).
Among the thirty-seven goddesses noticed by Guttila, when he visited heaven, was one who had offered a scented five-spray at the cetiya (J.ii.256). So did Aláta offer áneja-flowers and obtain a happy rebirth (J.vi.227).
The cause of Mahá-Kaccána's golden complexion was his gift of a golden brick to the building of Kassapa's shrine (AA.i.116).
At the same cetiya, Anuruddha, who was then a householder in Benares, offered butter and molasses in bowls of brass, which were placed without any interval around the cetiya (AA.i.105).
Among those who attained arahantship under Kassapa is mentioned Gavesí, who, with his five hundred followers, strove always to excel themselves until they attained their goal (A.iii.214ff).
Mahákappina, then a clansman, built, for Kassapa's monks, a parivena with one thousand cells (AA.i.175).
Bakkula's admirable health and great longevity were due to the fact that he had given the first fruits of his harvest to Kassapa's monks (MA.iii.932).
During the time of Kassapa Buddha, the Bodhisatta was a brahmin youth named Jotipála who, afterwards, coming under the influence of Ghatíkára, became a monk. (Bu.xxv.; BuA.217ff; D.ii.7; J.i.43, 94; D.iii.196; Mtu.i.303ff, 319). This Ghatíkára was later born in the Brahma-world and visited Gotama, after his Enlightenment. Gotama then reminded him of this past friendship, which Ghatíkára seemed too modest to mention (S.i.34f).
The Majjhima Nikáya (M.ii.45f ) gives details of the earnestness with which Ghatíkára worked for Jotipála's conversion when Kassapa was living at Vehalinga. The same sutta bears evidence of the great regard Kassapa had for Ghatíkára.
The king of Benares at the time of Kassapa was Kikí, and the four gateways of Kassapa's cetiya were built, one by Kikí, one by his son Pathavindhara, one by his ministers led by his general, and the last by his subjects with the treasurer at their head (SnA.i.194).
It is said that the Buddha's chief disciple, Tissa, was born on the same day as Kassapa and that they were friends from birth. Tissa left the world earlier and became an ascetic. When he visited the Buddha after his Enlightenment, he was greatly grieved to learn that the Buddha ate meat (ámagandha), and the Buddha preached to him the Ámagandha Sutta, by which he was converted (SnA.i.280ff).
The Ceylon Chronicles (Mhv.xv.128ff; Sp.i.87; Dpv.xv.55ff; Mbv.129) mention a visit paid by Kassapa to Ceylon in order to stop a war between King Jayanta and his younger brother. The island was then known as Mandadípa, with Visála as capital. The Buddha came with twenty thousand disciples and stood on Subhakúta, and the armies seeing him stopped the fight. In gratitude, Jayanta presented to the Buddha the Maháságara garden, in which was afterwards planted a branch of the Bodhi-tree brought over by Sudhammá, in accordance with the Buddha's wish. The Buddha preached at the Asokamálaka, the Sudassanamálaka and the Somanassamálaka, and gave his rain-cloak as a relic to the new converts, for whose spiritual guidance he left behind his disciples Sabbananda and Sudhammá and their followers. In Kassapa's time Mt. Vepulla at Rájagaha was known as Supassa and its inhabitants as the Suppiyas (S.ii.192).
But many other places had the same names in the time of Kassapa as they had in the present age - e.g., Videha (J.vi.122), Sávatthi (J.vi.123), Kimbila (J.vi.121) and Báránasí. (J.vi.120).
Besides the Ámagandha Sutta mentioned above, various other teachings are mentioned as having been first promulgated by Kassapa and handed on down to the time of Gotama and re-taught by him. Such, for instance, are the questions (pucchá) of Álavaka and Sabhiya and the stanzas taught to Sutasoma by the brahmin Nanda of Takkasilá (J.v.476f; 453). The Mittavinda Játaka (No.104) is mentioned as belonging to the days of Kassapa Buddha (J.i.413).
Mention is also made of doctrines which had been taught by Kassapa but forgotten later, and Gotama is asked by those who had heard faint echoes of them to revive them (E.g., MA, i.107, 528; AA.i.423). A sermon attributed to Kassapa, when he once visited Benares with twenty thousand monks, is included in the story of Pandita-Sámanera (DhA.ii.127ff). It was on this occasion that Kassapa accepted alms from the beggar Maháduggata in preference to those offered by the king and the nobles.
Kassapa held the uposatha only once in six months (DhA.iii.236).
Between the times of Kassapa and Gotama the surface of the earth grew enough to cover Súkarakata-lena (MA.ii.677).
The records of Chinese pilgrims contain numerous references to places connected with Kassapa. Hiouien Thsang speaks of a stúpa containing the relics of the whole body of the Buddha, to the north of the town, near Srávasti, where, according to him, Kassapa was born (Beal, op. cit., ii.13). Mention is also made of a footprint of Kassapa (Ibid.i., Introd. ciii). Stories of Kassapa are also found in the Divyávadána (E.g., pp.22f; 344f; 346f; see also Mtu., e.g., i.59, 303f).
The Dhammapada Commentary (iii.250f ) contains a story, which seems to indicate that, near the village of Todeyya, there was a shrine thought to be that of Kassapa and held in high honour by the inhabitants of the village. After the disappearance of Kassapa's Sásana, a class of monks called Setavattha-samanavamsa ("white-robed recluses") tried to resuscitate it, but without success (VibhA.432).
2. Kassapa Thera.-The son of an Udicca-brahmin of Sávatthi, who died when Kassapa was still young. Having heard the Buddha preach at Jetavana, he entered the First Fruit of the Path and, with his mother's leave, became a monk. Some time later, wishing to accompany the Buddha on a tour after the rains, he went to bid his mother farewell, and her admonition to him on that occasion helped him to win insight and become an arahant (Thag.v.82).
In the time of Padumuttara Buddha he had been a brahmin versed in the Vedas. One day, seeing the Buddha and wishing to pay homage, he cast a handful of sumana-flowers into the air over the Buddha's head, and the flowers formed a canopy in the sky. In later births he was twenty-five times king, under the name of Cinnamála (v.l. Cittamála). (ThagA.i.177f ).
He is probably identical with Sereyyaka Thera of the Apadána.
3. Kassapa.-A devaputta. He visited the Buddha late one night at Jetavana and uttered several stanzas, admonishing monks to train themselves in their tasks, laying particular stress on the cultivation of Jhána (S.i.46).
Buddhaghosa says (SA.i.82) that Kassapa had heard the Buddha preach the Abhidhamma in Távatimsa. Having heard only a portion of the doctrine and not being sure of the admonition given by the Buddha to the monks regarding the practice of Jhána-vibhanga, Kassapa thought he could supply the omission. The Buddha, knowing his capabilities, allowed him to give his views, and expressed his approval at the end of Kassapa's speech.
4. Kassapa.-A sage (isi); one of the famous sages of yore, of whom ten are several times mentioned in the books (E.g., D.i.104, 238; M.ii.169, 200; A.iii.224; iv.61; J.vi.99) as having been brahmin sages, who composed and promulgated the mantras and whose compositions are chanted and repeated and rehearsed by the brahmins of the present day. For details see Atthaka.
5. Kassapa (called Kassapa-mánava).-The Bodhisatta in the time of Piyadassí Buddha. He was a brahmin versed in the Vedas, and having heard the Buddha preach, built a monastery costing one thousand crores. J.i.38; Bu.xiv.9f; BuA.176.
6. Kassapa.-Another name for Akitti (q.v.). J.iv.240, 241; see also Játakamálá vii.13.
7. Kassapa.-A brahmin ascetic, the Bodhisatta, father of Nárada, whose story is given in the Cúla-Nárada Játaka (q.v.). J.iv.221f.
8. Kassapa.-A brahmin ascetic, father of the Bodhisatta in the story of the Kassapamandiya Játaka. J.iii.38.
9. Kassapa.-A great sage, the Bodhisatta, father of Isisinga (J.v.157, 159). The scholiast explains that Kassapa was the gotta or family name.
10. Kassapa.-An ascetic, also called Nárada, who lived in a hermitage near Mt. Kosika in Himavá. He saw the Buddha Padumuttara in the forest, invited him into the hermitage, provided a seat and asked for words of advice. He was a former birth of Ekásanadáyaka Thera. Ap.ii.381.
11. Kassapa.-A setthi, probably of Rájagaha, who built the Kassapakáráma, named after him. SA.ii.230.
12. Kassapa.-Son of Dhátusena by a morganatic marriage. He slew his father and became king of Ceylon as Kassapa I. (478-96 A.C.). Fearing the revenge of his brother Moggallána, he erected the fortress at Síhagiri and dwelt there. Later, repenting of his patricide, he did many meritorious deeds by way of amends (for details see Cv.xxxix.8ff), chief of which was the restoration of the Issarasamanáráma, to which he added buildings named after his daughters, Bodhí and Uppalavanná. In a fight with his brother's forces his army fled in disorder, and Kassapa cut his throat with a dagger. Cv.xxxviii.80ff.; xxxix.1ff.
13. Kassapa.-Son of Upatissa III. of Ceylon. He had sixteen companions as brave as himself and, with their help, several times repulsed the attacks of Silákála, when the latter revolted against the king. He became known as Girikassapa on account of his prowess. In the last campaign Silákála was victorious, and Kassapa, with his parents and his loyal followers, fled to Merukandara, but they lost their way and were surrounded by Silákála. When the royal elephant fell Kassapa cut his own throat. Cv.xli.8-25.
14. Kassapa.-Younger brother of Aggabodhi III.; he was made viceroy when Mána was killed (Cv.xliv.123f). When Aggabodhi had recovered the kingdom from the usurper Dáthopatissa, which he did only after various reverses in his fortunes, Kassapa abused his influence and plundered various sacred edifices to provide for his army (Cv.xliv.137f). On Aggabodhi's death in exile in Rohana, Kassapa defeated Dáthopatissa, who claimed the throne, and became king in his place (Kassapa II. 641-50). He did not, however, wear a crown, the regalia having probably been stolen. As king he repented of his former misdeeds and did various acts of merit (Cv.xliv.147ff; xlv.1ff). He paid special honour to Mahádhammakathí Thera of Nágasálá and to the Thera of Katandhakára.
His children all being young at the time of his death, he entrusted the government to his sister's son, Mána (Cv.xlv.8). According to the chronicles, Mánavamma was the son of Kassapa (Cv.xlvii.2). He also had a son named Mana (Cv.lvii.4).
15. Kassapa (Kassapa III., 717-24 A.C.).-A younger brother of Aggabodhi V. (?); Kassapa's younger brother was Mahinda I (Cv.xlviii.20-26) and his son Aggabodhi (Cv.xlviii.32).
16. Kassapa.-One of the three younger brothers of Sena I., the others being Mahinda and Udaya (Cv.l.6). Kassapa was appointed Ádipáda and fought valiantly against the forces of the Pandu king, who was then invading Ceylon, but, finding his efforts of no avail, he fled to Kondiváta (Cv.vv.25ff). He was later killed at Pulatthipura by the orders of the Pandu king (Cv.vv.46). He had four sons, the eldest of whom was named Sena (Cv.vv.47).
17. Kassapa.-Son of Kittaggabodhi, ruler of Rohana. When his eldest brother was murdered by his paternal aunt, Kassapa fled to the court of King Sena I., but, later, with Sena's help, he won his father's inheritance (Cv.l.54ff). He was probably killed by the Adipáda Kittaggabodhi. Cv.li.96; and Cv.Trs.i.157, n.2.
18. Kassapa.-Younger brother of Sena II. and Udaya II. He was Mahádipáda or Yuvarája under Udaya (Cv.li.91), and later became king as Kassapa IV. (896-913 A.C.) (Cv.lii.1ff). His daughter Sena married Kassapa V. (Cv.li.93)
19. Kassapa.-Son of Sena II. The king gave him a special share of his own revenues and a share of the extraordinary revenues of the island (Cv.li.18, 20). Two wives of his are mentioned: Sanghá and Sená (Cv.li.18, 92). He became Yuvarája under Kassapa IV. and ruled over Dakkhinadesa (Cv.lii.1), and, at the death of the king, he became ruler of Ceylon as Kassapa V. (probably 913-23 A.C.) (Cv.lii.37ff). He is sometimes referred to as the son of the twice-consecrated queen (dvayábhisekajáta), his mother being Sanghá, daughter of Kittaggabodhi (1) and Devá. In inscriptions Kassapa is referred to as Abhaya-Silámegha-vanna (Cv.Trs.i.165, n.3). He was evidently a learned man, and a Sinhalese Commentary to the Dhammapadatthakathá is attributed to him (Edited by D. B. Jayatilaka, Colombo 1933). He had one wife, Vajirá (Cv.lii.62), a second, Devá (Cv.lii.64), and a third, Rájiní (Cv.lii.67). He had a son, Siddhattha, who died young, and another, who was given the title of Sakkasenápati. The latter led an expedition to help the Pandu king against the King of Cola, but he died of plague in Cola (Cv.lii.72-8).
20. Kassapa.-Son of Sena V. (Cv.liv.69)
21. Kassapa.-Son of Mahinda V. (Cv.lv.10). When Mahinda was captured and taken away by the Colas, the people took charge of the young Kassapa and brought him up. When the boy was twelve years old the Cola king sent an army over to Ceylon to seize him; but this plan was frustrated by the official Kitti, of Makkhakudrúsa, and the minister Buddha, of Máragallaka (Cv.lv.24-9). Kassapa ascended the throne as Vikkamabáhu, but refused to be crowned until he should have conquered the Damilas in his kingdom. While preparations were afoot towards this end, he died of a vátaroga. He reigned twelve years (1029-1041 A.C.). (Cv.lvi.1-6; Cv.Trs.i.190, n.3). He is perhaps to be identified with the prince Kassapa who married Lokitá, cousin of Mahinda V., and by whom he had two sons, Moggallána and Loka. Cv.lvii.28f; Cv.Trs.i.195, n.3.
22. Kassapa.-Chief of the Kesadhátus (q.v.). For some time he carried on the government at Rohana, where he defeated the Damilas. He refused to own allegiance to Kitti (afterwards Vijayabáhu I.), and after six months of rule in Khadirangani, full of resentment that his services against the Damilas had not been recognised, he marched against Kitti and was slain in a battle near Kájaragáma. Cv.lvii.65-75.
23. Kassapa.-A prince of Jambudípa who, during the reign of Parakkamabáhu I. of Ceylon, sent costly gifts to the king of Rámańńa; the Rámańńa king forbade the envoys to land and insulted them. This is mentioned as one of the acts which led Parakkamabáhu to send an expedition against Rámańńa. Cv.lxxvi.28f
24. Kassapa Thera.-According to the Gandhavamsa (p.61) he was the author of the Anágatavamsa and also of the Mohavicchedaní, the Vimaticchedaní and the Buddhavamsa. This Buddhavamsa is evidently not the canonical work of the same name. The Sásanavamsadípa (Verse 1204, see also 1221) says that a Kassapa, an inhabitant of Cola, was the author of a Vimativinodaní. The Sásanavamsa (p.33; see also P.L.C.160) calls this a Vinayatíká and the author an inhabitant of the Damila country. The Mohavicchedaní is there described as a lakkhanagandha (a treatise on grammar?) and is ascribed to another Kassapa.
25. Kassapa.-A Kassapa Thera is mentioned in the Sásanavamsa (p.50) as having been among those responsible for the establishment of the religion in Yonakarattha. He was an inhabitant of Majjhimadesa.
26. Kassapa.-The Sásanavamsa (p.71) mentions a Kassapa Thera of Arimaddana, in the time of King Narapati. While on tour he reached a country called Pollanka, where the people grew very fond of him and where he became known as Pollanka Thera. Some time later he was crossing to Ceylon and the vessel in which he was refused to move. Lots were drawn, as it was necessary to discover who aboard the vessel was the sinner. The lot fell repeatedly on Kassapa, because, in a former life, he had harassed a dog in the water. He was accordingly thrown overboard, but was rescued by Sakka, in the form of a crocodile. The thera reached Yakkhadípa (q.v.) and there, as a result of practising compassion, the blind yakkhas gained their sight. Kassapa went later to Síhaladípa, whence he returned home with relics and seeds of the Bodhi-tree and models of the Mahácetiya and Lohapásáda.
27. Kassapa.-The name is sometimes used as a shortened form of Kassapagotta (q.v.). (E.g., J.vi.224, 225, etc., in reference to the Ájívaka Guna). Nárada-tápasa is also once addressed as Kassapa (J.vi.58).
28. Kassapa.-See also Acela Kassapa, Uruvela Kassapa, Kumára°, Gayá°, Dasabala°, Nadí°, Nárada°, Púrana°, Mahá° and Lomasa°.
Kassapa was evidently a well-known gotta name (e.g., MA.i.584) and people born in a family bearing that name were often addressed as Kassapa - e.g., Uruvela-Kassapa (AA.i.165) and, again, Nágita Thera (D.i.151).