THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA: CHAPTER XII – THE SEVEN WEEKS AFTER ENLIGHTENMENT
THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA: CHAPTER XII – THE SEVEN WEEKS AFTER ENLIGHTENMENT
In the first week after enlightenment the Gotama Buddha meditated on His new-found knowledge and enjoyed His new-found happiness.
In the second week He paid respect to the Tree that had given Him shade during His long struggle for enlightenment, by standing at attention and gazing motionless at it. The Tree is now known as the Bodhi Tree: The Tree of Knowledge. A sapling from this original tree is now in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest documented tree in the world.
In the third week, seeing that the Devas were still in doubt as to whether He had attained enlightenment, He created a golden bridge with His powers and meditated while walking up and down on it.
In the fourth week he created a jewelled chamber and meditated on the higher teachings (Abhidhamma). At this time His mind and body were so pure and perfect that an aura of six colours emanated from His person. They were blue, yellow, red, white, orange and a mixture of the five. Today the Buddhist flag is made up of these colours.
Each colour represents one noble quality of the Buddha as follows:
Blue – confidence
Yellow – holiness
Red – wisdom
White – purity
Orange – absence of desire
Mixed – all of these qualities
In the fifth week the beautiful daughters of Maara – Tanhaa, Rathi and Ragaa – tried to disturb His concentration by dancing.
In the sixth week He was meditating under the Mucalinda tree when there was a heavy rain. Mucalinda, the king of serpents, coiled round the body of the Buddha seven times and held his large hood over the Buddha’s head so that He would not get wet.
In the seventh week the Buddha was meditating under the Raajaayatana tree when two merchants by the name of Tapassu and Bhallika offered him rice cake. This was the Lord Buddha’s first meal after enlightenment. The two merchants took refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma, and became the first lay disciples of the Gotama Buddha.
