During the time of Sakyamuni,
a rich and pious merchant named Sudatta lived
in Sravasti. While on a visit to Rajgir, he heard the Buddha's
sermon and decided to become the Lord's disciple. But he was
caught in a dilemma and asked the Lord whether he could become
a follower without forsaking worldly life. To his query, the
Buddha replied that it was enough that he followed his vocation
in a righteous manner.
Sudatta invited the Buddha to
Sravasti and began to look for a suitable place
to build a vihara. A beautiful park at the southern
edge of Sravasti attracted his attention. The park
belonged to Jeta, son of King Prasenjit of
Sravasti. Jeta demanded that Sudatta cover the
entire park with gold coins. Sudatta painstakingly
paved every inch of the land with gold. Then Jeta
said that since the trees were left uncovered they
belonged to him. But finally, he had a change of
heart and donated valuable wood to build the vihara.
The park came to be known as Jetavana Vihara in
recognition of Prince Jeta's donation to the sangh.
Buddha spent 25 years living in the monastery of Jetavana .
Many Vinaya rules, Jatakas and Sutras were first discussed at this place. The
Buddha is supposed to have astonished rival teachers by performing miracles at
Sravasti. It is said that it was in Sravasti that the Buddha transformed Angulimal from
a dacoit into a Buddhist monk. He also delivered many important sermons here.
King Ashoka erected two pillars 21 meters high on either side of the eastern
gateway of the Jetavana monastery. Sravasti was a flourishing center of learning
during the Gupta period. When the famed Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited
this site, he found several damaged stupas and ruins of monasteries and a palace |
