Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Beautiful Dhamma story... http://www.indolink.com/kidz/upagupta.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Upagupta, the Fourth Buddhist Patriarch, and High priest of Acoka

L.A.Waddell, LL.D.

http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-JASB/waddell.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The legend and cult of Upagupta:
Sanskrit Buddhism in north India and Southeast Asia
John S. Strong

The Buddhist monk Upagupta, who preached and taught meditative practices in Northwest India over two thousand years ago, is venerated today by the laity in parts of Burma, Thailand, and laos as a proctective figure endowed with magical powers. The author demonstrates a remarkable continuity among traditions focused on Upagupta in ancient Sarvastivadin Sanskrit materials, key Pali texts, medieval Thai and Burmese texts, and rituals in Southeast Asia. In so doing he reflects the orientation of popular Sanskrit Hinayana Buddhism, which allows for new perspectives on such classic questions as the nature of enlightnment, the evil, the worship of the Buddha image, the veneration of saints, master-disciple relationships, the treatment of heterodoxy, and the relation of myth and ritual.

http://books.google.com/books?id=bKq7k2 ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Upakhut – saint and spirit

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandal ... nd-spirit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


This is the Upagupta gatha (chant in Pali, in Thai script) which is traditionally recited at the end of the rainy reason (Vassa):

ร่วมสวดพระคาถาบูชาพระอุปคุต เพื่อแคล้วคลาดจากภัยพิบัติทั้งปวง
สวดบูชาพระรัตนตรั...ย อะระหัง สัมมาฯ และตั้งนะโม 3 จบ ตามด้วยบทบูชานี้

พระอุปคุตโต จะ มหาเถโร สัมพุทเธนะ วิยากะโต
มารัญจะ มาระพะลัญจะ โส อิทานิ มะหาเถโร
นมัสสิตตะวา ปะติฏฐิโต อะหัง วันทามิ อิทาเนวะ
อุปคุตตัง จะ มหาเถรัง ยัง ยัง อุปัททะวัง ชาตัง
วิธัง เสติ อะเสสะโต มหาลาภัง ภะวันตุ เม ฯ

It seems in Burma they identify Upagutta with Moggaliputta Tissa, the head of the Third Council. However, P.A. Payutto mentions a monk called Indagutta who was appointed to construct buildings after the Third Council, and he thinks that his name simply got confused over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Upagutta" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This thread reminds me of my past visit to that beautiful Burmese Dhammikarama temple in Penang which has a side shrine to honor the Arahant Upagutta/Upagupta. I was told that the locals here believe it to be extremely efficacious in answering votive petitions and spiritually 'potent'...
See: this & this

Last night was the final day of the Vassa called Pavarana, and it was a full moon which fell on a Wednesday. In northern Thailand (and in Burma) there is a tradition connected to the cult of Upagutta: He is expected to come out on almsround (pindapata) just after midnight, so people and monks come out to give and receive offerings in the middle of the night! If somebody manages to offer something to the real Upagutta, they are expected to become very successful in whatever they are planning to do.

In Burma, the cult of Upagutta is strong and traditional. Many Burmese Buddhists accept Upagutta as an arahant and they venerate Him and Sivali. There are plenty of shrines and statues of Sivali and Upagutta in Burma.

Sivali was an Arahant at the time of Buddha. But Upagutta was a controversial person. Some (including Buddhist monks) believe that Upagutta actually did not exist and he may be a fictional character.

For me, I do not practice devotion to Upagutta and Sivali. I simply believe in Buddhism according to Tipitaka Scriptures.

Ricardo da Silva wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:13 am In Burma, the cult of Upagutta is strong and traditional. Many Burmese Buddhists accept Upagutta as an arahant and they venerate Him and Sivali. There are plenty of shrines and statues of Sivali and Upagutta in Burma.

Sivali was an Arahant at the time of Buddha. But Upagutta was a controversial person. Some (including Buddhist monks) believe that Upagutta actually did not exist and he may be a fictional character.

In Burma, is Sivali often depicted as holding a fan in one hand ?