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Buddha's Son Rahula?

Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:27 am
by Sarnath
Namaste

At the age of sixteen, Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become The Buddha, married his beautiful cousin of equal age, Princess Yasodhara. It is said they had a child, Rāhula the only son of Siddhartha Gautama.

It is said that after Siddharta became a Buddha, He went back to see His son Rahula. Upon which, Rahula asked for his inheritance from the Buddha who was of Royal stature. The Buddha took in Rahula as His disciple.

I would like to know more of Buddha in this practice specific to His relation to His wife and son, and whether any descendent of Rahula was born, or even perhaps lives today. In Hinduism, many see Buddha as Vishnu, and His son of the planet Rahu in human form. Tell me more of Rahula, did his ancestry end with becoming a bhikshu? Was he the Buddha's only son? Was he divine? Did he become a Master? Are there any living descendents of Siddhartha? What became of Rahula? What became of the wife of Buddha? Did the Buddha give a sacred thread to Rahula? Do Buddhists have an image of Rahula, is he given respects? Were the bones of Rahula kept, just as were the bones of Buddha and His teeth kept in great columns and samadhis?

In your service.

Re: Buddha's Son Rahula?

Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:48 am
by Bhikkhu Pesala
Rāhual became a novice at 7, and later an Arahant. His mother Yadodhāra, usually known as Rāhulamātā or the mother of Rāhula, became a bhikkhuṇī and an Arahant.

No special attention is given to either of them by Buddhists AFAIK, while other leading disciples like Mahākassapa, Moggallāna, Sāriputta, and Sīvali are especially revered.

There is no connection between Rāhu and Rāhula.

Re: Buddha's Son Rahula?

Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:18 am
by cooran
Hello Sarnath,

This might be of interest -scroll down:

The immediate family of the Buddha
http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/rdbud/rdbud-01.htm

With metta,
Chris

Re: Buddha's Son Rahula?

Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 4:48 am
by Sarnath
Namaste

Thank you both so much. I am not going to hide the truth, that I almost had to stop the temptation to cry when I learned from you that both the wife of the Buddha and His son became Arahants.

This word, Arahant, is so full of power and meaning. It is the Deathless One.

The link provided was very welcome, and I will print out the contents and read it many times from now on. From it I learned that the blessed and good Son, Rahula, passed away before the end hour of Buddha.

I wonder why, and how He left at such a time before the Buddha. But more to the point, I see what a good Son He was. Perhaps due to the nature of the Buddha and His followers of good foresight, they may have purposely given less renown to beloved Rahula, to avoid the possibility of Buddhism becoming ruled by an inheritancy of pontifs based on ancestry from the Prince and Buddha. While there must be wisdom in that, yet now the face of Rahula the Arahant almost haunts my heart, and I for one declare that I honor and cherish Rahula, the Arahant, the Son of the Buddha of the Solar Clan.

Rahula, You are very dear to the sons of all fathers, you are a true son. From seven years old, you made that crossing to the far shore. Was it because your Father had gone there, so you followed to that far shore?

In your service.

Re: Buddha's Son Rahula?

Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 3:30 am
by Gwi II
Sarnath wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:27 am Namaste

At the age of sixteen, Siddhartha Gautama, who would later become The Buddha, married his beautiful cousin of equal age, Princess Yasodhara. It is said they had a child, Rāhula the only son of Siddhartha Gautama.

It is said that after Siddharta became a Buddha, He went back to see His son Rahula. Upon which, Rahula asked for his inheritance from the Buddha who was of Royal stature. The Buddha took in Rahula as His disciple.

I would like to know more of Buddha in this practice specific to His relation to His wife and son, and whether any descendent of Rahula was born, or even perhaps lives today. In Hinduism, many see Buddha as Vishnu, and His son of the planet Rahu in human form. Tell me more of Rahula, did his ancestry end with becoming a bhikshu? Was he the Buddha's only son? Was he divine? Did he become a Master? Are there any living descendents of Siddhartha? What became of Rahula? What became of the wife of Buddha? Did the Buddha give a sacred thread to Rahula? Do Buddhists have an image of Rahula, is he given respects? Were the bones of Rahula kept, just as were the bones of Buddha and His teeth kept in great columns and samadhis?

In your service.
Naked ascetics also claim to be Buddhas.
Which Buddho is this? Could it be a naked ascetic?

Many ignorant people claim to be Buddhas,
but are not Buddhas. In fact, in buddhist sects
there are many fake Buddhas. So, it's no wonder
that many nonbuddhists claim to be buddhists.

Buddho = perfect human.
Of course brahmā is not human, obviously very different.

Buddhists do not worship God, but "perfect humans".

Mahābrahmā is a good being.


1. Rāhulo (name only, different from Rahu).
2. He was the first sāmaṇero in the world,
he attained Arahatship at the age of 20.
3. Rāhulo was the only (one) son of The Buddho.
4. Divine? He is an Arahant (see number 2).
5. The Sakko tribe (the tribe of The Buddho) still exist
in India and Sri Lanka. Emperor Asoko descended from "Sakko/Sakiyo (tribe of The Buddho)" and several kings
of Sri Lanka. Venerable Rāhulo was unmarried because he
renounced the world at the age of 7th. (Buddha's teachings
are more important than His tribe).
6. Venerable Rāhulo has passed into parinibbāno
(have attained the "deathless" [nibbāno can only be
attained by buddhists]).
7. The Buddha's wife (Prince Siddhattho) has also passed
into parinibbāno, have also left the world (her name in the
scriptures is "Bhaddā-kaccānā").
8. Did The Buddho give a sacred thread to Rāhulo Thero?
(This question so weird, I dunt get what u meant 🤔).
9. Venerable Rāhulo's tomb is in (heaven) Tāvatiṃsa (the age
of heavenly beings here is a maximum of 36 million human
years, one day and one night = 100 days in the human realm),
Venerable Rāhulo is parinibbāno in that heaven (his grave is not
on earth, it is in Tāvatiṃsā).
:anjali: