Esala Poya reminds us of an occasion where the truth reigned supreme. After the great renunciation or Mahabhinishkramana, Ascetic Siddhartha practiced self-mortification severely for six years in the jungle of Uruwela in his endeavor to attain the Buddhahood or to find the final liberation for all. During this period of extreme austerity the Five Ascetics or Paswaga Mahanun attended on him as companions to see that Ascetic Siddhartha is attaining the supreme enlightenment or the Buddhahood. Ascetic Siddhartha having understood that self-mortification is not a path for the total emancipation or realizing Nibbana, same as excessive gratification, decided to abandon it. Then the Five Ascetics lost confidence in him and left him. Bodhisattwa Siddhartha decided to stay on the middle path which helped him attain the complete enlightenment or the Buddhahood.
After attaining the Buddhahood, the Buddha chose his former companions, the Five Ascetics, to preach the first Dhamma discourse and set out for the Deer Park in Isipatana, near Benares, where the Five Ascetics were living at that time.
When the Five Ascetics saw the Buddha at a distance coming towards them, they made an agreement amongst themselves saying, “Friends, here comes the monk Gotama who has given up the struggle and gone back to a life of luxury and let us not pay homage to him nor go to greet him. But, as he is of noble birth, we will prepare a seat ready for him.” As the Buddha, the greatest personage of the whole universe drew near them, they found themselves unable to keep to their agreement. One went to greet him and receive the bowl, the second one took the robe and the third one prepared the seat for him. Another brought water to wash his feet while the other arranged a foot stool. But they all regarded him as their equal and addressed him Gotama and “my friend.” The Buddha sat on the prepared seat and spoke to them “Monks, do not address me by the name Gotama or as a friend. I have become the Perfect One, worthy of the greatest reverence and attained the full Enlightenment. Give ear, Monks, I shall instruct you and teach you the Doctrine. If you practice as instructed by me, you will in a short time, and in the present life, through your own direct knowledge, realize Nibbāna, the ultimate and the noblest goal of the life. “Even with this bold assurance, the Five Ascetics remained skeptical and retorted “Friend Gotama, even with stern austerities which you practiced before, you did not achieve it. Now that you have abandoned the austerity practices. How have you attained such an excellence, such a higher knowledge?”
The Buddha spoke to them “Monks, the Perfect One did not give up the struggle, did not abandon the true path, did not revert to luxury” and declared again that he had become the Perfect One who is worthy of great reverence, supremely accomplished and fully Enlightened. The Buddha urged them again to listen. The second time too, the Five Ascetics made the same retort.
With great compassion for the Five Ascetics, the Perfect One expressed the same thing for the third time. When the Five Ascetics continued in making the same argument, the Buddha spoke “Monks, ponder upon this. We had lived together for six years and you had waited upon me while I was practicing extreme austerities. Did I ever speak like this?”
The Five Ascetics replied “No, Reverend Sir, you never spoke like this.”
The Five Ascetics had to accept what the Buddha uttered with no hesitation at all, as they could not recollect of a single occasion, during the six year long stay with Ascetic Siddhartha, heuttered a thing which was not truth. The power of the truth was such that the Buddha’s that single utterance was absolutely sufficient to vanquish all doubtsofthe Five Ascetics.
Truth is something which he practiced as a Maha Bodhisattva or a Buddha aspirant for four incalculable and a 100,000 eons since the moment he received the first sure prediction or Niyatha Vivarana to become a Buddha. This single remarkable incident alone lucidly shows the magnanimity of the truthfulness and its superiority over all other things.
Thus, on this Esala Poya, let’s make a firm resolution to be truthful and honest in all our dealings, to practice what we say, to stand by our word. Even if the truth is not given the pride of place today, there will be a day for the truth to triumph.