Significance of Navam Poya

There are four significant events associated with Buddhism on Navam Poya, which falls on Friday, February 10. Budha appointed his two Chief Disciples Sariputta and Moggallana on a Navam Poya.

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By Udumbara Udugama

There are four significant events associated with Buddhism on Navam Poya, which falls on Friday, February 10. Budha appointed his two Chief Disciples Sariputta and Moggallana on a Navam Poya.

The first Sangha Sammelanaya, the first congregation of the Sangha of more than 1000 monks was held on a Navam Poya. The third was a discourse by the Buddha, the Ovadapratimokshaya Desanawa - advice and rules of discipline for monks for moral conduct and if they broke the rules the consequences they would have to face, were explained by Gautama Buddha. The fourth was the Ayusanskaraya - Buddha  decided on his parinibbhana which he said would be after three months.

The two chief disciples are said to have been born on the same day in two villages nearby, north of Rajagaha. Kolitha, also known as Mogallana being Moggali Bemini’s son and Upatissa who was also called Sariputta, Sari’s son, as his mother was Sari. They grew up together and became very close friends. As young men they went to Rajagaha to attend a festival and a play, Giragga Samajja that they watched made them contemplate on life and its impermanence. Renouncing the world, they became disciples of Sanjaya Belatthaputta, a well known religious teacher.

They lived with their teacher as wandering ascetics but dissatisfied with what they had learnt, they decided to leave their teacher and each go his own way in search for truth, promising the first to find it would inform the other. One day in Rajagaha, Saripputta saw a monk with a serene demeanour. He was Assaji Maha Arahant. Sariputta inquired about his teacher and Assaji replied that he was a son of the Sakyans and explained the essence of the Dhamma.

After listening to the Dhamma, Sariputta became a stream-winner. He went in search of his friend Moggallana and when they met, Moggallana felt that something special had happened to Sariputta for he looked calm and serene. Sariputta said he had “attained the Immortal.”

They decided to visit the Buddha and learn more about the Dhamma. When Buddha saw them approach, he realized that they would become the most capable disciples. Buddha knew that Sariputta had a sharp and analytical mind and he was appointed the Dhammasenadipati (General of the Dhamma). Moggallana had a very dark complexion, and his developed faculties were iddhi, psychic powers. He was appointed as Dhammapurohitha.

Once a merchant at Rajagaha, raised a sandalwood bowl on top of a pole and announced that any monk who could rise to the top and remove the bowl could have it. Moggallana and Pindola Bharadvaja went to Rajagaha. The merchant seeing them said “you both have psychic powers and if you take the bowl it is yours.” Pindola rose into the air and brought the bowl down.

The Buddha heard of this incident and made a rule for monks not to display their psychic powers unnecessarily. Yet, the Buddha realized that at times psychic powers could be used for a good purpose.

Once thieves attacked a house and abducted two children. The monk Pilindavaccha used his psychic powers to rescue the children. The other monks accused Pilindavaccha of breaking the rule. The Buddha said that he had done it out of compassion and was declared innocent. Moggallana too used his psychic powers but only to help people.

Sariputta and Moggallana died before the Buddha. When Sariputta realized that his end was near, he informed the Buddha and went to the village where he was born. His mother did not believe in the Dhamma and Sariputta wished to help her understand the Dhamma. He sent a monk ahead to inform his mother of his arrival. His mother was happy thinking that he had finally disrobed yet, when she saw him still as a monk, she locked herself up in her room and did not wish to meet her son. However, when Sariputta was dying, devas came to pay their respects and seeing these heavenly beings, the mother realized that her son was a virtuous and holy person. She then listened to the Dhamma as explained by Sariputta and became a stream-winner.

Addressing the other monks who had accompanied him, Sariputta asked for their forgiveness if he had offended them in any way during the last forty years. They said that there was nothing to forgive and a little while later Sariputta attained Nibbana. Two weeks later Moggallana died. 

Moggallana’s psychic powers were well known -he could see the destinies of those who had passed away and the naked ascetics generally reborn in the lower realms. As their popularity diminished, the naked ascetics decided to murder him and hired thugs for this purpose. Moggallana escaped on many occasions but they caught up with him. Beating him severely, they left him for dead. Barely able to walk, Moggallana dragged himself up to the Buddha to pay his last respects and died.

It is believed that Moggallana came about his death in this manner because he had murdered his parents in a previous life in his samsaric journey, at the instigation of his jealous wife.