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594
19. Six Buddhas
According to this account, six leaders who had declared themselves to be omniscient, - and this included Nigantha Nataputta - while wandering, reached the city of Srävasti. Their respective disciples carried the news to the king. The king invited them all to the palace. They did not have the courage to face the king. But since their disciples would not be dissuaded, all of them reached the palace. The king offered them cushions to sit upon. But they preferred to squat on the bare ground. The reason why they did like this was that in taking the seat offered by the king, they would let their body be polluted by the king's power. The king's interpretation of this behaviour was that none of the six leaders possessed "white religion" (sukla dhar ma). The king asked if they were all Buddhas, They were afraid that if they answered in the affirmative, the king would put them to test, and if they failed, they would be punished and thrown out. So all of them said that they were not Buddhas. On this, the king dismissed them at once. As they stepped out of the palace, their disciples were waiting for them with great inquisitiveness, The leaders said,
"'Indeed we are Buddhas. But the king did not know the qualification of a Buddha. So if our answer was in the affirmative, the king's mind would have been overcast with doubt. So we said that we were not Buddhas. For the rest, we are what we are. Our Buddhahood cannot be washed down".
Source: Samyukta Nikāya Atthakathā.
3.1.1
Comment
This is nothing more than a false, concocted account.
20. Mrgara Sreșthi
Mrgāra Sreşthi was a merchant at Srāvastī. He celebrated the marriage of his sons with one Visakhā, daughter of Dhananjay Sreşthi. On this occasion, on the sixth day of the celebration, he invited the nigantha monks
