________________ Vaisali and Gautama Buddha 317 strenuous and diligent (appamatta), zealous and active (atapino) in archery. Ajatasattu Vedehiputto, the Magadhan king, can find no defect in them, nor can he discover any cause of action (against them)." It is very difficult to say how many times the Buddha visited Vaisali. But we know from the Buddhist texts that many of the important suttas were preached at Vesali. To name some of them, they are Mahali, Mahas hanada, Culasaccaka, Mahasaccaka, Tevijja, Vacchagotta, Sunakkhatta and Ratana. And it is in these suttas that we find many interesting accounts of the different sojourns of the Buddha. The Licchavis who wanted that the Buddha might be induced to stay in their city, built the Kutagarasala and offered it to him and the Samgha. Once the Licchavis heard that the Enlightened One had repaired to Capala-Caitya for spending a day and so they made a present of it to him and the Samgha. Similarly, the Saptamra-Caitya, the BahuputraCaitya, the Gautama-Caitya Kapinabya-Caitya and the Markata-hradatira-Caitya were made gifts to the Buddha and his church. The famous conrtezan Ambapali of Vaisali also made a gift of her extensive mangogrove to the congregation and similarly Balika made over Balikachhavi which is probably the same as the Balikarama of the Pali Buddhist books. Many important and far-reaching decisions affecting the Dhamma and Samgha of the Buddha were made at Vaisali. The Mahavagga informs us of an occasion when the Buddha saw some Bhikkhus of Vaigali with superfluous Civaras, "almost smothered up in robes', going along with their robes made up into roll on their heads, on their backs and on their waists. Then the Buddha testing the severest winter nights by means of personal experience, fixed the maximum number of robes to be used by the Bhikkhus, i. e., one doubled Sanghati, one single Uttarasanga and one single Antarvasaka. The Cullavagga speaks of another occasion when the Bnddha was staying in the Kutagara Vihara in the Mahavana. There the water was unfit for drinking purposes and hence the Buddha permitted the use of strainers and filters for the Bhikkhus. The Buddha also taught the Bhikkhus many matters connected with "pava kamma" of the Vibaras. He also taught them what sort of houses they were to build and live in. It is here again in Vaisali that one very important and momentous decision was taken which though on the one hand gave a right to the fair sex to get emancipation in the Dhamma of the Enlightened, on the other hand, signalled the coming of that notorious event in the history of a religion which sounds the death-knell of its organisation. Buddha
