URahula: unyana ka-Buddha
URahula wayekuphela kwentombi kaBuddha. Wazalwa kungekudala ngaphambi kokuba utata wakhe ahambe efuna ukukhanyiselwa. Ewe ukuzalwa kukaRahula kubonakala ngathi yenye yezinto ezenze ukuba iPrince Siddhartha izimisele ukuba ngumngqibi ojikelezayo.
UBuddha Ushiya uNyana wakhe
Ngokwentsomi yamaBuddha, iNkosana uSiddhartha wayesele eshukunyiswe ngokunzulu kukwazi ukuba angabalekela ukugula, ukwaluphala kunye nokufa. Kwaye wayeqala ukucinga ngokushiya ubomi bakhe obunamalungelo ayokufuna uxolo lwengqondo. Xa umfazi wakhe u-Yasodhara wazala unyana, iNkosana yambiza ngokukrakra inkwenkwe uRahula, oko kukuthi "ukudibanisa".
Kungekudala iNkosana uSiddhartha yashiya umfazi kunye nomntwana wayo ukuba abe nguBuddha. Eminye imimoya yale mihla ibize uBuddha ngokuthi "ngutata ofileyo". Kodwa umntwana uRahula wayengumzukulwana kaKumkani uSuddhodana wendlu kaShakya. Iya kujongwa kakuhle.
Xa uRahula wayeneminyaka elithoba, utata wakhe wabuyela kwidolophu yakowabo yaseKapilavastu. UYasodhara wathatha uRahula ukuba abone uyise, owayenguBuddha ngoku. Watshela uRahula ukuba acele uyise ilifa lakhe ukuze abe ngukumkani xa uSuddhodana esweleka.
Ke umntwana, njengoko abantwana befuna, wanamathela kuyise. UBuddha walandela, efuna ngokungapheliyo ilifa lakhe. Emva kwethutyana uBuddha wathobela ngokwenza ukuba inkwenkwe yonyulwe njenge-monk. Iya kuba lilifa ledharma.
URahula ufunda ukunyaniseka
UBuddha akazange abonise unyana wakhe ukukhetha, kwaye uRahula walandela imigaqo efanayo nezinye iimonki ezintsha kwaye wayehlala kwiimeko ezifanayo, ezazikude kakhulu ebomini bakhe kwibhotwe.
Kuye kwarekhodwa ukuba umonki osekhulile wayekhe walala ngexesha lesiphango, wanyanzelisa uRahula ukuba azimele kwindlu yangasese. Wavuswa lilizwi likayise, ebuza ukuba ngubani lowo?
Ndim, uRahula, yaphendula inkwenkwe. Ndiyabona, waphendula uBuddha, ukuba wemka. Nangona uBuddha wayezimisele ukungambonisi unyana wakhe amalungelo akhethekileyo, usenokuba weva ukuba uRahula wafunyanwa emvuleni kwaye wayokujonga inkwenkwe. Ukumfumana ekhuselekile, nokuba akonwabanga, uBuddha wamshiya apho.
URahula wayengumfana onoburharha othanda iziqhulo. Wayekhe wayilahlekisa ngabom indoda eyayize kubona uBuddha. Emva kokufunda ngale nto, uBuddha wagqiba ekubeni lixesha lokuba utata, okanye ubuncinci utitshala, ahlale phantsi noRahula. Okwenzekileyo emva koko kwabhalwa kwi Ambalatthika-rahulovada Sutta kwi Pali Paliitika.
URahula wamangaliswa kodwa wavuya xa uyise embiza. Wagcwalisa isitya ngamanzi wahlamba iinyawo zikayise. Ukugqiba kwakhe, uBuddha wakhomba kumanzi amancinci ashiyekileyo elalini.
"Rahula, uyabona la manzi mancinci aseleyo?"
"Ewe Mnumzana."
"Incinci kakhulu imonki engenazintloni zokuxoka."
Xa amanzi aseleyo alahlwayo, uBuddha wathi, "Rahula, uyabona ukuba la manzi mancinci alahlwa njani?"
"Ewe Mnumzana."
"URahula, nokuba yeyiphi na imonki kuye nabani na ongenazintloni zokuxoka uyayilahla ngoluhlobo."
I-Budha yajika i-ladle yajongisa ezantsi yaza yathi kuRahula: "Ngaba uyayibona indlela eli ileli elijikwe ngayo?"
"Ewe Mnumzana."
"URahula, nokuba yeyiphi na imonki kuye nabani na ongenazintloni zokuxoka ubheke nje phezulu."
Emva koko uBuddha wajika i-dipper ngasekunene. "URahula, uyabona ukuba le ladle ayinanto kwaye ayinanto?"
"Ewe Mnumzana."
"URahula, nokuba yeyiphi na imonki kuye nabani na ongenazintloni zokuxoka ngamabomu akananto kwaye akananto injalo."
UBuddha emva koko wafundisa uRahula ukuba acinge njani ngononophelo ngayo yonke into awayeyicinga, ayithethileyo kwaye acinge ngeziphumo kunye nendlela isenzo sakhe esasichaphazela ngayo yena nabanye. Ukohlwaywa, uRahula wafunda ukuzihlambulula. Wayesithi uzuze ukukhanya kwiminyaka eyi-18 ubudala.
Abantu abadala bakaRahula
Siyazi nje kancinci ngoRahula ebomini bakhe kamva. Kuthiwa ngemizamo yakhe umama wakhe, u-Yasodhara, ekugqibeleni waba ngunongendi kwaye wazuza ukukhanya. Abahlobo bakhe bambiza ngokuba nguRahula onethamsanqa. Uthe wayenenhlanhla kabini, ngokuzalwa ngunyana kaBuddha kunye nokuqonda ukukhanya.
Kwabhalwa ukuba wasweleka esemncinci, ngelixa utata wakhe wayesaphila. Umlawuli u-Ashoka Omkhulu kuthiwa wakha i-stupa kwimbeko ka-Rahula, enikezelwe kwiimonki zokuqala.