Following yesterday’s Rahula and Yaśodharā and Cause and Effect from volume 8 of Master Hsuan Hua’s commentary on the Lotus Sutra, I offer Master Hsuan Hua’s explanation of why Śākyamuni and Devadatta were linked together in lifetime after lifetime.

What’s the meaning of the name Devadatta? It means “heat of the heavens.” During his lifetime, Devadatta specialized in helping people by opposing them; his generosity would incite heated emotions in its recipients. That, in turn, would cause the “heat of the heavens.” This is an example of naming someone according to causes and conditions. With this cause and condition, his name was Heat of the Heavens. Why did Devadatta, in a backhanded way, come to aid Śākyamuni Buddha to accomplish Buddhahood? Another factor was also at play. I’ll talk about that first.

Long ago there was a wealthy elder named Sudatta who had an immense fortune, including specimens of the rare and precious seven treasures. His eldest son was called Sumati. When his wife died, Sudatta, though advanced in years, remarried and had another son named Suvyā. The elder became older and older, and he passed away when his younger son was only about eighteen or twenty. The two sons proceeded to divide their father’s riches. But Sumati, the elder brother, decided he didn’t want to give half the riches to his younger brother. So he came up with a scheme. What kind of scheme?

Sumati said to Suvyā, “Vulture Peak has many sources of entertainment. Let’s plan to go there someday.” Suvyā replied, “Yes, I’ve long been hoping to have a trip there. Let’s go there for a vacation, do some outdoor activities, or have a barbecue!” So the two brothers decided to go there together. When they got near the top of the mountain, Sumati pushed his younger brother off a cliff, so his younger brother fell into the creek at the base of the mountain, breaking his skull and other bones. Then Sumati smashed Suvyā body into pieces with rocks, murdering him. Sumati then returned home and took possession of all his father’s wealth.

Who was Sumati? Don’t think that Śākyamuni Buddha never did anything wrong. He, too, took someone’s life. Sumati was Śākyamuni Buddha in a former life. Who was Suvyā? He was Devadatta in a former life. Who was the father, Sudatta? He was King Ajātaśatru, son of Vaidehi. Ajātaśatru locked his father up in jail with seven sets of gates. In life after life, Śākyamuni Buddha was involved with these people in different relationships, so even after he became a Buddha, they continued to give him trouble.

[Chapter 12] doesn’t discuss these events, but does tell how Devadatta helped the Buddha attain Buddhahood. You could see this as a case of the suffering of being around those whom one hates. However, it would be more correct to call it the joy of being around those whom one hates. Why so? The more Devadatta opposed the Buddha, the more the Buddha liked it. So it’s not really a case of hatred. If they had truly hated one another, then they wouldn’t have been together life after life. Since there was no hatred between them, they met and helped each other life after life. Two people who hate one another would draw further and further apart; they wouldn’t be together. This indicates that the relationship between Devadatta and the Buddha was not a case of dislike.