In ancient times, there was an Arhat named Venerable Upagupta, who lived in the NaDuoPoDuo Temple in the Urumuṇḍa Mountain of the Madhurā Kingdom.
At that time, not far from the temple, a tigress gave birth to several cubs. Because there was no food around, and fearing that the cubs would be hurt, the tigress did not dare to go out for food, and died of starvation.
Venerable Upagupta used the power of compassion to bring food to the little tiger.
At that time, there were 500 disciples around Venerable Upagupta, and none of them had attained Buddhahood. Because they didn't understand Master's behavior, they asked Venerable Upagupta: "Tigers often hurt living beings, why does Master give tigers food?!"
Venerable Upagupta replied, "I do this to free them."
Because Venerable Upagupta has great supernatural powers, he has seen that these little tigers have very short lifespans and will soon die.
Venerable Upagupta brought food to the little tigers, and then taught the little tigers: "All actions are impermanent, all dharmas are without self, and Nirvana is peaceful. You should have faith in what I say, and you should be disgusted with the animal way."
So these little tigers developed faith and respect for Venerable Upagupta, and they died immediately and were reborn in the human realm of Mothu. When they were seven years old, Venerable Upagupta came to teach them again, and persuaded them to become monks. They became arhats in just seven years of ordination, and they used their supernatural powers to pick all kinds of flowers, make offerings to Venerable Upagupta, and surround him.
The five hundred disciples of Venerable Upagupta had not yet attained Buddhahood, so they asked, "These disciples are very young, why have they obtained such supernatural powers and attained the status of Arhat?"
Venerable Upagupta told them, "They are the little tigers from before."
Hearing this news, the five hundred disciples were deeply ashamed, and Venerable Upagupta spoke Dharma again for them, leading them to get rid of their troubles, and finally they all attained the status of Arahants.
Venerable Bakkula:
King Ashoka of India unified all of India and established the Mauryan Dynasty. He believed in Buddhism and practiced benevolent government. One day, King Ashoka and Venerable Upagupta paid homage to pagodas in various places and made offerings. When King Ashoka came to Venerable Bakkula Pagoda, Venerable Upagupta told King Ashoka: "This is Venerable Bakkula Pagoda, and it should be offered." King Ashoka asked, "What extraordinary merit does this person have?" Venerable Upagupta said: " Venerable Bakkula is the most diligent and disease-free among the Buddha's disciples. He studied the Dharma quietly and diligently, and was content with few desires."
King Ashoka then donated a gold coin to Venerable Bakkula pagoda. However, the gold coin flew out of the pagoda and landed at the feet of King Ashoka. At this time, King Ashoka praised: "The virtue of this arahant being free of material desires is so remarkable that he did not even accept a single gold coin after Nirvana."
Venerable Bakkula, in the past ninety-one kalpas, after the Nirvana of Vipassi Buddha, he had kept the precept of not killing and given medicine to sick monks. For this reason, he was reincarnated among humans and heavens in ninety-one kalpas, and he never fell into hungry ghosts, animals, or hells, and he never suffered from illness.
When Shakyamuni Buddha lived, Venerable Bakkula was born into a Brahmin family in reincarnation. When he was young, his stepmother had bad intentions and planned to kill him. However, because the Venerable Bakkula has been diligently upholding the precept of not killing in the past lives, the merits and blessings are abundant, and all kinds of persecution cannot harm him. He won't die if boiled in a big pot, won't scorch if burned by fierce fire, won't drown if he falls into water, won't drown if swallowed by a fish, and won't be hurt by a knife. This blessing of immortality is all due to the merits of the Venerable's many kalpas of practice.
After Venerable Bakkula grew up, he became a follower with Buddha Shakyamuni and became an arahant in three days and nights. And because of the merits of his past medicines and offerings to the monks, he received the blessing of longevity, he entered Nirvana at the age of one hundred and sixty years old. He never had a fever, headache, or illness in his life. Since he became a monk and studied Dharma for 80 years, he often likes to be quiet, practice Dharma diligently, and restrain his six senses. His eyes do not see beauty, his ears do not like to hear the music of the world, his nose does not smell the fragrances of the world, his tongue does not covet the delicious tastes of the world, he does not distract his mind from rambling, his mind is always calm, and he is never distracted.
When Venerable Bakkula was sitting in the cross-legged position, he practiced quietly and diligently, not leaning against the wall due to physical fatigue. He is never arrogant in his heart, nor does he face women, or even speak with them. He keeps the precepts diligently like this, and has all the dignity. Although the Venerable Master has the ability to speak without hindrance and is good at expounding the essence of the Dharma, he does not speak to others at will. Amidst the eight winds—benefit, decline, disgrace, reputation, praise, ridicule, suffering, and pleasure, the Venerable practiced patience and did not move, and sat in cross-legged posture until Nirvana.
Allusions from: "The History of the Transmission of the Dharma Treasury"
Today's people are far away from the time when the sages were in the world. Today's people are willing to learn the Dharma bravely, but they are hard to sustain in the long run. The ancients said: "The plan of a year is in the spring, the plan of a day is in the morning, and the plan of a lifetime is diligence." No matter the Dharma in this world or out of this world, if you want to achieve your Buddhist studies, you must focus on diligence and overcome all difficulties. This is how to overcome obstacles.
"The Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teachings" says: "If you are diligent, there will be no difficulty. So you should be diligent." We should take the aspirations of the ancients as our aspirations, follow the ancient virtues, and make vows and practices: study and carry forward the Dharma with diligence, persevere in righteous thoughts, and manage Good physical behavior, language, and thinking, with all the dignity and no slack. In this way, practice the Six Paramitas extensively, diligently and never retreat; take the mind that does not arise and die as the root of cultivation, and achieve the principle of not arising from a single thought, so that things will be harmonious, and the goal of practice will be fulfilled.
Observe that form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are not me, and they are not where I am. After observing it as it is, there is nothing to take in any world. Take nothing, so attach to nothing. With nothing to attach, you can attain Nirvana by yourself. You will realise “My life is over. The Brahman act has been established. What has been done has been done. I know that I will not be born again (no longer reincarnated). “- "Saṃyukta Āgama"
What is knowledgeable? If you have heard of the Dharma that forms, feelings, emotions, behaviors, and consciousness are all things that lead to disgust, disenchantment, cessation, and tranquility, then you can say that you have extensive knowledge.
All forms should be observed in this way: no matter the past, no matter the future, no matter the present. Regardless of the inside. Regardless of the outside. No matter how thick. No matter how thin. No matter how good. No matter how ugly. No matter how far. No matter how close. All of this is impermanent. Looking at these impermanence correctly, the craving for form is eliminated. When the craving for form is released, the mind is liberated Seeing the impermanence of feelings, thoughts, actions, and consciousness in this way, the mind is liberated. - In the "Saṃyukta Āgama", Buddha Shakyamuni explained to Jie Bo Bhikkhu how to liberate the mind