Two Incidents from Gautama’s Life

Summary

This article recounts two stories illustrating Gautama’s humility and devotion. In the first, Gautama fears that his lack of omniscience may prevent him from attaining liberation. Remembering that the gods once said anyone who spends a night on Mount Aṣṭāpada will be liberated, he asks Mahavira’s permission and flies there by supernatural powerfile:///home/oai/share/jain_journal_1987_04_520086_hr6_ocred.pdf#:~:text=Two%20Incidents%20from%20Gautama%E2%80%99s%20Life,by%20green%20bulbs%2C%20et%20cetera. Other ascetics, fasting rigorously, attempt to climb but doubt that the robust Gautama can ascend; he scales the mountain easily, worships the twenty‑four Jinas at Bharata’s shrine and delivers a sermon to assembled gods and vidyādharas. His effortless ascent inspires the other ascetics and demonstrates that spiritual readiness, not physical austerity, determines progress. In the second incident, Indrabhuti Gautama visits the lay devotee Ananda, who is near death and claims clairvoyant knowledge extending 500 yojanas. Gautama doubts that a householder can have such far‑reaching avadhi‑jñāna and asks him to do prāyaścitta (atonement). Ananda retorts that he is telling the truth and Gautama should apologise for doubting himfile:///home/oai/share/jain_journal_1987_04_520086_hr6_ocred.pdf#:~:text=%3A%20%E2%80%98Ananda%20Sravaka%20has%20taken,%E2%80%9D. Gautama consults Mahavira, who tells him to ask Ananda’s pardon; Gautama returns, performs the atonement and seeks forgivenessfile:///home/oai/share/jain_journal_1987_04_520086_hr6_ocred.pdf#:~:text=The%20Lord%20said%2C%20%E2%80%98%E2%80%9C%E2%80%9CGautama%20%21,%E2%80%9D. These narratives emphasise the values of humility, respect for both ascetics and lay followers, and the recognition that spiritual insight can arise in unexpected places.