The Tale of Maha-Kassapa

In this week’s FBA Podcast “The Tale of Maha-Kassapa” Amoghavajra asks us, what is it that gladdens your heart?

Taking us back 2,500 years to the Kingdom of Magadha in Northern India to the birth of a boy called Kassapa, Amoghavajra tells the story of how he grows up happily and as he gets older he becomes less and less worldly. Kassapa marries Bhadda who has equally renunciant tendancies. They both go forth together.

Kassapa meets the Buddha, becomes his disciple and gains Enlightenment. He is known as a superb meditator and was foremost among the bhikkus for practising austerities. According to Amoghavajra’s story, one of the teachings that the Buddha gave to Kassapa was to attend to whatever gladdens the heart.