The Buddha’s Compassionate Outreach to Beings

Abstract

Abstract

         One of the significant undertakings in the dissemination of Buddhism by the Śākyamuni Buddha was His employment of the indriyaparopariyattiñāṇa (the knowledge of others’ spiritual faculties) and the āsayānusayañāṇa (the knowledge of latent tendencies), through which He discerned  the spiritual capacities and inclinations of individuals. When a person appeared within the scope of His enlightened knowledge, the Buddha would approach them with compassion, guiding them toward moral integrity through the observance of the Five Precepts, the Three Refuges, or even the attainment of stages of noble sainthood (ariyapuggala). His enactment of lokatthacariya—working for the benefit of the world—was carried out indiscriminately across all castes and social classes.

          However, a question arises : why did King Ajātasattu, the son of King Bimbisāra — a devoted lay supporter of the Buddha — not receive such compassionate guidance, while Aṅgulimāla, the son of the court Brahmin of King Pasenadi of Kosala, was personally sought out by the Buddha and saved from committing ānantarika-kamma (heinous offenses with immediate retribution)? This study suggests that several contextual factors—such as the Buddha's age, the individual’s faith and merit accumulation, karmic retribution, and even the political climate of the time —may have influenced, to some extent, the Buddha’s discernment in approaching particular individuals under specific circumstances.

Keywords : Buddha's activities, Aṅgulimāla, Ajātasattu, Ānantarika-Karma