The Legend of Upagupta
A mention about a certain monk called Upagupta caught my attention in the novel, Beloved of the Gods, by an Indian author. That by itself was close! The title I have in mind for my Asok book is 'The Less Beloved of the Gods' after the fictional protagonist whom I'm not going to talk about :)
Like most characters of those times, nothing is said about this monk with conviction. His origins, even his existence is mired in as many legends as there are versions of Buddhists texts. Apparently, Upagupta was the son of a perfume trader who did not 'have the bodily marks of an arahant or monk' according to the followers of the Dharma. In that, he is unique compared to the other better known monks (Ashoka's son Mahinda, Nigarodha, etc., assuming they bore marks of an Arahant). I found this note about Upagupta on the Internet:
An important saint (Arhat) who resided in the region of Mathurā sometime between the 3rd century bce and the 1st century ce. Upagupta is not mentioned in the Pāli Canon, and although featuring in non-canonical Pāli literature does not become prominent in Theravāda countries until around the 12th century as a result of his importance in the Sanskrit sources. In the Sarvāstivāda tradition he is the fifth patriarch after Mahākaśyapa, Ānanda, Madhyāntika, and Śāṇakavāsin, and in the Ch'an tradition he is regarded as the fourth. He features prominently in the avadāna literature (chapters 21 and 27 of the Divya-avadāna contain the fullest account of his life), and he is said to have lived during the time of Aśoka, who held him in high esteem.
In Myanmar, a monk called Shin Upagutta is venerated and has a cult-like status.
He is believed to be either Moggaliputta-Tissa, a Buddhist monk who presided the Third Buddhist Council, Upagupta, a Mahayana arhat, or a creation of Mahayana Buddhism, because he is not described in the Tipitaka, the Pali Canon, and only mentioned in the Burmese historical chronicle, Maha Yazawindawgyi.
The Wikipedia page has this to say about Upagupta: Upagupta [circa. 3rd Century B.C.] was a Buddhist monk. According to some stories in the Sanskrit Avadana he was the spiritual teacher of Asoka the great Mauryan emperor. Upagupta's teacher was Sanavasi who was a disciple of Ananda, the Buddha's attendant. Due to the absence of his name in Theravada literature it is assumed that Upagupta was a Sarvadin monk. In South East Asian countries and Bangladesh Upagupta is a great cult figure. In Myanmar he is known as Shin Upagutta.
I would think Moggaliputta Tissa was a different person, but I cannot be sure. This is what Wikipedia says about Moggaliputta-Tissa:
Moggaliputta-Tissa (ca. 327 BC – 247 BC), (born in Pataliputra, Magadha (now Patna, India) was a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 3rd century BC. David Kalupahana sees him as a predecessor of Nagarjuna in being a champion of the middle-way and a reviver of the original philosophical ideals of the Buddha.[1]
He was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, and his son Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Moggaliputta-Tissa also presided over the Third Buddhist Council. According to the Mahavamsa, he had consented himself to be reincarnated as a human in order to chair the council, on the request of the arahants who has presided over the second.
He was the son of Mogalli of Pataliputra, as a Hindu in the brahmin caste as Tissa. According to the Mahavamsa, Tissa, who was thoroughly proficient in the Vedas, at a young age was sought after by the Buddhist monks Siggava and Candavajji for conversion, as they went on their daily alms round.
Based on all this, I think it would be safe to make Upagupta a character in my story. In fact, it is this character who narrates the story to an assembly of monks just before he passes away. In my story, he is a commoner, the son of a perfume trader from Mathura, who is close to my character Asok (in the story you will see how) and who becomes a monk under certain circumstances. He lives for a long time, 104 years to be precise. At least in my story. Of course, I have literary license to do anything with my characters :)
