The Realised One's Rains Retreats

This map shows the various places where the Buddha spent his Rain's Retreats according to the information related in the Introduction to the Commentary on the Buddhavaüsa, which is also followed by Ven. Medhaïkara in Jinavaüsa. Most of them are well known, and appear in the Discourses many times. Of the Retreats we are sure about note that they all were taken in the Middle Lands (Majjhimadesa).

Some of the places we cannot identify. These include the 6th retreat on Mount Maïkula;⁰¹ 8th at Bhesakalà Wood in the Bhagga Country; 13th, 18th and 19th on Mount Càliya.⁰² Others are only vaguely known, such as Silk-Cotton Wood, Pàrileyya and Veraÿjà, all of which were around Kosambã. The exact position of âëavã is also not known, but must have been in the Vajjã Country where there were many yakkha shrines. According to tradition the 7th Rains Retreat was spent in Tàvatiüsa teaching the Abhidhamma to his Mother, who had been reborn as a Devaputta.

The information given in the Commentary inexplicably omits the last Rain's Retreat spent by the Buddha, which was at the village of Beluva, within walking distance of Vesàlã, as related in the Mahàparinibbànasuttaü. A text and translation of the relevant section of the Commentary to Buddhavaüsa follows:

Pañhamaü Vassaü Isipatane Dhammacakkaü pavattetvà aññhàrasa Brahmakoñiyo amatapànaü pàyetvà
After setting the Dhamma Wheel Rolling in Isipatana and making 180,000,000 Brahmàs imbibe the immortal ambrosia during the first Rains Retreat

Bàràõasiü upanissàya Isipatane Migadàye vasi;
he dwelt at the Deer Park in Isipatana relying on Bàràõasã (for alms);

dutiyaü Vassaü Ràjagahaü upanissàya Veëuvane Mahàvihàre;
the second Rains retreat was in the Great Monastery at Bamboo Wood, relying on Ràjagaha;

tatiyacatutthàni pi tattheva;
the third and fourth likewise (he was) also there;

paÿcamaü Vesàliü upanissàya Mahàvane Kåñàgàrasàlàyaü;
the fifth was in the Gabled House Hall in the Great Wood relying on Vesàlã;

sattamaü Tàvatiüsabhavane;
the seventh in the realm of the 33 gods (Tàvatiüsa);

aññhamaü Bhaggesu Saüsumàragiriü upanissàya Bhesakaëàvane;
the eighth in the Bhesakaëà Wood, relying on the Crocodile Hill amongst the Bhaggas;

ekàdasamaü Nàëàyaü bràhmaõagàme;
the eleventh in the bràhmin village of Nàëa (in Magadhà);

cuddasamaü Jetavanamahàvihàre;
the fourteenth in the great Monastery (near Sàvatthã);

paÿcadasamaü Kapilavatthumahànagare;
the fifteenth near the great city of Kapilavatthu (his home town, amongst the Sàkiyans);

soëasamaü âëavakaü dametvà caturàsãtipàõasahassàni amatapànaü pàyetvà âëaviyaü;
having tamed (the yakkha) âëavaka and making 84,000 creaturess imbibe the immortal ambrosia, (he spent) the sixteenth at âëavã;

sattarasamaü Ràjagahe yeva;
the seventeenth was surely near Ràjagaha (perhaps in Bamboo Wood);

aññhàrasamaü Càliyapabbate yeva tathà;
then the eighteenth on mount Càliya;

Ekånavãsatimaü vãsatimaü pana Vassaü Ràjagaheyeva vasi;
but the nineteenth and twentieth Rains Retreat he dwelt near to Ràjagaha (perhaps in Bamboo Wood);

Tato paññhàya pana Sàvatthiü yeva upanissàya
But from there onwards he surely relied on Sàvatthã

Jetavanamahàvihàre ca Pubbàràme ca dhuvaparibhogavasena vasi.
dwelling in the Great Monastery in Jeta's Wood and the Eastern Monastery because it had constant supplies (of requisites for the large gathering of monks).