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The Buddha in Magadha Kingdom
Conversion of King Bimbisara From Uruvilva, the Buddha proceeded to Rajagriha, where He took shelter at a park called the Palm Grove. By the time he arrived there. He was already well known as the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One, and the Great Teacher. King Bimbisara heard of the Buddha’s return to Rajagriha and was anxious to meet Him again. With hundreds of his noblemen and subjects, King Bimbisara set out for the Palm Grove. On their arrival, they were surprised to see Uruvilva Kashyapa, his two brothers and all their disciples with the Buddha. Since Uruvilva Kashyapa was a famous and well-respected matted-hair ascetic, the king and his retinue wondered who the real master was in that assembly — the Buddha or Uruvilva Kashyapa. Knowing what they were thinking about, the Buddha had Kashyapa declare publicly that he had abandoned the practice of fire-worship and had accepted the Buddha as his master. Kashyapa did so by saying, “The Buddha is my teacher, I am His disciple.” The Buddha then gave a sermon on charity, morality, the evil of clinging to pleasures of the senses, and the advantage of renouncing them. He also talked about suffering and its cause, and the way to end it. After they had listened to and understood the Buddha’s Teaching, all those present asked to be accepted as His lay-followers. King Bimbisara said, “When I was young, I had the ambition to be a