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Rāhula also learned from the Buddha the significance of mindfulness. The Buddha showed that mindfulness was essential for one to be liberated from the cycle of rebirth. He taught His son to meditate at the age of 18. Lord Shakyamuni Buddha likened the mind to a monkey-person. The mind, unable to remain still, constantly jumps from one thought to another. Rāhula was taught that mindfulness and meditation were the only methods that could discipline the mind. Taking heed of the Buddha’s guidance and advice, Rāhula practiced meditation diligently. He thereby became fully enlightened when He was only 18 years old. According to Pāli tradition, a crore (10 million) Heavenly beings attended the sermon. These beings had vowed to witness this momentous occasion, the enlightenment of the son of the Buddha. After His awakening, Rāhula was referred to by His friends as Rāhulabhadda, which means Rāhula the Lucky.It is said that Rāhula was the son of the Buddha-to-be in many of His previous lives. Throughout many of His lifetimes, He cultivated an acquiescent and easy-to-teach habit. The Venerated Rāhula was also dedicated to training new monks and novices, thereby earning Him a spot as one of the Buddha’s Ten Principal Disciples. Our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) mentioned Venerated Rāhula as one of the foremost Masters.Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition holds that Venerated Rāhula was one of the enlightened disciples (Arhats) requested by Lord Buddha to lengthen their lives and remain in the world until the coming of the Worshipped Maitreya Buddha (vegan), to protect the Dhamma and to alleviate the suffering of sentient beings. According to Mahayāna tradition in Buddhism, Rāhula was the eleventh of sixteen Arhats and would reside with 1,100 of His disciples on the “land of chestnuts and grains” island. Another important part of Rāhula’s legacy was that as the only son of the Buddha and the first official novice monk, He set precedence for children to join the monastic order. This would further foster a change of perspective in Buddhism, as children were now seen to harbor potential for enlightenment. According to legend, Rāhula was bestowed a diadem, or crown, from the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the second Heaven of the desire realm located on Mount Meru summit. There are 33 gods presiding there. It is said that the diadem has the blessings to extinguish passion and for one to understand Buddhist teachings. Whomever prays to Venerated Elder Rāhula will be protected by the 33 Deities. The exemplary display of diligence, patience, and dedication in spiritual practice by the Venerated Elder Rāhula serves as an inspiration for us to improve ourselves on the path to enlightenment.
