Tathāgata

Seven years after the enlightenment of Gautama, his father, King Shuddhodana yearned to see his beloved son. And so he sent an invitation to Buddha and asked him to bless his city as well as the palace with his gracious presence. Gautama knew that his return would cause pain to his father. However, he reluctantly accepted the invitation. He arrived in the city along with his followers and decided to stay there for a few days while dwelling in the garden outside the palace. The king invited them for a feast in the palace, to which Gautama agreed as well. On one sunny afternoon when they were having a lunch, Gautama’s son, Rahula, and his wife, Yashodhara, came in front of him. This poem begins with that scene. Rahula tries to ask the lord for his inheritance as the crown prince, which is the motive of the king’s invitation. Eventually, Gautama persuades little Rahula to join him in the journey.