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Kāḷasilā

1. Kāḷasilā.– The black rock by the side of Isigili (Isigilipasse).

It was there that Mahā-Moggallāna was murdered (J.v.125 f; DhA.iii.65 f; ApA.i.206) and that Godhika (S.i.120 f; DhA.i.431 f ) and Vakkali (S.iii.124) committed suicide.

It was a lonely spot, and we are told that when monks came from afar to Rājagaha they would ask Dabba Mallaputta to find them lodgings there because they wished to see evidence of Dabba’s psychic powers (Vin.ii.76; iii.159).

The Buddha is mentioned (S.i.194) as having stayed at Kāḷasilā with a great company of monks. On one such occasion the Buddha is said to have given Ānanda an opportunity of asking him to continue to live for a whole aeon. However, Ānanda failed to do so (D.ii.116).

The Buddha is elsewhere (ThagA.ii.209) described as residing at Kāḷasilā with five hundred monks, all of whom were Arahants. Moggallāna discovered their powers, and thus earned the praise of Vaṅgīsa.

The Saṃyuttanikāya Commentary (SA.ii.229) speaks of a Kāḷasilā-vihāra.

In the Cūḷadukkhakkhandha Sutta (M.i.92), it is said that Kāḷasilā was also the residence of some followers of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta.

2. Kāḷasilā.– See Kāḷasela.