>Marcocapelle at 06:30, 22 April 2021

2021-04-22T06:30:32Z

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{{short description|Ascetic who predicted that prince Siddhartha (later Buddha) would become a great religious leader}}
{{Infobox religious biography/Wikidata
| image = Weissagung des Sehers Asita Museum Rietberg RVI 11.jpg
| caption = ''The prophecy of the seer Asita'', slate relief from [[Gandhara]], 3rd/4th century AD ([[Rietberg Museum]], Zurich; Inv. No. RVI 11)
| religion = [[Buddhism]]
}}
{{Portal|Religion}}
'''Asita''' or '''Kaladevala''' or '''Kanhasiri''' was a [[hermit]] [[asceticism|ascetic]] depicted in Buddhist sources as having lived in [[History of India|ancient India]]. He was a teacher and advisor of [[Śuddhodana|Suddhodana]], the father of the Buddha, and is best known for having predicted that prince Siddhartha of [[Kapilavastu (ancient city)|Kapilavastu]] would either become a great [[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|chakravartin]] or become a supreme religious leader; Siddhartha was later known as [[Gautama Buddha]].<ref name="Narada2006">{{cite book|author=Narada|title=The Buddha and His Teachings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTUpDwAAQBAJ|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Jaico Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7992-617-8|pages=3–4}}</ref>

The name Asita literally means 'not clinging' while Kanhasiri means 'dark splendour'.{{cn|date=December 2019}} Asita is described as a ''[[Tapas (Indian religions)|tāpasa]]'', a practitioner of asceticism.<ref name=dpn/>

== Biography ==
The [[Theravada]] tradition depicts Asita as an advisor and chaplain to [[Sihahanu]], the grandfather of [[Gotama Buddha]].<ref name=dpn>[http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/ay/asita.htm Dictionary of Pali Proper Names - Asita]</ref> He was the teacher of [[Suddhodana]], and then served him as he had his father.<ref name=dpn/> At the time of the birth of the Buddha, he had retired by permission of Suddhodana and was living in the forest as an ascetic.<ref name=dpn/>

A vision alerted Asita of the birth of the [[Bodhisattva]] Gotama, causing him to leave the forest and travel to see the infant, where he prophesied that he would become either a 'wheel turning monarch' ([[chakravartin]]) or a [[Buddha (title)|Buddha]].<ref name=dpn/> Disappointed that his own life would end before the Buddha awakened and began preaching, he ordained his nephew, Nalaka, so that he would be able to hear the Buddha's teachings.<ref name=dpn/> Nalaka is called Naradatta in the [[Lalitavistara]].<ref name=dpn/>

== Names and Related Figures ==
Asita was known under several alternate names or nicknames, and [[Buddhaghosa]] attributed his name to his dark complexion.<ref name=dpn/> He was known as Kanha Devala, Kanha Siri or Siri Kanha, and Kāla Devala.

Another sage or [[rishi]] known as Asita Devala is sometimes confused with him in literary sources- this second Asita Devala was a sage from ancient times who was reborn as a disciple of the Buddha.<ref name=dpn/> This confusion may explain why in the [[Lalitavistara Sūtra]] there are two versions of Asita's prophecy- one where Asita visits Suddhodana as described in the Pali sources, and another where Asita is a hermit living in the Himalayas who never meets Suddhodana but perceives the birth of the Buddha due to his [[iddhi|supernatural powers]].<ref name=dpn/>

The [[Pali]] tradition also records a [[pratyekabuddha]] called Asita, and a man who lived at the time of [[Sikkhi Buddha]] who was reborn as a disciple of Gotama Buddha.<ref name=dpn/>

Early Western scholars related Asita to [[Simeon (Gospel of Luke)|Simeon]], who blessed Jesus as an infant.<ref name=dpn/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Precursors in religion|state=expanded}}
{{Gautama Buddha}}
{{Buddhism topics}}

[[Category:History of Buddhism in India]]
[[Category:Precursors in religion]]
[[Category:6th-century BC Indian people]]

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Asita - Revision history

>Marcocapelle at 06:30, 22 April 2021