Jetavana () was one of the most famous of the vihÃÂras (Buddhist monasteries) in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India. It was the second vihÃÂra donated to the Buddha after the Venuvana in Rajgir. The monastery was given to him by his chief male patron, Anathapindika.
Jetavana is located just outside the old city of Savatthi. There was also an important vihÃÂra named Jetavana in Sri Lanka; the stupa of Jetavanaramaya is all that remains today.
Jetavana was the place where the Buddha gave the majority of his teachings and discourses, having stayed at Jetavana nineteen out of 45 vassas (monsoon retreats), more than in any other vihÃÂra. It is said that after the MigÃÂramÃÂtupÃÂsÃÂda, a second vihara erected at Pubbarama close to Savatthi was built by the Buddha's chief female lay disciple, Visakha, the Buddha would dwell alternately between Jetavana and MigÃÂramÃÂtupÃÂsÃÂda, often spending the day in one and the night in the other (SNA.i.336).
Following Anathapindika's first encounter with the Buddha, he requested to offer him a meal, which the Buddha accepted, and then asked to build a temple for him and his monks in his hometown of Savatthi, to which the Buddha agreed.
Shortly after, Anathapindika went back to Savatthi to search for a place to build the monastery. Looking for a place that was both accessible to followers and peacefully secluded, he came across a park belonging to Prince Jeta, the son of King Pasenadi of Kosala. Anathapindika offered to buy the park from the prince but the prince refused, after Anathapindika persisted, the prince jokingly said he will sell him the park if he covers it with gold coins, to which Anathapindika agreed.
Anathapindika later came back with wagons full of gold pieces to cover the park with. When Prince Jeta stated that he was merely joking and still would not sell the park, Anathapindika and the prince went to arbitrators who concluded that Prince Jeta had to sell the park at the mentioned price.
The money brought in the first journey was found insufficient to cover one small spot near the gateway. So AnÃÂthapindika sent his servants back for more, but Jeta, inspired by AnÃÂthapindika's earnestness, asked to be allowed to give this spot. AnÃÂthapindika agreed and Jeta erected there a gateway, with a room over it. AnÃÂthapindika built in the grounds dwelling rooms, retiring rooms, store rooms and service halls, halls with fireplaces, closets, cloisters, halls for exercise, wells, bathrooms, ponds, open and roofed sheds, etc. (Vin.ii.158f).
It is said (MA.i.50; UdA.56f) that AnÃÂthapindika paid eighteen crores for the purchase of the site, all of which Jeta spent in the construction of the gateway gifted by him. (The gateway was evidently an imposing structure; see J.ii.216).
Jeta gave, besides, many valuable trees for timber. AnÃÂthapindika himself spent fifty-four crores in connection with the purchase of the park and the buildings erected in it.
The ceremony of dedication was one of great splendour. Not only AnÃÂthapindika himself, but his whole family took part: his son with five hundred other youths, his wife with five hundred other noble women, and his daughters MahàSubhaddàand Cà «la Subhaddàwith five hundred other maidens. AnÃÂthapindika was attended by five hundred bankers. The festivities in connection with the dedication lasted for nine months (J.i.92ff).
The vihÃÂra is almost always referred to as Jetavane AnÃÂthapindikassa ÃÂrÃÂma (Pali, meaning: in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika's Monastery). The Commentaries (MA.ii.50; UdA.56f, etc.) say that this was deliberate (at the Buddha's own suggestion pp. 81âÂÂ131; Beal: op. cit., ii.5 and Rockhill: p. 49), in order that the names of both earlier and later owners might be recorded and that people might be reminded of two men, both very generous in the cause of the Religion, so that others might follow their example. The vihÃÂra is sometimes referred to as JetÃÂrÃÂma (E.g., Ap.i.400).
Some of the chief buildings attached to the Jetavana are mentioned in the books by special names, viz., MahÃÂgandhakuti, KaverimandalamÃÂla, Kosambakuti and CandanamÃÂla. SNA.ii.403. Other buildings are also mentioned - e.g., the Ambalakotthaka-ÃÂsanasÃÂlà(J.ii.246). According to Tibetan sources the vihÃÂra was built according to a plan sent by the devas of Tusita and contained sixty large halls and sixty small. The Vinaya-piá¹Âaka (Dulwa in Tibetan) also gives details of the decorative scheme of the vihÃÂra (Rockhill: op. cit.48 and n.2).
All these were built by AnÃÂthapindika; there was another large building erected by Pasenadi and called the Salalaghara (DA.ii.407). Over the gateway lived a guardian deity to prevent all evildoers from entering (SA.i.239). Just outside the monastery was a rÃÂjÃÂyatana tree, the residence of the god Samiddhisumana (Mhv.i.52f; MT 105; but see DhA.i.41, where the guardian of the gateway is called Sumana).
In the grounds there seems to have been a large pond which came to be called the Jetavanapokkharanë. (AA.i.264; here the Buddha often bathed (J.i.329ff.). Is this the Pubbakotthaka referred to at A.iii.345? But see S.v.220; it was near this pond that Devadatta was swallowed up in Avëci (J.iv.158)).
The grounds themselves were thickly covered with trees, giving the appearance of a wooded grove (arañña) (Sp.iii.532). On the outskirts of the monastery was a mango-grove (J.iii.137). In front of the gateway was the Bodhi-tree planted by AnÃÂthapindika, which came later to be called the Anandabodhi (J.iv.228f). Not far from the gateway was a cave which became famous as the Kapallapà «vapabbhÃÂra on account of an incident connected with Macchariyakosiya (J.i.348).
According to the DivyÃÂvadÃÂna (Dvy.395f), the thà «pas of SÃÂriputta and MoggallÃÂna were in the grounds of Jetavana and existed until the time of Asoka. Both Fa Hien (Giles: p. 33ff) and Houien Thsang (Beal.ii.7ff) give descriptions of other incidents connected with the Buddha, which took place in the neighbourhood of Jetavana - e.g., the murder of SundarikÃÂ, the calumny of CiñcÃÂ, Devadatta's attempt to poison the Buddha, etc.
The space covered by the four bedposts of the Buddha's Gandhakuti in Jetavana is one of the four avijahitatthÃÂnÃÂni; all Buddhas possess the same, though the size of the actual vihÃÂra differs in the case of the various Buddhas. For Vipassë Buddha, the setthi Punabbasumitta built a monastery extending for a whole league, while for Sikhë Buddha, the setthi Sirivaddha made one covering three gavutas. The SanghÃÂrÃÂma built by Sotthiya for Vessabhà « Buddha was half a league in extent, while that erected by Accuta for Kakusandha Buddha covered only one gÃÂvuta. The monastery of the Koá¹ÂÃÂgamana Buddha, built by the setthi Ugga, extended for half a gÃÂvuta, while that of the Kassapa Buddha built by Sumangala covered sixteen karësas. AnÃÂthapindika's monastery covered a space of eighteen karësas (BuA.2, 47; J.i.94; DA.ii.424).
According to a description given by Faxian (Giles, pp. 31, 33), the vihÃÂra was originally in seven sections (storeys?) and was filled with all kinds of offerings, embroidered banners, canopies, etc., and the lamps burnt from dusk to dawn.
One day a rat, holding in its mouth a lamp wick, set fire to the banners and canopies, and all the seven sections were entirely destroyed. The vihÃÂra was later rebuilt in two sections. There were two main entrances, one on the east, one on the west, and Faxian found thà «pas erected at all the places connected with the Buddha, each with its name inscribed.
Near Jetavana was evidently a monastery of rival teachers where CiñcÃÂmÃÂnavikàspent her nights as she was hatching her paternity-fraud smear campaign against the Buddha.
There seems to have been a playground just outside Jetavana used by the children of the neighbourhood, who, when thirsty, would go into Jetavana to drink (DhA.iii.492). The high road to SÃÂvatthi passed by the edge of Jetavana, and travellers would enter the park to rest and refresh themselves.
The Jetavana vihara was apparently active as late as 1128/29 CE (1186 VS), when an inscription (discovered by Daya Ram Sahni in 1908 in one of the ruined monastery structures at Shravasti) recorded the re-affirming or renewing of a grant by the Gahadavala king Govindachandra to "the most respected sangha of bhikkus, of whom BuddhabhattÃÂraka is the chief, residing in the convent of the Holy Jetavana". The grant included six villages, iron and salt mines, fishponds, madhuka and mango groves, and pastureland. It may have somehow lapsed earlier, or it may have been that Govindachandra was simply re-confirming it.
The remains of Jetavana and Savatthi were locally known as Sahet-Mahet. Alexander Cunningham used the ancient (6th century AD) accounts of Chinese pilgrim-monks to determine that Sahet-Mahet actually referred to Jetavana and Savatthi.
Jetavana is currently a historical park, with remains of many ancient buildings such as monasteries, huts (such as the Gandhakuti and the Kosambakuti) and stupas. In Jetavana is also located the second-holiest tree of Buddhism: the Anandabodhi Tree. A visit to Savatthi and Jetavana is part of the Buddhist pilgrim route in North-India. The most revered place in Jetavana is the Gandhakuti, where Buddha used to stay. Jetavana is located at .
In Japan the deity Gozu Tenno is considered to have originated as a guardian of Jetavana. He is a central deity of the Gion faith and identified with Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The district Gion where the faith is centered is the Japanese translation (via Chinese Qiyuan) of the Buddhist term Jetavana.