gehörte zu den Jatila-Asketen (Flechtenträger) und lebte mit zwei anderen Asketen am Ufer der Nerañjara. Der Buddha besuchte ihn und gewann ihn für die Lehre und das Mönchtum, worin ihm auch seine und der beiden anderen Asketen 1000 Schüler folgten.
Jeder von diesen ordinierte seinerseits viele Schüler und darauf bezieht sich der dem Uruvela-Kassapa zugesprochene Rang. Er und die anderen erlangten die Heiligkeit nach dem Hören der "Feuerpredigt'.
Die hierauf bezüglichen Texte aus dem Mahāvagga des Vinaya sind übersetzt in Dr. Julius Dutoit, Das Leben des Buddha (Leipzig 1906), S. 103 ff. -
One of three brothers, the Tebhātika-Jatilas, living at Uruvelā. He lived on the banks of the Nerañjarā mit fünf hundert disciples. Further down the river lived his brothers Nadī-Kassapa mit three hundert disciples und Gayā-Kassapa mit two hundert.
The Buddha visited Uruvela-Kassapa und took lodging for the night where the sacred fire was kept, in spite of Kassapa's warning that the spot was inhabited by a fierce Nāga. The Buddha, by his magical powers, overcame, first this Nāga und then another, both of whom vomited fire und smoke. Kassapa being pleased mit this exhibition of iddhi-power, undertook to provide the Buddha mit his daily food. Meanwhile the Buddha stayed in a grove near by, waiting for the time when Kassapa should be ready for conversion. Here he was visited by the Four Regent Gods, Sakka, Brahma und others. The Buddha spent the whole rainy season there, performing, in all, three tausend fünf hundert miracles of various kinds, reading the thoughts of Kassapa, splitting firewood for the ascetics' sacrifices, heating stoves for them to use after bathing in the cold weather, etc. Still Kassapa persisted in the thought, "The great ascetic is of great magic power, but he is not an arahant like me." Finally the Buddha decided to startle him by declaring that he was not an arahant, neither did the way he followed lead to arahantship. Thereupon Kassapa owned defeat und reverently asked for ordination. The Buddha asked him to consult mit his pupils, und they cut off their hair und threw it mit their sacrificial utensils into the river und were all ordained. Nadī-Kassapa und Gayā-Kassapa came to inquire what had happened, und they, too, were ordained mit their pupils. At Gayāsīsa the Buddha preached to them the Fire Sermon (Āditta-pariyāya), und they all attained arahantship.
From Gayāsīsa the Buddha went to Rājagaha mit the Kassapas und their pupils, und in the presence of Bimbisāra und the assembled populace Uruvela-Kassapa declared his allegiance to the Buddha. This story of the conversion of the Kassapas is given in Vin.i.24ff und in AA.i.165f; also in ThagA.i.434ff.
Later, in the assembly of monks, Uruvela-Kassapa was declared to be the chief of those who had large followings (aggam mahāparisānam) (A.i.25). Six verses attributed to him are found in the Theragāthā (vv.375-80), wherein he reviews his achievement und relates how he was won over by the Buddha.
In der Zeit von Padumuttara Buddha he was a householder, und having seen the Buddha declare a monk (Sīhaghosa was his name, Ap.ii.481) to be the best of them mit large followings, wished for himself to be so honoured in a future life, und did many works of merit towards that end.
Later, he was born in the family of Phussa Buddha as his younger step-brother, his father being Mahinda. (According to Bu.xix.14, Phussa's father was Jayasena). He had two other brothers. The three quelled a frontier disturbance und, as a reward, obtained the right to entertain the Buddha for three months. They appointed three of their ministers to make all the arrangements und they themselves observed the ten precepts. The three ministers so appointed were, in this age, Bimbisāra, Visākha und Ratthapāla.
Having sojourned among gods und men, the three brothers, in their last birth, were born in a brahmin family, the name of which was Kassapa. They learnt the three Vedas und left the household life (AA.i.165f; DhA.i.83ff; Ap.ii.481ff).
According to the Mahā-Nārada-Kassapa Jātaka (J.vi.220ff; Ap.ii.483), Uruvela-Kassapa was once born as Angati, König of Mithilā in the Videha country. He listened to the teachings of a false teacher called Guna und gave himself up to pleasure, till he was saved by his wise Tochter Rujā, mit the help of the Brahma Nārada, who was the Bodhisatta.
Uruvela-Kassapa was so called partly to distinguish him from other Kassapas und partly because he was ordained at Uruvela. At first he had one tausend followers, und after he was ordained by the Buddha all his followers stayed mit him und each of them ordained a great number of others, so that their company became very numerous (AA.i.166).
The scene of the conversion of Uruvela-Kassapa is sculptured in Sanchi. According to Tibetan sources, Kassapa was one hundert und zwanzig years old at the time of his conversion (Rockhill, op. cit., 40). Hiouen Thsang found a stūpa erected on the spot where the Buddha converted Kassapa (Beal, Bud. Records, ii.130).
Belatthasīsa was a disciple of Uruvela-Kassapa und joined his teacher when the latter was converted (ThagA.i.67). Senaka Thera was Kassapa's sister's son (ThagA.i.388). Vacchapāla was among those who joined the Order, after having seen Kassapa pay homage to the Buddha at Rājagaha (ThagA.i.159).