After Kandaka’s demise, Channa reluctantly trudged back to Kapilavastu, weighed down by Siddhartha’s choice to embrace the life of a Sramana and the concern over his own involvement in Siddhartha’s escape.

Fears of potential repercussions from the enraged King Suddhodana haunted him. What if the king decided to execute him? However, Channa, bound by a promise to a friend, remained steadfast and proved his loyalty to Siddhartha once more.

Upon reaching the city, Channa sorrowfully informed King Suddhodana about Siddhartha’s departure from palace life. Contrary to expectations, King Suddhodana chose not to punish Channa but welcomed him back, acknowledging the inevitability of Siddhartha’s chosen path.

While many narratives would now focus on Siddhartha’s journey, let’s delve deeper into Channa’s story. What unfolded for him?

Fast forward a couple of years to Siddhartha’s enlightenment and return to Kapilavastu as Buddha. At this time, Channa became a monastic disciple of Buddha.

However, as time passed, Channa’s proximity to Buddha seemed to fuel his arrogance. Whether it was the privilege of being Buddha’s childhood friend or the pride of aiding in Siddhartha’s escape, Channa became quarrelsome and critical of fellow monks. He would constantly find faults in others and disparage them, even though he was unenlightened.

Perhaps it was due to a misguided sense of duty that he positioned himself as an unofficial monastery police?

Despite Buddha’s attempts to counsel him, Channa’s behavior persisted and worsened over the years. Though everyone tried to avoid him, Channa actively sought faults in others, transforming into a nosey and nitpicking, self-appointed supervisor that everyone wanted to avoid.

Channa continued his disruptive behavior into his golden years, even as Buddha reached his 80s and approached parinirvana.

At that critical juncture, a senior monk named Ananda approached Buddha, seeking guidance on dealing with Channa in his absence.

Buddha recommended imposing the Brahma penalty on Channa, instructing Ananda to implement it after his parinirvana. This penalty dictated a complete cessation of communication with Channa. If he spoke, others were to remain silent and walk away. Conversely, no one was to initiate any form of communication with him.

Upon Buddha’s passing, Ananda, anticipating resistance from Channa, gathered a large group of monks to deliver news of the penalty. However, Channa fainted upon hearing this final decree from his childhood best friend.

Ostracized and left in solitude, Channa embarked on a journey of introspection. This solitary period led him to sincere efforts to improve himself, and not long after, he attained enlightenment.

Channa’s story serves as a powerful lesson that even the Buddha cannot transform a person for the better if they refuse to mend their ways or are blinded by ego and pride. Channa wasted much of his life preoccupied with the business of others and only found enlightenment when he chose to self-reflect.

Therefore, this narrative emphasizes that Buddhist enlightenment is a path of self-discovery and introspection.

Do you know a “Channa” in your life?

Points for discussions

Consequences of Ego and Pride: Explore the consequences of Channa’s ego and pride, which manifest in his arrogance and critical behavior. How do these traits hinder his spiritual growth and relationships?

The Brahma Penalty: Discuss the significance and effectiveness of the Brahma penalty imposed on Channa. How does it serve as a tool for introspection and personal growth? Do you think it is a useful response to a person like Channa?

A misguided sense of proving himself: Could Channa’s behavior be fuelled by his failure to attain enlightenment? When trying to establish a sense of self-worth, he inevitably focused on finding flaws in others. How could we help such a character in life?

May all be well and happy.