When Buddha was born, the tales on the phenomenon are included with the his life and traditions.
The Buddha, however, did not agree to the phenomenon's of the public expressions , particularly after the story of the Pindola Bharadvaja’s deed at Rajagaha. There, Pindola had accepted the challenge of a merchant, who by placing a sandal-wood bowl on a high pole had scorn and challenged all holy persons to bring that down. Accepting the challenge, Pindola flew in the air and brought that down to the utter amazement of all the watchers.
From then, the Buddha set down a rule for the priests to avoid from the expressions of the phenomenon in public. Taking the advantage of the monks’ moderation from the phenomenons the heretics started speaking ills of the Buddha and also about his followers.
King Bimbisara was however, hurt with this news and visited the Buddha to request and please him to accept the challenge by representing phenomenons. So, following the traditions of earlier Buddhas, who had represented their phenomenons in Savatthi, he, too, reached Savatthi and represented the phenomenons on the foot of the gandamba tree on the full-moon day of Asalha.
To encourage the heretics, the Buddha created a crystal terrace in the air and walked on it. Further, he made his appearance in thousand forms according to some of the other traditions. His phenomenons made many heretics escape from Savatthi. This was the time when Purana Kassapa, too, escape but died on the way.
At the end of the Savatthi phenomenons he landed on Tavatimsa Loka, in three steps, following the example of the earlier Buddhas.