Personalities of the Buddhist Suttas

Index

Aññākondañña

[Receiver-of-Knowledge]

The first human to have attained knowledge under Gotama. What a thrill that must have been for Gotama! Except that, of course, he would not have been thrilled, but would have seen it as a matter of indifference. He said: "Aññākondañña has received Aññā!" Whatever Gotama felt, I felt a thrill when I read that.

DPPN: He was the son of a very wealthy brahmin family ... and was born before the Buddha ... He was learned in the three Vedas, excelling in the science of physiognomy. When the Buddha was born he was among the eight Brahmins sent for to prognosticate, and though he was yet quite a novice he declared definitely that the babe would be a Buddha. Thereafter he lived awaiting the Bodhisatta's renunciation. After this happened he left the world with four others ... When, after the Enlightenment, the Buddha visited them at Isipatana and preached the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, [Vin i. 10 ; and S. v. 420] Kondanna and eighteen crores of brahmas won the Fruit of the First Path ... . Five days later when the Annattalakhana Sutta [Vin i. 13-14; MA. I. 390 (which is a good one to cite concerning the issue of attaining Arahantship from just listening to a Sutta)] was preached he became arahant. He was the first to be ordained with the formula "Ehi, bhikkhu!" (come Beggar!) and the first to receive higher ordination. In the assembly of monks he sat behind the two chief disciples.