Personalities of the Buddhist Suttas

Index

Culla-Anāthapiṇḍika

(DPPN: An eminent lay disciple of the Buddha. He was an Anāgāmī, and offered to perform a miracle himself before the Buddha showed the Twin Miracle.^[1] Culla-Anathapiṇḍika provided food for three months for the multitude, covering an area of twelve leagues, which has assembled at Sāvatthī to await the descent of the Buddha from Tāvatiɱsa after his preaching of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.^[2] Five hundred monks fed daily at Culla-Anāthapiṇḍika's house in Sāvatthi.^[3] He was one of the seven lay disciples of the Buddha who had each five hundred followers.^[4] Culla-Anāthapiṇḍika is generally mentioned^[5] together with Pasenadi, Visākhā, and Anāthapiṇḍika as the Buddha's eminent lay patrons. His personal name is not known. The sobriquet was probably givenon account of his generosity, rivalling that of Anāthapiṇḍika.

 

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^[1] DhA. iii. 210

^[2] Ibid., 218; AA. i. 71

^[3] DhA. i. 339

^[4] SA. iii. 223

^[5] E.g., J. i. 148; ii. 287, iii. 520