Three verses ascribed to Abhibhūta occur in the Theragāthā, addressd to his kinsmen and retainers. Thag.255–257 The second of these verses is elsewhere SN.i.156 attributed to Abhibhū, chief disciple o …

A grove to the south of Sāvatthī, one gāvuta away from the city. It was well guarded and monks and nuns used to resort there in search of solitude. The Bhikkhunī Saṃyutta contains stories of nuns wh …

A monk of Ñātikā. Once when the Buddha was staying at Ñātikā in the Giñjakāvasatha, Ānanda mentions to the Buddha that Asoka Thera had died, and asks where he had gone. The Buddha tells him that Asoka …

Bhaddiya¹

An anāgāmī, one of seven persons who became arahants as soon as they were born in Avihā. SN.i.35 SN.i.60

Bhaddiya²Kāligodhāputta

Chief among monks of aristocratic …

A Vajjian village between Vesāli and Hatthigāma and near the former.

The Buddha visited it during his last tour, and while there he talked to the monks on four conditions, which lead to Nibbāna. DN.i …

A city in India on the river of the same name; it was the capital of Aṅga and was celebrated for its beautiful lake, the Gaggarā-pokkharaṇī. On its banks was a grove of campaka-trees, well known for …

Cāpāla CetiyaCāpālacetiya

A shrine near Vesāli. Here the Buddha, three months before his parinibbāna, definitely decided to accede to the request of Māra that he should die. When he announced this …

Dhīrā¹

A bhikkhunī whose Therīgāthā verse speaks of the wise one who attains Nibbana. Thig.6

Dhīrā²Vīrā

A bhikkhunī whose Therīgāthā verse speaks of how the heroic one overcom …

A brick hall at Nādikā. The Buddha stayed there on various occasions during his visits to Nādikā. It was during one of these visits that Ambapāli presented her park to the Buddha and the Order. Vin.i. …

A monk whose Theragāthā verse speaks of his delight in meditating while the rain falls on his little hut. Thag.51

According to the Saṃyutta SN.i.120f. account, Godhika lived on the Kāḷasilā in Isig …

Hārita¹

A Mahā Brahmā who was present at the preaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta, at the head of one hundred thousand other Brahmās. DN.ii.261

Hārita²

A monk whose Theragāthā ve …

A wanderer. The Saṃyutta Nikāya records visits paid by him to Sāriputta at Nālakagāma and discussions between them on various topics, such as nibbāna, arahantship, the āsavas, sakkāya, ignorance, th …

A great brahmin, ranking with eminent brahmins such as Caṅkī, Tārukkha, Pokkharasāti and Todeyya. Snp.p.115 He is mentioned as staying in Icchānaṅgala, MN.ii.196 where he evidently took part in the pe …

Kakudhā Kakuṭṭhā Kakutthā Kukuṭṭhā Kukutthā

A river near Kusinārā in which the Buddha bathed and from which he drank water before entering Kusinārā for his parinibbāna. On its bank was a mango-grove …

The capital of the Vatsas or Vaṃsas. In the time of the Buddha its king was Parantapa, and after him reigned his son Udena. Kosambī was evidently a city of great importance at the time of the Buddha f …

The capital of the Mallas and the scene of the Buddha’s death. At that time it was a small city, “a branch-township with wattle-and-daub houses in the midst of the jungle,” and Ānanda was, at first …

Kāliṅga¹

An inhabitant of Ñātika. While staying in Ñātika, at the Giñjakāvasatha, the Buddha tells Ānanda that Kālinga was reborn after death in the Suddhavāsā, and that there he would att …

MahākassapaKassapaPippali

One of the Buddha’s most eminent disciples, chief among those who upheld austere practices. AN.i.23 His personal name was Pippali, but he is usually known by his clan name K …

The name of a people and their country.

The country is included in the sixteen Great Nations of the Buddha’s time. The kingdom, at that time, was divided into two parts, having their respective capit …

MāraNamuciKaṇhaAdhipatiAntakaPamattabandhuPāpimā

Generally regarded as the personification of Death, the Evil One, the Tempter. Sometimes known as the Dark One (Kaṇha). Snp.355 MN.i.377 DN.ii.262 T …

Nandiya¹

He belonged to a Sākiyan family of Kapilavatthu, and was called Nandiya because his birth brought bliss. He left the world at the same time as Anuruddha, Kimbila and the others, a …

The Mahā Parinibbāna Sutta DN.ii.72ff. gives a list of the places at which the Buddha stopped during his last journey along that road—Ambalaṭṭhikā, Nāḷandā, Pāṭaligāma, Koṭigāma, Nādikā, Vesāli, Bha …

A monk, mentioned once as staying at the Ghositārāma in Kosambī, with Musila, Savittha, and Ānanda. In the course of discussion he declares that, though aware of the nature of nibbana, he is not an ar …

A devaputta who visited the Buddha at Jetavana and uttered a verse to the effect that the man who understands jhāna finds room even among crowding obstacles. The Buddha corrects him, saying that t …

A monk whose Theragāthā verses are collected in two sizable groups. The first depicts him meditating in solitude and pondering over the things that one should do to accompish one’s duty and do no harm …

A city, the capital of Māgadha.

The place was called Giribbaja (mountain stronghold) because it was surrounded by five hills—Paṇḍava, Gijjhakūṭa, Vebhāra, Isigili and Vepulla. It is said MN.iii.68 th …

SakkaVatrabhūVāsavaMaghavāMāghaPurindadaSahassakkhaSahassanettaSujampatiKosiya

Almost always spoken of as chief of the devas. The Saṃyutta Nikāya SN.i.229 contains a list of his names.

• Maghavā, be …

She was the daughter of King Koñca of Mantāvatī. Her Therīgāthā verses, of which she has the greatest number of any of the nuns, speak of the emptiness of the home life and the advantages of going for …

Susīma¹

A devaputta. Once, when Ānanda utters high praise of Sāriputta, Susīma, who is present, reflects on it and confirms all that Ānanda has said. The retinue of Susīma listen enraptu …

SāmaṇḍakaSāmaṇḍakāniSāmañcakāni

A Paribbājaka, mentioned SN.iv.261f. as having visited Sāriputta at Ukkacela and questioned him regarding Nibbāna, and again AN.v.121f. at Nālakagāma, where he que …

Tavakaṇṇika, Tavannika, Tavakinnoka

A householder who realised Nibbāna from knowledge of the Tathāgata. He is mentioned in a list of such householders, but nothing further is known of him. AN.iii.451

Tavakaṇṇika, Tavannika, Tavakinnoka

A householder who realised Nibbāna from knowledge of the Tathāgata. He is mentioned in a list of such householders, but nothing further is known of him. AN.iii.451

Tavakaṇṇika, Tavannika, Tavakinnoka

A householder who realised Nibbāna from knowledge of the Tathāgata. He is mentioned in a list of such householders, but nothing further is known of him. AN.iii.451

A lay disciple of Ñātika who died and was reborn in the Suddhāvāsa, there to attain Nibbāna. SN.v.358 DN.ii.92

UkkacelāUkkaceḷāUkkavelāUkkaveḷā

A village in the Vajji country, on the banks of the Ganges, on the road from Rājagaha to Vesāli and near the latter.

Once while Sāriputta was staying there, the Pari …

UruvelāSenānigamaUruvelapattana

A locality on the banks of the Nerañjara, in the neighbourhood of the Bodhi-tree at Buddhagayā. MN.i.166 The place chosen by the Bodhisatta for his penances was calle …

Uttamā¹

A bhikkhunī whose verses in the Therīgāthā tell of her repeated struggles before realizing awakening. Thig.42–44

Uttamā²

A bhikkhunī whose verses in the Therīgāthā tel …

A brahmin. He once visited the Buddha at Sāvatthī and asked him whether the five sense-faculties, which were of different scope and range, had any common ground of resort. The Buddha replies that the …

A monk whose Theragāthā verse speaks of the ease of attaining Nibbana for one who practices well. Thag.71

Vakkali

A monk whose Theragāthā verses speak of never relinquishing energy, whether ill or happy, while meditating in the forest. Thag.350–354 The Buddha declared him foremost among those of implicit …

A monk who was declared foremost in the gift of spontaneous poetic expression. AN.i.24

The Theragāthā contains numerous verses spoken by him on various occasions Thag.1208–1279 SN.i.183ff. Some of …

Vāseṭṭha¹

An old sage held in high esteem for his knowledge. He was one of the originators of the Vedic mantras. Vin.i.245 DN.i.104 MN.ii.164 MN.ii.200

Vāseṭṭha²

A clan, proba …

A town that lay between Kusinārā and Sāvatthī. Once the Buddha, with a large company of bhikkhus, visited the town. At that time there dwelt in it a monk who had been ordained late in life and had for …

ĀḷārakālāmaĀḷāraKālāma

One of the two teachers to whom Gotama, after his renunciation, first attached himself, the other being Uddaka Rāmaputta. In the Ariyaparivesāna Sutta MN.i.163–165; also M.i.24 …