Abhibhū¹

Chief disciple of Sikhī Buddha. DN.ii.9 In the Aruṇavatī Sutta it is said that he went with Sikhī to a Brahma-world and, at the Buddha’s request, preached a sermon to the accompa …

A monk whose Theragāthā verse describes understanding the Dhamma as like drawing oneself from water to dry land. Thag.88

Assaji¹

The fifth of the Pañcavaggiyā monks. When the Buddha preached the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, he was the last in whom dawned the eye of Truth, and the Buddha had to discourse to h …

The followers of Assaji and Punabbasu. They lived in Kīṭāgiri, between Sāvatthī and Ālavi, and were guilty of various evil practices. They used to grow flowers, make wreaths and garlands, and send the …

…of long-standing (rattaññūnam). AN.i.23

Several verses attributed to Koṇḍañña are given in the Theragāthā, admonishing fellow…

A clothed Wanderer who lived in a pleasance near Anupiya.

He was a friend of Sunakkhatta. The Buddha once visited him, and their conversation is recorded in the Pātika Sutta. DN.iii.1ff.

BilaṅgikaBhāradvāja

One of the Bhāradvāja brothers. On hearing that the eldest of the clan had entered the Order, he went to the Buddha, and, unable to speak for rage, sat on one side, sulking. The B …

A monk who is said to have asked the Buddha, while on the banks of the Gaggarā Lake in Campā, about the conditions from which the Tathāgata is released and emancipated. The Buddha enumerated ten such. …

BāhuraggiBahunandi

One of seven beings born in the Avihā world, there to pass away entirely. SN.i.35 SN.i.60

CetiyaCetiCetīCedi

One of the sixteen Great Nations, AN.i.213 probably identical with Cedi of the older documents. The people of Ceti settled near the Yamunā, to the east, in the neighbourhood of and …

A group of six monks, contemporary with the Buddha, frequently mentioned as being guilty of various Vinaya offences. Vin.i.84f. Vin.i.104 Vin.i.106 Vin.i.111 Vin.i.113 Vin.i.114 Vin.i.138 Vin.i.160 …

The inhabitants of the lowest deva world. his world derives its name from the Four Great Kings (Cattāro Mahārājāno) who dwell there as guardians of the four quarters: Dhataraṭṭha of the East, Virūḷh …

An eminent arahant, declared chief among monks skilled in creating forms by mind-power and in mental “evolution” (cetovivaṭṭa). AN.i.23

His Theragathā verses speak of how slow his progress was in …

A monk, a close relative of the Buddha, who split the Sangha, and attempted to overthrow the Buddha and have him murdered. In one passage in the Vinaya, Vin.ii.189 Devadatta is spoken of as Godhiputta …

HimavāHimācalaHimavantaHimālaya

The Himālaya mountains. In Himavā, are seven great lakes, each fifty leagues in length, breadth and depth—Anotattā, Kaṇṇamuṇḍā, Rathakāra, Chaddantā, Kuṇālā, Mandākinī …

Inda¹

Given in the Āṭānāṭiya Sutta as the name of the ninety-one sons of Dhataraṭṭha, king of the Gandhabbas. They are represented as being of great strength and followers of the Buddha. …

Isidatta¹

A verse uttered by Isidatta, in response to the Buddha’s enquiry regarding his welfare, is recorded in the Therāgāthā. Thag.120

According to the Saṃyutta Nikāya, SN.iv.283–288 I …

A prince who once visited the novice Aciravata at Veḷuvana in Rājagaha and asked him to teach the Doctrine. Reluctantly the novice did so, but at the end of the exposition Jayasena declared that he wa …

A wanderer who, with his friend Mandissa, visited the Buddha at the Ghositārāma. DN.i.159 The Buddha preached to them the Jāliya Sutta. According to the Pātika Sutta, when Jāliya heard that Pātika cou …

JīvakaJīvakakomārabhacca

A celebrated physician, and the Buddha’s doctor. The Vinaya contains many stories of his skill in healing. Vin.i.268–281 Once when the Buddha was ill, Jīvaka found it necessa …

A Buddha of a past era. His chief disciples were Vidhura and Sañjīva among monks, and Sama and Campā among nuns. His personal attendant was Buddhija. Accuta and Samaṇa, Nandā and Sunandā were his most …

Kappa¹

One of Bāvarī’s disciples. The questions he asked of the Buddha are recorded in the Kappamāṇavapucchā. Snp.1007 Snp.1092–1095

Kappa²

A monk whose Theragāthā verses spea …

KorakkhattaKorakkhattiya

A naked ascetic in Uttarakā. He bellowed like a dog, walked on all fours, and licked up food with his mouth only. Sunakkhatta saw him and greatly admired him, but the Buddha …

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 name of a river which flows out of the Kuṇāladaha. It dries up when, at the end of the aeon, the fourth sun rises.AN.iv.101

4river

A class of Asuras. They were present at the Mahāsamaya, and are spoken of as being of a fearsome shape. DN.ii.259 They are the very lowest of the Asura groups, and the Buddha warns Sunakkhatta that Ko …

A village of the Kāsis, on the road from Kāsi to Sāvatthī. It was the headquarters of the followers of Assaji and Punabbasu, who lived there, behaving in a shameless and wicked manner. A certain monk, …

A hall in the Mahāvana near Vesāli. The Buddha stayed there on several occasions, and in the books are found records of various eminent persons who visited him there and of his conversations with them …

MadhurāMathurā

The capital of Surasena, situated on the Yamunā. Its king, soon after the death of Bimbisāra, was Avantiputta, MN.ii.83 who, judging by his name, was probably related to the royal fami …

The books contain a list of seven great lakes, situated in the Himālaya. They form the sources of the five great rivers and dry up only when four suns appear in the world. These seven lakes are Anotat …

Chief queen of Pasenadi, king of Kosala.

Mallika’s knowledge of the Dhamma made her wiser than Pasenadi would have desired, and he once, in a moment of great affection, asked if anyone were dearer to …

MoḷiyaPhagguna

He was always friendly with the nuns and stood up for them in discussions with the monks. This was reported to the Buddha, who sent for him and preached the Kakacūpama Sutta. MN.i.122* …

The boundaries of the Majjhimadesa are given, and the Paccantajanapadā lies beyond these boundaries. They are: in the east, Kajaṅgala and Mahāsālā; in the south east, the river Salalavatī; in the sout …

One of the kings of the devas, mentioned with Sakka, Varuṇa, Isāna, etc. MN.i.2 SN.i.219 DN.i.244 DN.ii.274

He is sometimes mentioned with Brahmā, as distinct from him. MN.i.140 MN.i.327 MN.i.329

In …

PayāgaPayāgatiṭṭhaPayāgapatiṭṭhāna

A ford on the Ganges, on the direct route from Verañja to Benares, the road passing through Soreyya, Saṅkassa and Kaṇṇakujja, and crossing the Ganges at Payāga. Vin …

PañcanadīPañcamahānadī

In several places in the texts five rivers are mentioned as the five great rivers of India, and they are used in various similes and metaphors. These rivers are: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, …

A monk. In the Saṃyutta Nikāya SN.iv.52 he is represented as asking the Buddha if it were possible, by means of any of the senses, to recognize and proclaim the past Buddhas. The Buddha replies in the …

Punabbasu¹

A young Yakkha. SN.i.210

Punabbasu²

One of the Chabbaggiyā. His followers were called Panabbasukā, and, together with the followers of Assaji, they were called Assa …

A Yakkhinī, mother of Punabbasu. One evening towards sunset, when the Buddha was at Jetavana, she, with her daughter Uttarā on her hip and the boy’s hand in hers, came to the grove in search of food. …

Puṇṇa¹

He was born in the family of a householder of Suppāraka in the Sunāparanta country. One day he asked the Buddha for a short lesson so that, having learnt it, he might go back to dwe …

PālileyyaPārileyyaPārileyyaka

A town near Kosambī. When the Buddha found that he could not persuade the Kosambī monks to refrain from quarrelling, he left Kosambī alone and unattended, and passing th …

A naked ascetic of Vesāli who went about claiming to have greater mystic powers than the Buddha, and thereby much impressed Sunakkhatta. Pātikaputta had prophesied that, after death, the Licchavi gene …

Rakkhita ¹

A monk whose Theragāthā verse speaks of having uprooted all defilements and become cool. Thag.79

Rakkhita²Rakkhitavanasaṇḍa

A forest tract near the village of Pāril …

RāhulaRāhulabhadda

Only son of Gotama Buddha. When the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu for the first time after his Enlightenment and accepted Suddhodana’s invitation, Rāhula’s mother sent the boy to the …

Overmastered by corrupt habits of mind and character, for twenty five years he was unable to develop concentration. This so distressed him that he was about to commit suicide, when, inward vision sudd …

A very learned brahmin of Candalakappa. One day he saw Dhānañjānī trip up, and heard her exclaim three times, “Glory to the Buddha, the arahant, the all enlightened.” He blamed her for thus extolling …

SikhīArindama

A Buddha of a past age.DN.ii.7 DN.iii.195f. SN.ii.9

• He was born in the Nisabha pleasance in Aruṇavatī.
• His father was the khattiya Aruṇa and his mother Pabhāvatī.
• His wife wa …

A deva to whom sacrifice is offered; he is generally mentioned with Varuṇa, Pajāpati and Yama. DN.i.244 DN.ii.259

In the Āṭānāṭiya Sutta DN.iii.204 he is spoken of as a Yakkha chief.

Soṇa¹

A Thera, declared chief of those possessing clear utterance. AN.i.24 He lived in Avantī, where he met Mahākaccāna and was later ordained by him, after much difficulty assembling the …

A Licchavi prince of Vesāli. He was, at one time, a member of the Order and the personal attendant of the Buddha, but was later converted to the views of Korakkhattiya and went about defaming the Budd …

A monk whose Theragāthā verse speaks of one who understands the mind, practicing jhāna happily. Thag.85

A country in which was the port of Suppāraka, birthplace of Puṇṇa Thera. With the Buddha’s permission, he returned to Sunāparanta. The people of Sunāparanta were reported as being fierce and violent. …

Suppiya¹

A Paribbājaka. He was the teacher of Brahmadatta. It was the discussion between these two, in the Ambalaṭṭhikā park, regarding the virtues of the Buddha, his Dhamma and his Order, …

A nun, one of four sisters who all joined the Order, the others being Nandā, Nandavatī and Sundarinandā.

Thulla-Nandā appears to have had charge of a large company of nuns, all of whom followed her …

ThūlūBumūBūmūThulūKhulūKhūlūKhuhū

The name of a gotta. The village of Uttarakā belonged to them, and when the Buddha was staying there with Sunakkhatta, the latter was greatly taken up with the pra …

A brahmin village on the western boundary of Majjhimadesa. Vin.i.197 It was in the Kosala country and belonged to the Mallas, and was once visited by the Buddha. Ud.vii.9

on the western boundary of M …

The people of Thūṇa.

Upananda¹

A monk, belonging to the Sākyan clan, who was known for his greed in procuring requisites. Several incidents connected with him are mentioned in the Vinaya. Once he promised to s …

Uttarakā²

A village of the Thūlūs. The Buddha once stayed there and Sunakkhatta was in his company. At that time Korakkhattiya was also staying there. DN.iii.6

4town

A Yakkhinī, mother of Punabbasu and Uttarā. Once as she passed Jetavana at sunset looking for food, with her daughter on her hip and holding her son by his finger, she saw the assembly, intently liste …

Uttarā¹

A bhikkhunī whose Therīgāthā verses tell of her awakening. Thig.15

Uttarā²

The Therīgāthā contains seven verses uttered by her after becoming an arahant, the result of …

A king of the devas, mentioned as the companion of Sakka, Pajāpati and Isāna. In battle against the Asuras, the devas of Tāvatiṃsā were asked to look upon the banner of Varuṇa in order to have all the …

A class of deities present at the preaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta.DN.ii.259 DN.ii.260 They probably form the retinue of Varuṇa.

The Vaṃsas and their country. It lay to the south of Kosala, and its capital was Kosambī on the Yamunā. Udena, son of Parantapa, was its king in the time of the Buddha.

Avanti lay to the south of th …

A city, capital of the Licchavis. It is not possible to know how many visits were paid by the Buddha to Vesāli, but the books would lead us to infer that they were several. Various Vinaya rules are me …

A Buddha of the past, whose story is told in the Mahāpadāna Sutta. He was born in the Khema park in Bandhumatī, his father being Bandhumā and his mother Bandhumatī. He belonged to the Koṇḍañña gotta. …

A class of deities, followers of Varuda, who were present at the preaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta. DN.ii.259

A class of non human beings generally described as non-human. They are mentioned with Devas, Rakkhasas, Dānavas, Gandhabbas, Kinnaras, and Mahoragas (? Nāgas).

Elsewhere AN.ii.38 they rank, in progr …

The second of the five great rivers of Jambudīpa, which are often used in similes. Vin.ii.237 AN.iv.101 AN.iv.198 AN.iv.202 AN.v.22 Vin.ii.2371 Vin.ii.2373 The river was evidently the special resort o …

One of the chief devas.

In the Tevijja Sutta DN.i.244 he is mentioned with Indra, Soma, Varuṇa, Pajāpati and Brahmā, as being invoked by the brahmins.

He was in the battle of the devas against the A …