Udāyī¹LāludāyīPaṇḍita Udāyī

There were at least two monks called Udāyī, and it is not always possible to be sure which one is meant. When the Buddha preached the Nāgopama Sutta, AN.iii.344f. on the occasion when Seta, King Pasenadi’s elephant, was publicly admired, Udāyī was stirred to enthusiasm by thoughts of the Buddha and uttered sixteen verses, extolling the virtues of the Buddha, comparing him to a great and wondrous elephant. Thag.689–704 AN.iii.346–347

Once when Udāyī was staying at Kāmandā, in Todeyya’s mango-grove, he converted a pupil of a brahmin of the Verahaccāni clan and, as a result, was invited by Verahaccāni herself to her house. It was only on his third visit to Verahaccāni that Udāyī preached to her and she thereupon became a follower of the Faith. SN.iv.121–124

The Saṃyutta Nikāya SN.iv.166f. AN.iv.426f. also records a conversation between Udāyī and Ānanda, when Udāyī asks if it is possible to describe the consciousness, too, as being without the self. On another occasion Udāyī has a discussion with Pañcakaṅga on feeling. MN.i.396ff. SN.iv.223–224 Ānanda overhears their conversation and reports it to the Buddha, who says that Udāyī’s explanation is true, though not accepted by Pañcakaṅga.

Elsewhere. SN.v.86ff. Udāyī is mentioned as asking the Buddha to instruct him on the awakening factors, and once, at Desaka in the Sumbha country, he tells the Buddha how he cultivated the awakening factors and thereby attained to final emancipation. SN.v.89

He is rebuked by the Buddha for his sarcastic remark to Ānanda, that Ānanda had failed to benefit by his close association with the Master. The Buddha assures him that Ānanda will, in that very life, become an arahant. AN.i.228

Udāyī was evidently a clever and attractive preacher, for he is mentioned as having addressed large crowds, a task demanding great powers, as the Buddha himself says when this news of Udāyī is reported to him. AN.iii.184

Udāyī²

There were at least two monks called Udāyī, and it is not always possible to be sure which one is meant. It was once his turn to recite the Pātimokkha before the Saṅgha, but because he had a crow’s voice, he had to obtain permission to make a special effort so that his recitation might be audible to the others. Vin.i.115 It is, perhaps, this same monk who is mentioned in the Vinaya as having been guilty of numerous Sanghādisesa offences. Vin.iii.110f. Vin.iii.119f. Vin.iii.127f. Vin.iii.137f. Vin.iii.135ff.

He is censured again and again and various penalties are inflicted on him, nevertheless he repeats his offences. Vin.ii.38ff. In the Nissagyiya Vin.iii.205f. a story is told of a nun, a former mistress of Udāyī, who conceived a child through touching a garment worn by him. Once when Uppalavaṇṇā asked him to take some meat to the Buddha, he demanded her inner robe as his fees. Vin.iii.208 He seems to have been very fond of the company of women and they returned his liking. Vin.iv.20 Vin.iv.61 Vin.iv.68 There was evidently a strain of cruelty in him, for we are told of his shooting crows and spitting them with their heads cut off. Vin.iv.124 He is described as being fat. Vin.iv.171 He is perhaps to be identified with Lāludāyī.

Udāyī³

A brahmin. He visited the Buddha at Sāvatthī and asked if the Buddha ever praised sacrifice. The Buddha’s answer was that he did not commend sacrifices which involved butchery, but praised those which were innocent of any killing. AN.ii.43f.