Aṇguttara-Nikāya
I. Ekanipāta
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
Part I
The Book of the Ones
Suttas 188-210
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
Chapter XIV.
(a) Pre-eminent ones.[47]
[188][olds] 'Monks, chief among my disciples
who are monks of long standing
is Aññā Kondañña.[48]
■
[189][olds] Chief among those of great wisdom
is Sāriputta.[49]
■
[190][olds] Chief among those of supernormal powers
is Great Moggallāna.[50]
■
[191][olds] Chief among those who uphold minute observance of forms
is Kassapa the Great.[51]
■
[192][olds] Chief of my disciples who are monks,
among those who are clairvoyant,
is Anuruddha.[52]
■
[193][olds] Chief of my disciples
among those who are of high caste
is Bhaddiya, Kaligodhā's son.[53]
■
[194][olds] [17] Chief of my disciples
who are of sweet voice
is Bhaddiya the Dwarf.[54]
■
[195][olds] Chief of my disciples
who are lion-roarers
is Bhāradvāja the Scrap-hunter.[55]
■
[196][olds] Chief of my disciples
who are Dhamma-teachers
is Puñña, Mantāni's son.[56]
■
[197][olds] Chief of my disciples
who are expounders in full
of brief sayings
is Great Kaccāna.[57]
(b).
■
[198][olds] 'Chief among my disciples
who are monks skilled in creating forms by mind-power
is Culla-Panthaka.[58]
■
[199][olds] Chief of my disciples who are skilled in mental evolution[59]
is Culla-Panthaka.
■
[200][olds] Chief of my disciples who are skilled in the evolution of consciousness[60]
is Panthaka the Great.[61]
■
[201][olds] Chief of my disciples of those who live (remote) in peace
is Subhūti.[62]
■
[202][olds] Chief of my disciples of those worthy of offerings
is Subhūti.
■
[203][olds] Chief of my disciples who are forest-dwellers
is Revata, the Acacia-wood-lander.[63]
■
[204][olds] Chief of my disciples of meditative power
is Revata the Doubter.[1]
■
[205][olds] Chief of my disciples who strive energetically
is Soṇa of the Kola-vīsa clan.[65]
■
[206][olds] Chief of my disciples of clear utterance
is Soṇa-Kuṭikañña.[66]
■
[207][olds] Chief of my disciples who receive offerings
is Sīvali.[67]
■
[208][olds] Chief of my disciples who are of implicit faith
is Vakkali.[68]
(c).
■
[209][olds] 'Monks, chief among my disciples who are monks anxious for training
is Rāhula.[69]
■
[210][olds] Monks, chief among my disciples who went forth in faith
is Raṭṭhapāla.[70]
[47] The greater part of Comy., vol. i, is taken up with long accounts of these 'great ones,' their previous lives and the events which led to their success in this last life. It is impossible here to do more than give references. Thera- and Therī-gāthā (Psalms of Brethren and Sisters,) contain a short summary of each, according to Dhammapāla Ācariya who does not, however, refer to the Commentary he quotes from as Buddhaghosa's Manoratha-Pūraṇī, probably a recast of other and older traditions and Commentaries. Of the twenty-eight monks here named all but two have verses ascribed to them in Theragāthā. This chapter is called Etad Aggaṇ ('this is the top, the cream of'). The tradition, and probably no more than that, was that these disciples were thus singled out for honour at the Jetavana 'Great Minster,' some fourteen years after the Great Enlightenment. Cf. K.S. ii, 108 for five of them.
page 417 (Appendix): Page 284: Read Annā Kondañña. It is interesting to note that the Burmese MS. of the Commentary, when commencing his legend, retains the original form Aññāsi-Kondañña. The Buddha, namely, when he had convinced this, his first disciple, is said to have exclaimed, Aññasi vato bho Kondañño! (Truly Kondañña has perceived!), and the latter became known as Aññāta-Kondañña ("Kondañña who has that which is perceived") (Vinaya Texts, i. 98). In subsequent allusions the Commentary calls him simply Kondañña, or Kondañña-mānava. In Milinda, ii., 44, where the eight brahmins names are given, he is called Yañña. Cf. Buddhist Birth Stories (Nidāna-Kathā), p. 72 f., 113, where he is called Yañña, and Aññā-Kondañña respectively.
— p.p.
[48] Cf. Brethren, 284, 405, 417; Vin. i, 100; Apadāna i, 48. He was the first to understand Dhamma: hence his name (= ñāta-K., paṭivedha-K. Comy.); but Aññā has probably no reference to his recognition of the Truth, and was actually his personal name. Cf. Gotama the Man, p.102.
[49] Cf. Brethr. 340; K.S. ii, 130, 159; DhpA. i, 90. Sāri's son, originally called Sārada: Ap. 15,23 [Sāriputto Sāketīsu visārado].
[50] Generally paired with Sāriputta. Cf. Vin. Texts i, 144; Brethr. 382; Ap. 31.
[51] Cf. Brethr. 359; K.S. ii, 149, etc.; Ap. 33. He had the honour of exchanging robes with the Master.
[52] Cf. K.S. iv, 163; Brethr. 325; Ap. 35.
[53] Cf. Brethr. 315; S. v, 396; K.S. v, 340; Ap. 95 (sabbāsu bhavayonīsu uccā-kulī bhavissati).
[54] Lakuṇṭaka. Cf. Brethr. 230; K.S. ii, 189; Ap. 489 (sarena madhurenāhaṇ pūjetvā isi-sattamaṇ|| Mañjussarānaṇ bhikkhūnaṇ aggattam anupāpuṇiṇ).
Page 415 (starts 414) (Appendix): Page 110: n.4.: It should have here been stated that piṇḍola is Pāli for beggar, almsman. Childer's Dictionary does not know the word. Not recognizing it as a purely common name, the translator and even the editor of the Iti-vuttaka (§91) have yielded to the obstructive association created by the well-known soubriquet. Yet both Dhammapāla's Commentary (on Iti-vutaka) and that on the parallel Saṇyutta, iii. 93 are clear: - piṇḍāya uḷatīti piṇḍolo: piṇḍolassa kammaṇ piṇḍolyaṇ. The soubriquet of Beggar-Bhāradvāja may have been given by contemptuous kinsfolk. On the abuse bestowed on the beggar (specimens are given in the latter Commentary) see Tālaputa's verse (1118). It appears that Piṇḍola is the name of a "Wandering Jew" bhikkhu in Chinese Buddhist legends. But it is clear from both the translated and the excised legends in Dhammapāla's Commentary, that he knew nothing about that. Cf. A.J. Edmunds, Buddhist and Christian Gospels, ii, 264.
Wandering Jew: Not the houseplant that Google brings up searching this term. A mythical figure described in the Novel by Eutene Sue [The Wandering Jew]. He doesn't die, wanders the world and because of his longevity compiles a vast fortune and great knowledge.
— p.p.
[55] Cf. K.S. iv, 68; Brethr. 110, 415; Ud. iv. 6; Ap. 50; called 'Scrap-hunter' from the huge size of his begging-bowl. The 'lion's roar' refers to his readiness to make a claim.
[56] Cf. Brethr. 8, 423; Ap. 36; K.S. iv, 34 (he went to Sunāparanta and was killed).
[57] Or Kaccāyana. Cf. Brethr. 238; Ap. 84 (sankhittaṇ pucchitaṇ pañhaṇ vitthārena kathessati), 463; Gotama the Man, 113.
[58] Or Cūḷa- ('little highwayman'). Cf. Brethr. 258; Ud. v, 10 (UdA. 319); Ap. 58. Acc. to Comy. other monks in exercising this power could produce only two or three forms; but C. could 'manufacture' as many as a thousand recluses at 'one sitting,' no two being alike in appearance or action.
[59] Read ceto-vivaṭṭa (for -vivaddha of our text). Cf. Pts. i, 108. Vivaṭṭa (as opposed to vaṭṭa, the downward arc of devolution) signifies release from saṇsāra. This elder was expert in rūpa-jjhāna, as his brother (below) was in arūpa-jjhāna. Acc. to Comy. the former excelled in samādhi, the latter in vipassanā. Both were born on the highway: hence the names.
[60] Saññā-vivaṭṭa.
[61] Cf. Brethr. 242. At Ap. 58 he has no separate verses.
[62] Araṇa-vihāriṇ. Comy. def. as nikkilesa-v. (Raṇan ti rāgāday kilesā vuccanti). Cf. Brethr. 4; Ap. 67:
Bhikkhu sanghe nisīditvā dakkhiṇeyya-guṇamhi taṇ
Tathāraṇa-vihāre ca dvīsu aggaṇ ṭhapessati.
[63] Younger brother of Sāriputta. Cf. Brethr. 45, 279; Ap. 51; Gotama the Man, 116, a teacher of the Jain doctrine of ahiṇsa.
[64] Kankhā-R. Cf. Brethr. 7. A doubter even of things accepted as fit and proper (kappiye). Ap. 491, Kankhā me bahuso āsi kappākappe tahiṇ tahiṇ).
[65] Cf. Brethr. 275; Vin. Texts, ii, 1. Comy. gives a variant Koṭi-vesso. Ap. 93, Koliya-vessa (Ap. n. ad loc. wrongly identifies him with Kuṭi-kanna, infra).' Soṇa = golden, from the hue of his body and hair. Of a delicate constitution, he wore himself out by excessive zeal, on which fault the Master lectured him in the simile of the lute. Cf. Vin. i, 5, § 13.
[66] Called Koṭi-kaṇṇa, 'crore-ears,' from his wearing ear-rings worth a crore. Cf. Brethr. 202; Ud. v, 6; UdA. 307; Vin. i, 197. Not in Apadāna.
[67] Son of the rājah of Koliya (Ud. ii, 8). Cf. Brethr. 60; Ap. 492, lābhīnaṇ Sīvalī aggo mama sissesu bhikkhavo.
[68] Cf. Brethr. 197. His story occurs at K.S. iii, 101-6; DhpA. on Dhp. 381. Suffering from an incurable disease he killed himself on Black Rock: Ap. 465.
[69] The Buddha's only son. Cf. Brethr. 183; K.S. iii, 114, etc.; Ap. 60; Gotama the Man, 130, 211.
[70] Cf. Brethr. 302; Ap. 63. 'Realm-warder.'
