Anathapindika ( pi, Anāthapiṇḍika; sa, Anāthapiṇḍada); born Sudatta, was a wealthy merchant and banker, believed to have been the wealthiest merchant in
Savatthi
Shravasti ( sa, श्रावस्ती, translit=Śrāvastī; pi, 𑀲𑀸𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀻, translit=Sāvatthī) is a city and district headquarter of Shravasti district in Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It was the capital of the anc ...
in the time of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. He is considered to have been the chief male
patron
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
of the Buddha. Anathapindika founded the
Jetavana Monastery
Jetavana (Jethawanaramaya or Weluwanaramaya ''buddhist literature'') was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries or viharas in India (present-day Uttar Pradesh). It was the second vihara donated to Gautama Buddha after the Venuvan ...
in Savatthi, considered one of the two most important temples in the time of the historic Buddha, the other being Migāramātupāsāda.
Anathapindika was born into a wealthy merchant family in Savatthi with the birth name Sudatta, and was a relative of
Subhūti
Subhūti (Pali: Subhūti; ) was one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism he is considered the disciple who was foremost in being " worthy of gifts" (Pali: ''dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ'') and "living remote and in peace" (P ...
, one of the Buddha's
principal disciples. He became widely known by the nickname ''Anathapindika'', literally "one who gives alms (''piṇḍa'') to the unprotected (''anātha'')", due to his reputation of loving to give to those in need. Anathapindika met the Buddha while on a business trip in
Rājagaha
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...
after being told about him by his brother-in-law. He reached
''sotapanna'', a stage of enlightenment, after listening to the Buddha preach. Following the encounter, Anathapindika became a devoted lay follower and purchased land to build the
Jetavana Monastery
Jetavana (Jethawanaramaya or Weluwanaramaya ''buddhist literature'') was one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries or viharas in India (present-day Uttar Pradesh). It was the second vihara donated to Gautama Buddha after the Venuvan ...
from the prince of
Kosala
The Kingdom of Kosala (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian kingdom with a rich culture, corresponding to the area within the region of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh to Western Odisha. It emerged as a janapada, small state during the late Ve ...
by covering the park grounds with coins. After building Jetavana Monastery, Anathapindika continued to generously support the Buddha and his monastic community throughout his life and became known as the Buddha's greatest patron and benefactor along with his female counterpart,
Visakha
Visakha ( pi, Visākhā; sa, Viśākhā), also known as Migāramāta, was a wealthy aristocratic woman who lived during the time of Gautama Buddha. She is considered to have been the chief female patron of the Buddha. Visakha founded the temple ...
.
As chief patron, Anathapindika fed large numbers of the Buddha's monks daily and regularly maintained and supplied Jetavana Monastery, as well as served as one of the Buddha's primary aides in dealing with the general public. He is known as the male lay disciple of the Buddha who was foremost in generosity. Anathapindika is frequently referred to as Anathapindika-''setthi'' (''
setthi
Setthi (Pali, ', Brahmi script: 𑀲𑁂𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺) is a Pali word, often used in Buddhist scriptures and inscriptions, meaning a "foreman of a guild, treasurer, banker, 'City man', wealthy merchant" or "millionaire".
Anathapindika, the mai ...
'' meaning "wealthy person" or "millionaire"), and is sometimes referred to as Mahā Anāthapindika to distinguish him from Cūla Anāthapindika, another disciple of the Buddha.
Background
In Buddhist belief, when a fully enlightened
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
appears in the world, he always has a set of chief disciples that fulfill different roles. On top of the pair of chief
Arahant
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
disciples such as Gautama Buddha's chief male disciples
Sariputta and
Moggallana
Maudgalyāyana ( pi, Moggallāna), also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or by his birth name Kolita, was one of the Buddha's closest disciples. Described as a contemporary of disciples such as Subhuti, Śāriputra ('), and Mahākāśyapa ( pi, ...
, and his chief female disciples
Khema
Khema (Pali: Khemā; Sanskrit: Kṣemā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'', or nun, who was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief female disciples, along with Uppalavanna. Khema was b ...
and
Uppalavanna
Uppalavanna (Pali: Uppalavaṇṇā; Sanskrit: Utpalavarṇā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'' (Pali; Sanskrit: Bhikshuni), or nun, who was considered one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the second of the Buddha's two ...
, all Buddhas have a set of chief patrons as well. Gautama Buddha's chief male patron was Anathapindika, with his chief female patron being
Visakha
Visakha ( pi, Visākhā; sa, Viśākhā), also known as Migāramāta, was a wealthy aristocratic woman who lived during the time of Gautama Buddha. She is considered to have been the chief female patron of the Buddha. Visakha founded the temple ...
.
According to the
Pali Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
During th ...
, in the time of
Padumuttara Buddha
According to the Buddhavaṃsa of the Pali Canon, Padumuttara or Padumuttara Buddha is the thirteenth of the twenty-nine buddhas who preceded the historical Gautama Buddha.
In the Buddhavamsa, he is described as:
One hundred thousand aeons ago, ...
, a householder was inspired when Padumattara Buddha spoke of his own lay disciple who was foremost in generosity. The householder then resolved in that lifetime to become the disciple foremost in generosity of a future Buddha himself, and did many good deeds in hopes of becoming one. His wish was fulfilled in this lifetime when he was reborn as Anathapindika and became the chief patron of Gautama Buddha.
Biography
Early life and family
Anathapindika was born with the given name Sudatta and was the son of a wealthy merchant named Sumana. He was a relative of
Subhūti
Subhūti (Pali: Subhūti; ) was one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism he is considered the disciple who was foremost in being " worthy of gifts" (Pali: ''dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ'') and "living remote and in peace" (P ...
, who would later become the disciple of the Buddha who was foremost in being
worthy of gifts (''dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ)''.
When Sudatta grew up, he married a woman named Puññalakkhanā, the sister of a wealthy merchant in
Rājagaha
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...
. Sudatta was known for his generosity even before his conversion to Buddhism, and was known to the public by the nickname "Anathapindika", or "one who gives alms to the unprotected", due to his love for giving. Anathapindika had one son, Kāla, and three daughters, Mahā-Subhaddā, Cūla-Subhaddā and Sumanā. His daughter-in-law was Sujātā, the youngest sister of his female counterpart,
Visakha
Visakha ( pi, Visākhā; sa, Viśākhā), also known as Migāramāta, was a wealthy aristocratic woman who lived during the time of Gautama Buddha. She is considered to have been the chief female patron of the Buddha. Visakha founded the temple ...
.
Meeting the Buddha
Buddhist texts
Buddhist texts are those religious texts which belong to the Buddhist tradition. The earliest Buddhist texts were not committed to writing until some centuries after the death of Gautama Buddha. The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts a ...
describe Anathapindika's first encounter with the Buddha as being in Rājagaha. While on business, Anathapindika went to visit his brother-in-law, who was already a follower of the Buddha. When he arrived at his brother-in-law's house, he noticed that the household was preparing for an elaborate feast, and mistook it as preparation for a wedding or a visit from the king.
When Anathapindika asked about the preparations, his brother-in-law explained that they were preparing for a visit from the Buddha (the Enlightened One) and his monks. Upon hearing this, Anathapindika became overjoyed, exclaiming "You mean that a fully enlightened being had arisen in the world?", and immediately resolved to go meet him.
The following day Anathapindika arose early to meet the Buddha, but realized it was still dark. He still continued however, after a friendly
''yakka'' whispered in his ear and urged him to continue. Anathapindika eventually reached a figure which called him "Sudatta" and asked him to come forward. Surprised to hear his birth name, which was not known to the public, he concluded it could only be the Buddha, and went forward. The Buddha then had a discussion with him and expounded the
Four Noble Truths
In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: ; pi, cattāri ariyasaccāni; "The four Arya satyas") are "the truths of the Noble Ones", the truths or realities for the "spiritually worthy ones". ''sotapanna'',_a_stage_of_Four_stages_of_enlightenment.html" ;"title="Four Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encycl ...
, afterwards Anathapindika achieved the state of
''sotapanna'', a stage of
enlightenment.
__Building_Jetavana_Monastery_
Following_Anathapindika's_first_encounter_with_the_Buddha,_he_requested_to_offer_him_a_meal,_which_the_Buddha_accepted,_and_then_asked_to_build_a_temple_for_him_and_his_monks_in_his_hometown_of_Savatthi,_to_which_the_Buddha_agreed.
Shortly_after,_Anathapindika_went_back_to_Savatthi_to_search_for_a_place_to_build_the_monastery._Looking_for_a_place_that_was_both_accessible_to_followers_and_peacefully_secluded,_he_came_across_a_park_belonging_to_Prince_Jeta,_the_son_of_enlightenment.
__Building_Jetavana_Monastery_
Following_Anathapindika's_first_encounter_with_the_Buddha,_he_requested_to_offer_him_a_meal,_which_the_Buddha_accepted,_and_then_asked_to_build_a_temple_for_him_and_his_monks_in_his_hometown_of_Savatthi,_to_which_the_Buddha_agreed.
Shortly_after,_Anathapindika_went_back_to_Savatthi_to_search_for_a_place_to_build_the_monastery._Looking_for_a_place_that_was_both_accessible_to_followers_and_peacefully_secluded,_he_came_across_a_park_belonging_to_Prince_Jeta,_the_son_of_Pasenadi">King_Pasenadi_
Pasenadi_(_pi,_पसेनदि_;__sa,_प्रसेनजित्_;_c._6th_century_BCE)_was_an___ruler_of__Kosala.__Sāvatthī_was_his_capital._He_succeeded_after_._He_was_a_prominent__(lay_follower)_of_Gautama_Buddha,_and_built_many_Budd_...
_of_Kosala_
The_Kingdom_of_Kosala_(Sanskrit:_)_was_an_ancient_Indian_kingdom_with_a_rich_culture,_corresponding_to_the_area_within_the_region_of_Awadh_in_present-day_Uttar_Pradesh_to_Western_Odisha._It_emerged_as_a_janapada,_small_state_during_the_late_Ve_...
._Anathapindika_offered_to_buy_the_park_from_the_prince_but_the_prince_refused,_after_Anathapindika_persisted,_the_prince_said_he_will_sell_him_the_park_if_he_covers_it_with_coins,_thinking_nobody_would_accept_such_a_price._To_the_prince's_surprise,_Anathapindika_agreed.
When_Prince_Jeta_stated_that_he_was_not_being_serious_and_still_would_not_sell_the_park,_Anathapindika_and_the_prince_went_to_arbitrators_who_concluded_that_Prince_Jeta_had_to_sell_the_park_at_the_agreed_price._The_coins_Anathapindika_brought_covered_all_of_the_park_except_for_one_spot_at_the_entrance._Anathapindika_sent_the_order_for_more_pieces_to_be_brought,_but_having_been_inspired_by_the_merchant's_resolve_and_wanting_to_share_in_the_Merit_(Buddhism).html" "title="Pasenadi.html" "title="Four stages of enlightenment">enlightenment.
Building Jetavana Monastery
Following Anathapindika's first encounter with the Buddha, he requested to offer him a meal, which the Buddha accepted, and then asked to build a temple for him and his monks in his hometown of Savatthi, to which the Buddha agreed.
Shortly after, Anathapindika went back to Savatthi to search for a place to build the monastery. Looking for a place that was both accessible to followers and peacefully secluded, he came across a park belonging to Prince Jeta, the son of Pasenadi">King Pasenadi
Pasenadi ( pi, पसेनदि ; sa, प्रसेनजित् ; c. 6th century BCE) was an ruler of Kosala. Sāvatthī was his capital. He succeeded after . He was a prominent (lay follower) of Gautama Buddha, and built many Budd ...
. Anathapindika offered to buy the park from the prince but the prince refused, after Anathapindika persisted, the prince said he will sell him the park if he covers it with coins, thinking nobody would accept such a price. To the prince's surprise, Anathapindika agreed.
When Prince Jeta stated that he was not being serious and still would not sell the park, Anathapindika and the prince went to arbitrators who concluded that Prince Jeta had to sell the park at the agreed price.
The coins Anathapindika brought covered all of the park except for one spot at the entrance. Anathapindika sent the order for more pieces to be brought, but having been inspired by the merchant's resolve and wanting to share in the Merit (Buddhism)">merit