Culla-AnÄthapiṇá¸ika
An eminent lay disciple of the Buddha. He was a Non-returner (anÄgÄmÄ«), and offered to perform a miracle himself before the Buddha showed the Twin Miracle (DhA.iii.210). Culla-AnÄthapiṇá¸ika provided food for three months for the multitude, covering an area of twelve leagues, which had assembled at SÄvatthi to await the descent of the Buddha from TÄvatiṃsa after his teaching of the Abhidhamma Piá¹aka (DhA.iii.218; AA.i.71). Five hundred monks fed daily at Culla-AnÄthapiṇá¸ika’s house in SÄvatthi (DhA.i.339). He was one of the seven lay disciples of the Buddha who had each five hundred followers (SA.iii.223). Culla-AnÄthapiṇá¸ika is generally mentioned (e.g., J.i.148; ii.287, iii.520) together with Pasenadi, VisÄkhÄ, and AnÄthapiṇá¸ika as the Buddha’s eminent lay-patrons. His personal name is not known. The sobriquet was probably given on account of his generosity, rivalling that of AnÄthapiṇá¸ika.
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