CūḷanÄga
1. CūḷanÄga Thera.- Generally referred to as Tipiá¹aka-CūḷanÄga. He was evidently a very famous commentator, and his opinions are quoted in the commentaries of Buddhaghosa. (e.g., MA.i.126; SA.iii.206; DhsA.229, 267, 284; Vm.389; also FsA.405). CūḷanÄga was the pupil of Summa Thera of DÄ«pavihÄra (AA.ii.845) and a contemporary of Tipiá¹aka-Cūḷabhaya Thera, who seems to have differed from him most violently on certain points (See VihhA.16; also DhsA.230). CūḷanÄga lived in the reign of Kuá¹akaṇṇa-Tissa (16-38 A.C.), and we are told (VibhA.452) that the king held him in great respect. Once the Elder had a boil on his finger, and the king, visiting him, put the finger in his mouth to alleviate the pain. The boil burst and the king swallowed the pus therefrom. When the Elder lay dying the king carried on his head the pot containing his stools, lamenting, “The mainstay of the Dhamma is lost.†The Saṃyutta Commentary (SA.ii.201) tells of an incident which occurred when CūḷanÄga was teaching in the LohapÄsÄda. A brahmin, listening to him, was so convinced by the discourse of the impermanence of all things, that he ran home and clasped his son to his heart, saying that he was undone. The Elder once received a bowl which it was not right for him to keep and he gave it to the Saá¹…gha (Sp.iii.699). CūḷanÄga does not always seem to have agreed with his teacher in his interpretations of various matters (VibhA.342). Once when it was announced to Summa that CūḷanÄga had explained the word thÅ«pÄ«kata in a certain way, he expressed great sorrow and resentment and declared that though he had seven times read the Vinaya with CūḷanÄga, he had never taught him such an explanation; but CūḷanÄga was able to uphold his contention (Sp.iv.892; for another incident see Cūḷa-Summa). CūḷanÄga once taught the Chachakka Sutta in AmbilahÄla VihÄra, and on that occasion the audience of men extended to a distance of one gÄvuta and that of devas to a distance of a league. At the end of the discourse, one thousand monks became Arahants (MA.ii.1025).
2. CūḷanÄga.- A Thera of VasÄḷanagara. With his brother MahÄnÄga, he entered the Order and, for thirty years, lived in Cittalapabbata, where he attained Arahantship. He refused to reveal his identity to his mother when visiting her because he did not wish to have any attachments. SA.ii.125.
3. CūḷanÄga.- A Thera of Sri Lanka. An eminent teacher of the Vinaya. Vin.v.3; Sp.i.62.
4. CūḷanÄga.- A monk of PidhÄnagalla in the time of Duá¹á¹hagÄmaṇī. Saá¹…ghadattÄ (q.v.) gave him a robe.
5. CūḷanÄga.- A monk of AsiggÄhaka-pariveṇa. One day, after having obtained alms in Candavaá¹…kavÄ«thi, he fed a starving bitch. That same evening he got large quantities of ghee and molasses which he gave to his colleagues. For thirty two years he gave alms to thousands of monks from food given to him by the people of Candavaá¹…kavÄ«thi. Later, he became an Arahant. Once, 500 monks on pilgrimage to the Bodhi-tree, took him with them to avert danger. In four months they reached Koá¹á¹apaá¹á¹ana and in seven months the Bodhi-tree, being well entertained everywhere. On the way back CūḷanÄga was seized with a colic and died; but before death he advised his colleagues to cremate his body and take his ashes that they might be provided with their wants. Ras.ii.122f.
6. CūḷanÄga.- A fortress in RÄjaraá¹á¹ha (in Sri Lanka). Ras.ii.145.
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