DhammapÄla
1. DhammapÄla Thera.- An Arahant. He was a brahmin of AvantÄ« and studied in TakkasilÄ. While returning from there after completing his studies, he saw a monk dwelling apart and, having heard the Dhamma from him, entered the Order and became an Arahant. We are told that one day, while meditating, he saw two novices climbing a tree in the vihÄra to pick flowers. The bough broke and they fell, but he, with his iddhi-power, caught them and put them down unhurt.
In the time of AtthadassÄ« Buddha he gave to the Buddha a pilakkha-fruit (Thag.vs.203f; ThagA.i.326f). He is probably identical with PilakkhaphaladÄyaka of the ApadÄna. Ap.i.298.
2. DhammapÄla.- A brahmin, son of the Bodhisatta. See MahÄ-DhammapÄla.
3. DhammapÄla.- The Bodhisatta born as the son of MahÄ-DhammapÄla. For his story see the MahÄ-DhammapÄla JÄtaka.
4. DhammapÄla.- The Bodhisatta born as the son of King MahÄpatÄpa. For his story see the Culla-DhammapÄla JÄtaka.
5. DhammapÄla.- A name given to Vidhurapaṇá¸ita. J.vi.289, 291.
6. DhammapÄla KumÄra.- The son of Vidhurapandita (q.v.) He is identified with RÄhula. J.vi.290, 300, 329.
7. DhammapÄla.- The name of the family (kula) of DhammapÄla, and the village in KÄsi where he lived (J.iv.50; PvA.61). See the the MahÄ-DhammapÄla JÄtaka.
8. DhammapÄla.- A celebrated author, generally referred to as Ä€cariya. Various works are attributed to him, but as there seem to have been several authors of the same name (Gv. (p.66f.) mentions four), it is difficult to assign their works separately. The best known, distinguished by the name of Ä€cariya, is said (Gv. p.69) to have written fourteen books. The SÄsanavaṃsa (p.33) records that he lived at Badaratittha in South India.
His works show that he was a native of KÄñcipura. His period is uncertain, though it is generally agreed that he is posterior to Buddhaghosa. He seems to have studied in the MahÄvihÄra, because he mentions this fact in the introduction to his books (e.g., the Petavatthu Commentary). It is quite likely that he studied the Tamil Commentaries as well and that he wrote at Badaratittha. (Hiouen Thsang, Beal.ii.229, says that DhammapÄla was a clever youth of KÄñcipura and that the king gave him his daughter. However, DhammapÄla, not wishing to marry, prayed before an image of the Buddha. The gods took him to a place far away where he was ordained by the monks).
The Khuddaka NikÄya was his chief study, and seven of his works are commentaries on the books of poetry preserved in the Canon — the Thera- and Theri-GÄthÄ, UdÄna, VimÄna- and Peta-Vatthu, Itivuttaka and CariyÄpitaka. His other works are a commentary on the Netti, and on the Visuddhimagga (called the ParamatthamañjÅ«sÄ), Subcommentaries (á¹Ä«kÄs) (called LÄ«natthavaṇṇanÄ) on Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries to the Four NikÄyas and another on the JÄtakaá¹á¹hakathÄ. He is also credited with having written a tÄ«kÄ on the Buddhavamsa Commentary and on the AbhidhammatthakathÄ.
9. DhammapÄla.- A thera of Sri Lanka, generally called Culla-DhammapÄla. He was the senior pupil of Vanaratana Ä€nanda and wrote the Saccasaá¹…khepa. He is also credited with á¹Ä«kÄs on several works, including a LÄ«nathavaṇṇanÄ on Ä€nanda’s MÅ«laá¹ikÄ. Gv.60, 70; also P.L.C., 203f, 211.
10. DhammapÄla.- A Burmese scholar of Arimaddana. Gv.67.
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