SujÄta
1. SujÄta.- The twelfth of the twenty-four Buddhas.
- He was born in the city of Sumangala,
- his father being the khattiya Uggata and his mother PabhÄvatÄ«.
- He was called SujÄta because his birth brought happiness to all beings.
- He lived as a householder for nine thousand years in three palaces — Siri, Upasiri and Nanda
- his wife being SirinandÄ and his son Upasena.
- He left home on a horse, named Hamsavaha,
- practised austerities for nine months,
- and attained Enlightenment under a bamboo (mahÄvelu) tree,
- after a meal of milk rice given by the daughter of Sirinandanasetthi of Sirinandans;
- grass for his seat was given by an Ajīvaka named Sunanda.
- His first discourse was to his younger brother, Sudassana, and the chaplain’s son, Deva, in the Sumangala Park.
- He performed the Twin Miracle at the gate of Sudassana Park.
- The Bodhisatta was a Cakkavatti, and entered the Order under the Buddha.
- SujÄta’s chief disciples were Sudassana and Deva (Sudeva) among monks
- and NÄgÄ and NÄgasamÄlÄ among nuns.
- NÄrada was his attendant.
- Sudatta and Citta were his chief lay patrons among men
- and SubhaddÄ and PadumÄ among women.
- His body was fifty cubits high;
- he lived for ninety thousand years, and died at SilÄrÄma in CandavatÄ« city, where a thÅ«pa, three gÄvutas in height, was erected in his honour. Bu.xiii.1ff.; BuA.168 ff.; J.i.38; Mhv.i.8, etc.
2. SujÄta.- Cousin of Padumuttara Buddha and brother of Devala. He later became one of Padumuttara’s Chief Disciples (Bu.xi.24; BuA.159; DA.ii.489).
HeraññakÄni (UpaddhadussadÄyaka) Thera, in a previous birth, gave him a piece of cloth for a robe (ThagA.i.266; Ap.ii.435), while KhemÄ gave him three meal cakes and cut off her hair as an offering to him (ThigA.127; AA.i.187). DhammadinnÄ also did obeisance to him and offered him alms (ThigA.196; MA.i.516).
3. SujÄta.- An Ä€jÄ«vaka, who gave grass for his seat to PiyadassÄ« Buddha. BuA.172.
4. SujÄta.- A king, father of NÄrivÄhana (q.v.)
5. SujÄta.- A king, who later became a hermit. He was the Bodhisatta in the time of Tissa Buddha. Bu.xviii.9f.; J.i.40.
6. SujÄta.- A yavapÄlaka (mill-owner, baker ed.), who gave grass for his seat to VipassÄ« Buddha. BuA.195.
7. SujÄta.- A king of fifty-seven world-cycles ago; a former birth of Raṃsisaññaka Thera. Ap.i.210.
8. SujÄta.- The name of UpÄli Thera (q.v.) in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. ThagA.i.229.
9. SujÄta Thera.- He was a brahmin of Benares, father of SundarÄ« TherÄ«. While grieving for the death of his son, he met VÄsitthÄ« TherÄ«, and from her he heard about the Buddha, whom he visited at MithilÄ.
He entered the Order under the Buddha, attaining Arahantship on the third day (ThigA.229).
It is perhaps this Thera who is mentioned in the Saṃyutta NikÄya (S.ii.278f ) as having won the special praise of the Buddha because of his bright expression.
10. SujÄta.- A householder of Benares. He once went to hear the leader of a company of ascetics teach in the royal park and spent the night there. During the night, he saw Sakka arrive with his apsarases to pay homage to the ascetics, and he fell in love with one of them. His passion for her was so great that he died of starvation. The story is given in the MahÄsutasoma JÄtaka. J.v.468f.
11. SujÄta.- The Bodhisatta born as a landowner of Benares. See the SujÄta JÄtaka (3).
12. SujÄta.- Son of the Assaka king in Polanagara. He was expelled from the country at the request of his stepmother and lived in the forest. At that time MahÄ KaccÄna, following on the holding of the First Council, was living in the Assaka country. One of SujÄta’s friends, a devaputta in TÄvatiṃsa, appeared before SujÄta in the shape of a deer, and, after leading him to MahÄ Kassapa, disappeared. SujÄta saw the Thera and talked with him. MahÄ Kassapa saw that SujÄta had but five months to live, and, after stirring up his mind, sent him back to his father, urging him to good deeds. When the king heard his story he sent a messenger for MahÄ KaccÄna. SujÄta lived another four months and, after death, was reborn in TÄvatiṃsa. Later he visited MahÄ KaccÄna to show his gratitude and revealed his identity.
The story is known as the CÅ«larathavimÄna. Vv.v.13; VvA.259-270.
13. SujÄta.- Called SujÄta PippalÄyana of MahÄtittha. He married the daughter of the brahmin Kapila, a previous birth of BhaddÄ KÄpilÄṇī. ThigA.73.
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