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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAY, 1928
Suppa vásd, a daughter of a Kolîyan was pregnant for seven years, but she did not give birth to any child. After seven years, labour pain began and she suffered terribly for seven days, but no child was born. She requested her husband to go to the Buddha and to salute him on her behalf, reporting the matter to him. Her husband went to the Buddha and informed him. The Buddha desired that Suppavâså would give birth to a son without any pain and disease. While the Buddha was expressing this desire, a son was born. Her husband was sent agnin to invite the Buddha to her house for seven days. The Buddha accepted the invitation. The Master took his meal there for seven days and converted both of them (Udana, pp. 15-17; Cf. D.C., IV, 192-193). Suppa váså used to give alms daily to five hundred bhikkhus. (Dham. mapada Commy., 1, 339.) She became the foremost of the upâsikás, offering the best food to the Buddha Buddha told her the good effect of offering food, and he further said that an offerer by offering rice offers the lease of life, beauty, happiness and strength. The offerer in return obtains celestial life, celestial beauty, happiness and strength. (Angutiara Nikaya, II, pp. 62-63).
Another bhikkhuni of some repute was Nakulamala. When her husband was ill and was ready to die, free from anxiety, she told him that she knew spinning and weaving and managcment of household affairs and children. She also told her husband that she would never remarry after his death, as both of them lived the life of a recluse for sixteen years. She informed her husband that after his death she would meet the Buddha and the bhikkhusaṁgha. . She also promised to observe the precepts. She also told ber husband that she was one of the female de. votees who fully observed the precepts, controlled the mind, had strong faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha, and who became fearless and did not depend on others except the Buddha for support. (A.N., III, 295 f.)
Bojjhd was a devotee who approached the Buddha, who preached to her the reward of observing the precepts and the Sabbath. The Master said to her, "Happiness obtained by observing Sabbath is sixteen times greater than that enjoyed by the sixteen countries." (A.N., IV, pp. 259-260.)
Velukanțaki Nandamata was a devotee of the Buddha. She gave offerings to Sâriputta and Moggallana. Referring to this the Buddha said, "A giver must be pleased before he gives dána; his mind must be pleased while giving dána and after giving dana. The receiver of the offering must be free from passion, hatred and delusion. The consequence of such a gift is immeasurable". Nandamåtá gave such a gift to Sâriputta and Moggallana, and she obtained immeasurable consequence of the gift. (A.N., III, 336-337.) There was another bhikkhuni named Nandamåtå who was once repeating the Parayana Sutta of the Sutta Nipata in a sweet voice. King Vessavana was going from north to south, and he waited there till Nandamátå finished her repetition and praised her much. Nandamåtâ told Vessa vana that the merit acquired by the act would be beneficial to him. Vessa vana gladly assented and said that the merit which would be acquired by her through the gift made to Sariputta and Moggallâna would prove beneficial to him. (A.N., IV. p. 63 f.)
Migasáld was an updsika who went to Ananda and said, "According to the instruction of the Buddha, a brahmacarf and an abrahmacarí go to the same place after death and enjoy the same amount of happiness." Ananda went to the Buddha to have this problem solved. The Buddha said that the lay devotee was ignorant and uneducated and therefore she could not realize it properly. The Buddha further said, "Even a householder may acquire the same amount of merit as acquired by a brahmacari who does not fulfil his duties properly." (A.N., III, 347 f.)
Dinná, a bhikkhuni, was asked by her husband about sakkâyadithi, sakkâ yanirodha, ariydtthangikamaggo, sarkhara, nirodhasamapatti, manner of rising up from nirodhasamdpatti and vedand. Dhammadina gave satisfactory answers to all the questions. She said, "Five upadana khandhas constitute sakkdyadithi. Tanha means sakkaya samudayo. Destruction of lanha means sakkaya nirodha. The noble eight-fold path is
