Anuruddha ( pi, Anuruddhā) was one of the ten principal

disciples A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

and a cousin of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

Early years

Anuruddha was the son of Amitodana and brother to Mahanama and princess

Rohini (Buddha's disciple) Rohiṇī was a princess of the Śākyas and sister of Anuruddha. She is a Sotāpanna. Story When Anuruddha visited his family in Kapilavastu, his sister Rohiṇī refused to see him as she was suffering from a certain skin disease. Anuruddh ...

. Since Amitodana was the brother of Suddhodana, king of the Sakyas in Kapilavastu, Anuruddha was cousin to Siddhartha, (

). He was a

kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...

by birth, enabling him to be raised in wealth. Gautama Buddha returned to his home town two years after his enlightenment, preaching his ideas to the Sakyan kingdom. Together with his 3 cousins Bhaddiya, Ananda, and Devadatta and their servant Upali, became ordained by the Buddha at the Anupiya Mango Grove.

Religious life

Anuruddha acquired "divine vision" (''dibba-cakkhu'') and was ranked foremost among those who had the ability. Sariputta assigned the eight thoughts of a great man for Anuruddha to use as a meditation topic. Journeying into the Pacinavamsadaya in the Ceti country to practice, he was able to master seven, but could not learn the eighth, which Buddha taught him. Anuruddha developed insight and then realized arahantship.

Depiction

Anuruddha is depicted in the

Pali Canon The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school. During ...

as an affectionate and loyal

bhikkhu A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics (" nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...

, and stood near the Buddha in assembly. At one point, when the Buddha was disappointed with the arguments of the monks at

Kosambi Kosambi (Pali) or Kaushambi ( Sanskrit) was an important city in ancient India. It was the capital of the Vatsa kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It was located on the Yamuna River about southwest of its confluence with the Ganges ...

, he retreated to Pacinavamsadaya to stay with Anuruddha. In many texts, even when many distinguished monks were present, Anuruddha is often the recipient of the Buddha's questions, and answers on behalf of the sangha.

After the Buddha

Anuruddha was present when the Buddha died at Kusinara. He was foremost in consoling the monks and admonishing their future course of action, reminding them of the Buddha's decree to follow the

dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

. As the Buddha was reclining and going through the

jhana In the oldest texts of Buddhism, ''dhyāna'' () or ''jhāna'' () is a component of the training of the mind ('' bhavana''), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, "burn up" t ...

s, Ananda said to Anuruddha: ''"The Exalted One has attained final Nibbana, Venerable Sir."'' Anuruddha, having divine vision, stated that the Buddha was absorbed in the state of "cessation," but had not yet died. Anuruddha was consulted by the Mallas of Kusinara regarding the Buddha's last obsequies. Later, at the First Buddhist Council, he played a notable role and was entrusted with the custody of the Anguttara Nikaya. Anuruddha died at Veluvagama in the Vajji country, in the shade of a bamboo thicket. He was one hundred and fifty years old at the time of his death.

Depictions in the Jataka

Anuruddha is frequently depicted in the

Jataka The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...

, which describes the previous

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrectio ...

s of Buddhist figures. In the time of

Padumuttara Buddha According to the Buddhavaṃsa of the Pali Canon, Padumuttara or Padumuttara Buddha is the thirteenth of the twenty-nine buddhas who preceded the historical Gautama Buddha. In the Buddhavamsa, he is described as: One hundred thousand aeons ago, ...

, he had been a wealthy householder. Hearing one of the monks declared best among possessors of the celestial eye, he desired a similar honor. He performed acts of merit, including holding a great feast of light in front of the Buddha's tomb. In Kassapa Buddha's era he had reincarnated and was born in

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

; one day he placed bowls filled with

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from ...

around the Buddha's tomb and set them alight, circumscribed the tomb throughout the night, bearing on his head a lighted bowl. He was reborn in an impoverished family in Varanasi and was named Annabhara. One day, while working for his master, the banker Sumana, he gave his meal to a Pratyekabuddha, Uparittha. The banker, having heard of Annabhara's pious deed, rewarded him by helping to establish a business for him. The king, impressed, gave him a site for a house, and when the ground beneath was excavated, yielded much buried treasure.

References

External links

Anuruddha: Master of the Divine Eye
by Hellmuth Hecker (translated from the German by Nyanaponika Thera) {{DEFAULTSORT:Anuruddha Arhats Foremost disciples of Gautama Buddha 5th-century BC people