• Suppabuddha

1. Suppabuddha. A Sākiyan prince, son of Añjana and Yasodharā.

He had a brother, Dandapāni, and two sisters, Māyā and Pajāpatī.

He married Amitā and had two children, Bhaddakaccānā and Devadatta. Thus he was father in law to the Buddha (Mhv.ii.19, 21; but see also Añjana). It is said (DhA.iii.44f.; cf. Mil.301) that he was offended with the Buddha for deserting his daughter and for being hostile to Devadatta. One day he took strong drink and blocked the Buddha's path, refusing to move in spite of the repeated requests of the monks. The Buddha thereupon turned back. Ananda seeing the Buddha smile and enquiring the reason for the smile, was told that, at the end of seven days, Suppabuddha would be swallowed up by the earth at the foot of his stairs. Suppabuddha overheard this, and had all his belongings carried to the seventh storey of his house. He removed the stairway, closed all doors, and set a strong guard. On the seventh day a state charger belonging to Suppabuddha broke loose. None could manage him except Suppabuddha, and he, desiring to seize the animal, moved towards the door. The doors opened of their own accord, the stairway returned to its place, and the strong guard threw him down the stairs. When he landed at the bottom of the stairway the earth opened and swallowed him up in Avīci. He was also evidently called Mahāsuppabuddha. E.g., ThigA.140.

2. Suppabuddha. A poor leper of Rājagaha, who, one day seated in the outer circle of people, heard the Buddha preach and became a sotāpanna. While waiting the departure of the crowd so that he could pay homage to the Buddha and express his gratitude, Sakka, desiring to test him, approached him and offered him untold wealth if he would repudiate the Buddha, his teachings, and the Order. But although Sakka revealed his identity, Suppabuddha rebuked him for a fool and said he had no need of more wealth, because he possessed already the seven stores of Ariyadhana (Noble Wealth). Sakka reported this conversation to the Buddha, who said that no power in the world would change Suppabuddha. Soon after, Suppabuddha visited the Buddha, and, having worshipped him, was on his way to the city when he was gored to death by a cow, the cow which killed also Pukkusāti, Bāhiya Dāruciriya and Tambadāthika.

The cow was a Yakkhinī, who had once been a courtesan. These four men had then been sons of wealthy merchants, who, having taken her one day to a pleasure garden, took their pleasure with her. In the evening they killed her and took the jewels and money which they themselves had given her. At the moment of her death she had vowed vengeance on them and had killed them in one hundred existences.

In a previous birth, Suppabuddha had insulted the Pacceka Buddha Tagarasikhī by calling him a "leper" (kutthi) - because he wore a patched robe - and by spitting on him.

Ud.v.3; UdA.279ff.; DhA.ii.33f. The Udāna account does not include the interlude of Sakka.

3. Suppabuddha. Son of Vessabhū Buddha in his last lay life. D.ii.7; Bu.xxii.20.

4. Suppabuddha. A king of fifty seven kappas ago, a former birth of Eraka (Maggadāyaka) Thera. ThagA.i.193; Ap.i.173.