Dhammapāla untranslated

Dhammapāla 01. Dhammapāla Thera. An Arahant. He was a Brahmin of Avanti and studied in Takkasilā. While returning from there after completing his studies, he saw a monk dwelling apart and, having heard the Dhamma from him, entered the Saṅgha and became an Arahant. We are told that one day, while meditating, he saw two novices climbing a tree in the vihāra 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 Atthadassī Buddha he gave to the Buddha a pilakkha-fruit (Thag.vs.203f; Thag­a.i.326f). He is probably identical with Pilakkhaphaladāyaka of the Apadāna. Ap.i.298.

Dhammapāla 02. A Brahmin, son of the Bodhisatta. See Mahā Dhammapāla.

Dhammapāla 03. The Bodhisatta born as the son of Mahā Dhammapāla. For his story see the Mahā Dhammapālajātaka (Ja 447).

Dhammapāla 04. The Bodhisatta born as the son of King Mahā Patāpa. For his story see the Cūḷa Dhammapālajātaka (Ja 358).

Dhammapāla 05. A name given to Vidhurapaṇḍita. Ja.vi.289, 291.

Dhammapāla 06. Dhammapāla Kumāra. The son of Vidhurapaṇḍita (q.v.). He is identified with Rāhula. Ja.vi.290, 300, 329.

Dhammapāla 07. The name of the family (kula) of Dhammapāla, and the village in Kāsi where he lived (Ja.iv.50; Pv-a.61). See the Mahā Dhammapālajātaka (Ja 447).

Dhammapāla 08. A celebrated author, generally referred to as Ācariya. 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 Ācariya, is said (Gv.p.69) to have written fourteen books. The Sāsanavaṁsa (p.33) records that he lived at Badaratittha in South India.

His works show that he was a native of Kāñcipura. His period is uncertain, though it is generally agreed that he is posterior to Buddhaghosa. He seems to have studied in the Mahā Vihāra, 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 (Xuanzang, Beal-Xuan.ii.229, says that Dhammapāla was a clever youth of Kāñcipura and that the king gave him his daughter. But Dhammapāla, 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 Khuddakanikāya was his chief study, and seven of his works are commentaries on the books of poetry preserved in the Canon – the Theragāthā and Therīgāthā, Udāna, Vimānavatthu and Petavatthu, Itivuttaka and Cariyāpiṭaka. His other works are a commentary on the Netti, and on the Visuddhimagga (called the Paramatthamañjūsā), ṭīkās (called Līnatthavaṇṇanā) on Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries to the Four Nikāyas and another on the Jātaka Commentary. He is also credited with having written a ṭīkā on the Buddhavaṁsa Commentary and on the Abhidhammaṭṭhakathā.

Dhammapāla 09. A Thera of Ceylon, generally called Cūḷa Dhammapāla. He was the senior pupil of Vanaratana Ānanda and wrote the Saccasaṅkhepa. He is also credited with ṭīkās on several works, including a Līnathavaṇṇanā on Ānanda’s Mūlaṭīkā. Gv.60, 70; also PLC., 203f, 211.

Dhammapāla 10. A Burmese scholar of Arimaddana. Gv.67.