Khema untranslated

Khema 01. The city in which Sumana Buddha was born. Ja.i.34; but in Bv.v.21 it is called Mekhala.

Khema 02. The city in which Tissa Buddha was born. Ja.i.40. In Bv.xviii.16 it is called Khemaka.

Khema 03. The city in which Kakusandha Buddha was born (Ja.i.42; Bv.xxiii.13 calls it Khemavatī). It was the capital of King Khemaṅkara. See also No.6 below. See also Divy.242.

Khema 04. A Khattiya, the Bodhisatta in the time of Kakusandha Buddha. He gave alms to the Buddha and the monks and entertained the Saṅgha (DN.ii.7; Ja.i.42; Bv.xxiii.13; Bv­a.211). He helped Rūpanandā to bring a branch of Kakusandha’s bodhi-tree to Ceylon. See also Khemaṅkara. Mhv.xv.79; Mhv­ṭ.351.

Khema 05. The deer-park near Bandhumatī (Ja.vi.480; Bv.xx.4; AN­a.i.80, 169). There Vipassī Buddha was born, and there he preached his first sermon to his chief disciples, and later another sermon to their eighty-four thousand followers (Bv­a.196f).

This Khema is identical with the present Isipatana. DN­a.ii.471.

Khema 06. The pleasance in which Kakusandha Buddha died (Bv.xxiii.27). It was near Khemavatī and was the birthplace of Kakusandha. Bv­a.209.

Khema 07. A pleasance near Usabhavatī; there Vessabhū Buddha died. Bv.xxii.30; Bv­a.209.

Khema 08. A lake, three gāvutas in extent, to the north of Benares. It was constructed by King Seyya (v.l. Saṁyama). For details see the Mahā Haṁsajātaka. Ja.v.356; Ja.iv.424.

Khema 09. A seṭṭhiputta, nephew of Anāthapiṇḍika. He was very handsome and beloved by all women. Several times he was brought before the king on charges of adultery, but the king pardoned him out of regard for Anāthapiṇḍika. At the latter’s request, the Buddha preached to Khema and showed him the error of his ways.

In the time of Kassapa Buddha he was a champion wrestler, and planted two coloured banners on the golden shrine of the Buddha and made a wish that all women, except his own kinswomen, should fall in love with him at sight. Dhp­a.iii.481f.

Khema 10. A Devaputta who visited the Buddha at Jetavana and spoke several verses on the desirability of leading the good life. SN.i.57.

Khema 11. Khema Thera. An Arahant. See Khemasutta (2). AN.iii.358.

Khema 12. A monk of Ceylon, pupil of Dhammapālita of Rohaṇa. He was well versed in the Tipiṭaka (“tepiṭakī”), and is mentioned among those who handed down the teaching of the Buddha in Ceylon in pupillary succession. Vin.v.3; Smp.i.63.

Khema 13. A teacher, probably of Ceylon, author of the Khemappakaraṇa. Gv.61, 71; Svd.1222; Sās-d.65; Sās.69.

Khema 14. See Khemaka (3).

Khemā 01. Khemā Therī. An Arahant, chief of the Buddha’s women disciples. She was born in a ruling family at Sāgala in the Madda country, and her skin was of the colour of gold. She became the chief consort of King Bimbisāra. She would not visit the Buddha who was at Veḷuvana, lest he should speak disparagingly of her beauty with which she was infatuated. The king bade poets sing the glories of Veḷuvana and persuaded Khemā to go there. She was then brought face to face with the Buddha, and he conjured up, for her to see, a woman like a celestial nymph who stood facing him. Even as Khemā gazed on the nymph, whose extraordinary beauty far excelled her own, she saw her pass gradually from youth to extreme old age, and so fall down in the swoon of death. Seeing that Khemā was filled with dismay at the sight, the Buddha preached to her on the vanity of lust, and we are told that at that moment she attained Arahant-ship. With the consent of Bimbisāra she entered the Saṅgha, and was ranked by the Buddha foremost among his women disciples for her great insight (mahāpaññāṇaṁ aggā) (AN.i.25; Dpv.xviii.9; see also MN­a.iv.168f.; Bv.xxvi.19; Ja.i.15,16).

In the time of Padumuttara she was a slave, and having seen the Buddha’s chief disciple, Sujāta, gave him three cakes, and that same day she sold her hair and gave him alms.

In Kassapa Buddha’s time she became the eldest daughter of Kikī, king of Benares, and was named Samaṇī. With her sisters she observed celibacy for twenty thousand years and built a monastery for the Buddha. She learnt the Mahā Nidānasutta, having heard the Buddha preach it. In the time of Vipassī she became a renowned preacher of the Dhamma, and during the time of both Kakusandha and Koṇāgamana she had great monasteries built for the Buddha and his monks. AN­a.i.187f; Thīg.139-44; Thīg­a.126ff; Ap.ii.543ff; Dhp­a.iv.57ff; cf. the story of Rūpanandā (Dhp­a.iii.113-9).

Once when Khemā was at Toraṇavatthu, between Sāvatthī and Sāketa, Pasenadi, who happened to spend one night there, heard of her presence and went to see her. He questioned her as to whether or not the Tathāgata existed after death. She explained the matter to him in various ways, and Pasenadi, delighted with her exposition, related it to the Buddha (SN.iv.374ff). She is mentioned in several places (e.g., AN.i.88; ii.164; iv.347; SN.ii.236) as the highest ideal of womanhood worthy of imitation, and is described as the nun par excellence.

Khemā is identified with the mother in the Uragajātaka (Ja 354, Ja.iii.168), the queen in the Rohantamigajātaka (Ja 501, Ja.iv.423) and in the Haṁsajātaka (Ja 502, Ja.iv.430), the queen, Khemā, in the Mahā Haṁsajātaka (Ja 534, Ja.v.382), and the princess in the Mahā Janakajātaka (Ja 539, Ja.vi.68).

Khemā 02. Khemā Therī. One of the two chief women disciples of Dhammadassī Buddha (Bv.xvi.19; Ja.i.39).

Khemā 03. The Aṅguttara Commentary (AN­a.ii.791) (on AN.iv.347) speaks of a Khemā Upāsikā in a list of lay-women. This Khemā is most probably identical with Khemā (1).

Khemā 04. Queen of Brahmadatta, king of Benares. She dreamed of a golden peacock preaching, and wished that her dream might come true. Though the king tried every means in his power, the wish could not be fulfilled and the queen died. See the Morajātaka. (Ja 539) Ja.ii.36.

Khemā 05. Chief queen of Brahmadatta, king of Benares. She dreamed of a golden deer preaching the Dhamma, and her wish to see her dream come true was fulfilled (Ja.iv.256). For details see the Rurujātaka (Ja 482).

Khemā 06. Chief queen of Brahmadatta, king of Benares (Ja.iv.334). Her story is similar to that of Khemā (4). For details see the Mahā Morajātaka (Ja 491).

Khemā 07. Queen Consort of Brahmadatta, king of Benares (Ja.iv.413). Her story is similar to that of Khemā (5). She is identical with Khemā Therī (Ja.iv.423). See the Rohantamigajātaka (Ja 501).

Khemā 08. Queen Consort of King Seyya (Saṁyama) of Benares. She saw a golden goose in a dream, and wished to see one in real life (Ja.v.354). She is identified with Khemā Therī (Ja.v.382). For details see the Mahā Haṁsajātaka (Ja 534).

Khemā 09. A river flowing from Himavā (Ja.v.199f).