Mahā Tissa untranslated

Mahā Tissa 01. A Thera who lived in Bhaggari in Ceylon. He was an Arahant, and is mentioned as being among the last of those who took part in various assemblies that followed the departure of the Bodhisatta during different births, such as the Kuddālaka Samāgama, Mūgapakkha, etc. Ja.vi.30.

Mahā Tissa 02. Called Vanavāsī Mahā Tissa. He was a colleague of Alindakavāsī Mahā Phussadeva of Ceylon, and witnessed Sakka and other deities waiting on the latter in recognition of his holiness. Mahā Tissa perceived only the radiance of the Devas and questioned Phussadeva, who did not, however, give a direct answer. Snp­a.i.55f.; Vibh-a.352.

Mahā Tissa 03. Mahā Tissa Thera. Called Ambakhādaka Mahā Tissa. He lived at Ciragumba, and is mentioned as an example of a monk who refused to eat food which came to him as a result of signifying in words that he desired it. Vsm.43.

Mahā Tissa 04. Mahā Tissa Thera. He lived in Cetiyagiri, and one day, while on his way to Anurādhapura, saw a woman who was leaving her husband, having quarrelled with him. She was beautifully dressed, and seeing the Elder, smiled at him, in order to show her perfect teeth. The Elder looked at her, and acquiring the perception of “the foul” through thinking of the bones of her teeth, became an Arahant. The husband followed his wife and asked the Elder if he had seen her. The Elder replied, “I know not if it was man or woman, but I saw a lump of bones.” Vsm.20f., 194.

Mahā Tissa 05. Mahā Tissa Thera. Of Puṇṇavallika. One full moon day, at evening, he went to the courtyard of the Mahā Thūpa, saw the moonlight, and turning towards the shrine, entered into rapture, the Buddha being his object of thought. He habitually recalled this experience thenceforth until, one day, he was able to travel through the air to the Mahā Thūpa. Vsm.143; Dhs-a.116.

Mahā Tissa 06. An Elder of the Mahā Karañjiya vihāra. He became an Arahant by developing ānāpānasati, and was thus able to limit his life term. Vsm.292.

Mahā Tissa 07. Mahā Tissa Thera. While begging for alms in Kalyāṇigāma his mind was defiled by the sight of an “uncommon” form (visabhāgarūpa, naked woman?) Snp­a.i.6f.

Mahā Tissa 08. Mahā Tissa Thera. An incumbent of the Maṇḍalārāma near Bhokkantagāma. He was a reciter of the Dhammapada. Sumanā, wife of Lakuṇṭaka Atimbara, related the story of her past in the assembly of monks in association with this Thera. Dhp­a.iv.51.

Mahā Tissa 09. A man of the Okkāka race, father of Dappula I. His wife was Saṅghasivā, and they had two other sons, Aggabodhi and Maṇi­akkhika, and one daughter. Cv.xlv.38.

Mahā Tissa 10. Mahā Tissa Thera. Incumbent of Koṭapabbata vihāra and teacher of Asubhakammikatissa. He was an Arahant, and heard, with his divine ear, the description given in the Lohapāsāda by Cittagutta Thera of the marvels of the Mahā Thūpa. Mahā Tissa told Cittagutta that the description was not full enough. Mhv­ṭ. 552f.

Mahā Tissa 11. Mahā Tissa Thera. Incumbent of Kambugallaka vihāra. He was a colleague of Kupikkala Mahā Tissa, and interceded on behalf of Vaṭṭagāmaṇī when that king’s ministers wished to leave him. Later, the ministers appointed him to look after all the monasteries built by them. Mhv.xxxiii.76, 89ff.; Mhv­ṭ. 619, 622.

Mahā Tissa 12. Mahā Tissa Thera. Incumbent of Kupikkala vihāra. When Vaṭṭagāmaṇī was in hiding in the forest of Vessagiri, the Elder once provided him with a meal, and the king, out of gratitude, made him a grant of land (Mhv.xxxiii.49). Later, the ministers wanted to revolt against the king on account of his cruelty to Tanasīva, but the Elder and his colleague Mahā Tissa from Kambugallaka, prevented them from doing so (Mhv.xxxiii.76). When Vaṭṭagāmaṇī built the Abhayagirivihāra, he gave it into the charge of Mahā Tissa. Mhv.xxxiii.83.

Mahā Tissa 13. Mahā Tissa Thera. An incumbent of the Mahā Vihāra. He was expelled by reason of his association with families. His pupil Bahalamassutissa thereupon seceded from the Mahā Vihāra and established a new sect in Abhayagiri. Mhv.xxxiii.95ff.

Mahā Tissa 14. Mahā Tissa Thera. Incumbent of Anurārāma. Vohārikatissa was so pleased with him that he ordered alms to be regularly given to him in the Mucelapaṭṭana. Mhv.xxxvi.30.

Mahā Tissa 15. Mahā Tissa Thera. Even when sixty years old he did not realize that he was a puthujjana Then, one day, his pupil Dhammadinna of Talaṅgara came to him, asking for his company in a journey to Tissa Mahā Vihāra, where he had been asked to preach. Mahā Tissa greeted him, and in the course of conversation, Dhammadinna discovered that his teacher was under the false impression that he was an Arahant. Wishing to show him his error, he persuaded Mahā Tissa, by his iddhi power, to create a pond, and in the pond a lotus, which a young girl was picking. At the sight of the girl, Mahā Tissa was possessed by lust, and realized that he was no Arahant. Dhammadinna withdrew, and that same day Mahā Tissa put forth effort and attained Arahant-ship. AN­a.i.25.

Mahā Tissa 16. An incumbent of Cittalapabbata. He was troubled by lustful thoughts and consulted his teacher. The Thera asked him to prepare a cell for him, which he did with great care. The Thera then asked him to occupy it for one night, since he had taken so much trouble over it. That night Mahā Tissa put forth effort and became an Arahant. AN­a.i.26.

Mahā Tissā. An eminent Therī of Ceylon. Dpv.xviii.38.