Suppiya untranslated

Suppiya 01. Suppiya. A Paribbājaka. He was the teacher of Brahmadatta. It was the discussion between these two, in the Ambalaṭṭhikā park, regarding the virtues of the Buddha, his Dhamma and his Saṅgha, which led to the preaching of the Brahmajālasutta (DN.i.1). Suppiya was a follower of Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta. DN­a.i.35.

Suppiya 02. One of the chief lay supporters of Siddhattha Buddha. Bv.xvii.20.

Suppiya 03. Suppiya Thera. He was born in Sāvatthī in a family of cemetery keepers. Converted by the preaching of his friend, the Thera Sopāka, he entered the Saṅgha and attained Arahant-ship.

In the time of Padumuttara Buddha he was a Brahmin, named Varuṇa, who left his ten children and became an ascetic in the forest. There he met the Buddha and his monks and gave them fruit. He belonged to a Khattiya family in the time of Kassapa Buddha, but through pride of birth and learning used to detract his colleagues hence his birth in a low caste in his last life. Thag.vs.32; Thag­a.i.92f.; Ap.i.452f.

Suppiya 04. See Suppiyā (2).

Suppiyā 01. The name of the inhabitants of Rājagaha in the time of Kassapa Buddha. At that time Vepulla was called Supassa (Suphassa). SN.ii.192.

Suppiyā 02. An upāsikā of Benares. Her husband was Suppiya, and they were both greatly devoted to the Saṅgha. One day, while on a visit to the monastery, Suppiyā saw a sick monk who needed a meat broth. On her return home, she sent an attendant to fetch meat; but there was none to be had in the whole of Benares. She therefore, with a knife, cut a piece of flesh from her thigh and gave it to her servant to make into soup for the monk. She then went to her room and lay on her bed. When Suppiya returned and discovered what had happened he was overjoyed, and, going to the monastery, invited the Buddha to a meal the next day. The Buddha accepted the invitation, and when, on the next day, he arrived with his monks, he asked for Suppiyā. On hearing that she was ill, he desired that she be brought to see him. At the moment when the Buddha saw her the wound was healed, covered with good skin, on which grew fine hairs as on the rest of her body.

It was as a result of this incident that the Buddha lay down a rule forbidding monks to eat human flesh, even when willingly given (Vin.i.216f).

Suppiyā is given as an example of one whose good deeds bore fruit in this very life (Mil.115; cf.291). She was declared by the Buddha foremost among women who waited on the sick (AN.i.26), an eminence she had resolved to win in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. AN­a.i.244f.; she is mentioned in a list of eminent women lay disciples (AN.iv.348).

Suppiyā 03. One of the five daughters of the third Okkāka and Bhattā (Hatthā). DN­a.i.258; Mhv­ṭ.131; Snp­a.ii.352.