Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v2.c29.25

v2.c29.25

In the time of Anomadassī Buddha, he was a learned brahmin who became a holy hermit. He heard the Buddha preach and became his follower, and when the Buddha suffered from stomach trouble, he cured him and was reborn later in the Brahma world. In the time of Padumuttara Buddha, he was a householder of Haṃsavatī, and, hearing a monk acclaimed as most healthy, he wished for a similar honour in a future life. Before the appearance of Vipassī Buddha, he was born in Bandhumatī, where he became a hermit. Later, he saw the Buddha, acknowledged him as teacher, and cured a monk of tiṇapupphakaroga (? hay fever). In the time of Kassapa Buddha, he renovated an old vihāra and provided the monks with medicaments.⁴ Bakkula lived to a very old age,⁵ and shortly before his death ordained Acela Kassapa, who had been his friend in his lay days.⁶ Bakkula was one of the four who had great abhiññā (mahābhiññappattā) in the time of Gotama Buddha, the others being the two chief disciples and Bhaddā Kaccānā.⁷ He is often mentioned⁸ as an example of a monk who practised asceticism without preaching it to others. Fifty-five kappas ago he was a king named Anoma (v.l. Arameni).⁹