Sunita
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
Three Jewels
Buddha . Dharma . Sangha
Three Dharma Seals
Anicca . Dukkha . Anatta
Karma . Rebirth
Samsara . Nirvana
Four Noble Truths
Seven Sets
Four Frames of Reference
Four Right Exertions
Four Bases of Power
Five Faculties
Five Strengths
Seven Factors of Awakening
Noble Eightfold Path
Bodhisattva
Four Great Vows
Ten Great Vows
Sunita was a highly accomplished disciple of the Buddha. He was born in a very poor family who had next to no food and was an outcaste whose job was to gather flowers from shrines and throw them away:
- People found me disgusting,
- despised me, disparaged me.
- Lowering my heart,
- I showed reverence to many.
Sunita was eventually ordained by Buddha himself:
- The compassionate Teacher,
- sympathetic to all the world, said:
- "Come, monk."
- That was my formal Acceptance.
Sunita practiced night and day Buddha's instructions and became a full Arahant which is the highest saint category, he was granted this status by Brahma and Indra themselves who bowed down to this saint:
- Then, as night was ending
- & the sun returning,
- Indra & Brahma came to pay homage to me,
- hands palm-to-palm at their hearts:
- "Homage to you, O thoroughbred of men,
- Homage to you, O man supreme,
- whose fermentations are ended.
- You, dear sir, are worthy of offerings."
Excerpts are from the Theragatha XII.2 Sunita.
External links
For the full text see http://www.vipassana.com/canon/khuddaka/theragatha/thag12.php
