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Cūḷa-Anāthapiṇḍika

An eminent lay disciple of the Buddha. He was a Non-returner (anāgāmī), and offered to perform a miracle himself before the Buddha showed the Twin Miracle (DhA.iii.210). Cūḷa-Anāthapiṇḍika provided food for three months for the multitude, covering an area of twelve leagues, which had assembled at Sāvatthi to await the descent of the Buddha from Tāvatiṃsa after his teaching of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka (DhA.iii.218; AA.i.71). Five hundred monks fed daily at Cūḷa-Anāthapiṇḍika’s house in Sāvatthi (DhA.i.339). He was one of the seven lay disciples of the Buddha who had each five hundred followers (SA.iii.223). Cūḷa-Anāthapiṇḍika is generally mentioned (e.g., J.i.148; ii.287, iii.520) together with Pasenadi, Visākhā, and Anāthapiṇḍika as the Buddha’s eminent lay-patrons. His personal name is not known. The sobriquet was probably given on account of his generosity, rivaling that of Anāthapiṇḍika.