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Cūḷasumma

An eminent Commentator of Sri Lanka, teacher of Tipiṭaka Cūḷanāga. The pupil seems to have disagreed with some of the explanations of his teacher — e.g., as to the meaning of the only path (ekāyanamagga). Cūḷanāga said it referred to the preliminary path of mindfulness (pubbabhāga-satipaṭṭhāna-magga), but Cūḷasumma held that it referred to the mixed path (missakamagga). They could come to no decision; but while on his way to the bathing-place, Cūḷasumma revolved the problem in his mind, and discovering that his pupil was right announced his mistake when Cūḷanāga was teaching on the day of the first quarter. Cūḷanāga, realising how even his teacher could go astray on this point, explained it at great length for the benefit of future generations (DA.iii.744 f; MA.i.187). The Aṅguttara Commentary (AA.ii.845) calls him Dīpavihāravāsī, while the Vibhaṅga Commentary (p.489; probably Cūḷasumma is here a misreading for Cūḷasumana) says that he dwelt in Niṅkapoṇṇapadhānaghara in Cittalapabbata. The Samantapāsādikā (Sp.iv.892) says that he lived in Rohaṇa.