Elder Subhūti | |
|---|---|
%2522_1882_art_detail%2c_from-_Journal_of_the_Asiatic_Society_of_Bengal_(IA_journalofasiatic5111asia)_(page_95_crop).jpg) A Tibetan illustration of Subhūti, where he is known as Rabjor. | |
| Title | Foremost in being worthy of gifts, foremost in living remote and in peace, foremost in understandingemptiness (Mahayana) |
| Personal life | |
| Nationality | Kosala |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | All (mostly venerated inMahayana) |
Subhūti (Pali: Subhūti;simplified Chinese:须菩提;traditional Chinese:須菩提;pinyin:Xūpútí) was one of theten principal disciples ofthe Buddha. InTheravada Buddhism, he is considered the disciple who was foremost in being "worthy of gifts" (Pali:dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ) and "living remote and in peace" (Pali:araṇavihārīnaṃaggo). InMahayana Buddhism, he is considered foremost in understandingemptiness (Sanskrit:Śūnyatā).
Subhūti was born into a wealthy family and was a relative ofAnāthapiṇḍika, the Buddha's chief patron. He became a monk after hearing the Buddha teach at the dedication ceremony ofJetavana Monastery. After ordaining, Subhūti went into the forest and became anarahant while meditating onfriendliness (Pali:mettā). It is said that due to his mastery of loving-kindness meditation, any gift offered to him bore the greatestmerit for the donor, thus earning him the title of foremost in being "worthy of gifts". Subhūti is a major figure in Mahayana Buddhism and is one of the central figures inPrajñāpāramitā sutras.
According to thePali Canon, in the time ofPadumuttara Buddha, Subhūti was born a man named Nanda. Nanda was born into a wealthy family and decided to leave his life behind to become a hermit. The hermitage Nanda was staying at was then visited by Padumuttara Buddha, who had his monk who was skilled in the practice ofmetta and was foremost in being "worthy of gifts" give a thanks-giving (Pali:anumodanā). While all of the other hermits at the hermitage attainedarahantship following the teaching, Nanda did not and instead made a resolution to become the disciple foremost in being worthy of gifts of a future Buddha. This wish was fulfilled in the time ofGautama Buddha when he was reborn as Subhūti.[1]
According to the Pali tradition, Subhūti was born into a wealthy merchant family. His father was the wealthy merchant Sumana, and his older brother wasAnāthapiṇḍika, who would later become the Buddha's chief male patron. Texts relate that Subhūti was present at the dedication ofJetavana Monastery, which his older brother Anāthapiṇḍika had purchased and built for the Buddha. Upon hearing the Buddha teach at the dedication, Subhūti became inspired and ordained as a monk under him.[2] After mastering themonastic rules, he went to live in the forest where he attainedarahantship while meditating on the "absorption ofloving-kindness" (Pali:mettā-jhāna). Subhūti became known for teaching theDhamma "without distinction or limitation", meaning regardless of the listener's potential, and was declared the disciple foremost in "living remote and in peace" (Pali:araṇavihārīnaṃaggo).[1][3][4] During alms rounds, where monks go house to house looking for food from laypeople, Subhūti had a habit of developingmettā-jhāna at every household, making it so people who gave him alms received the highest possiblemerit from the offerings. Because of this, the Buddha also declared him the disciple who was foremost in beingworthy of gifts (Pali:dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ).[1][2]
In one story, Subhūti visitedRājagaha where KingBimbisara promised to build him a hut. However, the king forgot, thus forcing Subhūti to meditate in the open air. It is said that due to the power of his virtue rain would not fall, and when King Bimbisara found out about the cause of the lack of rain he had a leaf hut constructed for him. According to the text, when Subhūti sat down in the hut, rain began to fall.[1][2]
Subhūti plays a much larger role in Mahayana Buddhism than in Theravada Buddhism.[5] In Mahayana Buddhist tradition, he is considered the disciple of the Buddha who was foremost in understandingŚūnyatā, or emptiness, and is a central figure in MahayanaPrajñāpāramitā texts.[5][6] Buddhist scholar Edward Conze describes him as being regarded as the foremost disciple in Mahayana Buddhism.[7]
According to northern Buddhist texts, Subhuti was born into a wealthy family inŚrāvastī and on the day of his birth, all of his family's gold and silver suddenly disappeared, symbolizing that he was born of emptiness, according to Buddhist commentators. The family's gold and silver was then said to have reappeared seven days later.[8] In the northern Buddhist tradition, Subhuti was the nephew ofAnāthapiṇḍika and had a notoriously bad temper. Subhūti was present at the dedication ofJetavana Monastery, which his uncle Anāthapiṇḍika had purchased and built for the Buddha. Upon hearing the Buddha teach at the dedication, Subhūti became inspired and ordained as a monk under him eventually developing a calm mind and temperament.[9]
Chinese Buddhist commentaries state that when going on alms rounds, Subhuti prioritized collecting alms from the wealthy. This was in contrast to another Buddhist disciple,Mahākāśyapa, who prioritized collecting alms from the poor.[10] According to Chinese Buddhist monkHsing Yun, Mahākāśyapa prioritized receiving alms from poor households reasoning that poor people needed themerit from alms-giving the most, while Subhuti reasoned that collecting alms from poor people increased their hardship, therefore he collected alms from rich households who would not be burdened by such giving.[11] Chinese Buddhist texts state that the Buddha later rebuked both of them for these practices, telling them that collecting alms should be done indiscriminately.[10]
Among theMahāyāna traditions, Subhūti is perhaps best known as the disciple with whom the Buddha speaks when imparting theDiamond Sūtra (Sanskrit:Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chinese: 金剛經 or 金剛般若經), an important teaching within thePrajñāpāramitā genre. This, along with theHeart Sūtra (Sanskrit:Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya, Chinese: 心經 or 般若心經), is one of the most well-known sūtras among both practitioners and non-practitioners ofBuddhism. Subhūti is also responsible for much of the exposition in earlier Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.[12] In northern Buddhist texts, when the Buddha descended toSankassa after spending the rainy season inTavatimsa heaven, Subhuti, recalling that the Buddha said that one can see him by meditating, remained in meditation rather than going to greet him.[13] Upon arriving the Buddha stated that Subhuti was the first to greet him upon his return, having seen the Buddha's spiritual body before the other disciples greeted his physical body.[14][15]
In theLotus Sutra (Sanskrit:Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra, Chinese: 法華(花)經 or 妙法蓮華(花)經), Chapter 6 (Bestowal of Prophecy), the Buddha bestows prophecies of enlightenment on Subhūti, along with other śrāvakas such as Mahākāśyapa, Mahākātyāyana, and Mahāmaudgalyāyana.
InChan/Zen Buddhism, Subhūti appears in severalkoans, such as this one:[16]
One day, in a mood of sublime emptiness, Subhuti was resting underneath a tree when flowers began to fall about him. "We are praising you for your discourse on emptiness," the gods whispered to Subhuti. "But I have not spoken of emptiness," replied Subhuti. "You have not spoken of emptiness, we have not heard emptiness," responded the gods. "This is the true emptiness." The blossoms showered upon Subhuti as rain.
This story also appears in theDiamond Sutra.[17]
In the lineage of thePanchen Lamas ofTibet there were considered to be four "Indian" and three Tibetan incarnations ofAmitabha Buddha beforeKhedrup Gelek Pelzang, who is recognised as the first Panchen Lama. The lineage starts with Subhuti.[18][19]
ATaoism character based on Subhūti,Puti Zushi, appears in the Chinese classical novelJourney to the West, as the mentor and master of the mainprotagonistSun Wukong.[20] The story of Sun Wukong first meeting Subhūti was a play on theChan/Zen story ofHuineng meetingHongren, as told in thePlatform Sūtra ofChan/Zen Buddhism. Because of the role that Subhūti plays in the story, his name has remained familiar inChinese culture.[21]
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