8. Ven. Sakulā
Ven. Sakulā is mentioned by the name of Bakulā in the commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) in the recorded version of the Sixth Council, whereas in the Sri Laṅkā version, the name is mentioned as Sakulā. In the commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nuns (Therī-gāthā) of the Sixth Council version, the name also appeared as Sakulā. Hence we have opted for the name Sakulā, and based our narration on the commentary on the Verses of the Elder Nuns which gives a more extensive coverage of her history.
Aspiration in the Past
The future Sakulā was reborn into the family of King Ānanda of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. She was the half sister of Buddha Padumuttara and was named Princess Nandā. When she had come of age, she attended the Buddha’s discourse. She saw a nun being named by the Buddha as the foremost female monastic in the endowment of the supernormal power of the divine eye, which is characterized by knowledge of past existences. She then had a strong desire to become one like that nun with supernormal power of the divine eye and accordingly she made an extraordinary offering and made her aspiration before Buddha Padumuttara. Buddha Padumuttara predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled during the time of Buddha Gotama.
For details of this part of the story, read
Past Existence as a Female Wandering Ascetic
Princess Nandā engaged herself in doing many great deeds of merit throughout her life, and, after passing away from that existence, she was reborn in the Deva realm. Subsequently, she was reborn in the human or Deva realm only. During Buddha Kassapa’s time, she was reborn into a Brahmin family. She became a recluse and led a life of a secluded ascetic. After the passing away of Buddha Kassapa, his relics were enshrined in a great relic shrine (stūpa). The ascetic, who was the future Sakulā, one day obtained some oil on her round for alms oil. With that amount of oil she made an offering of lights throughout the night at the shrine where Buddha Kassapa’s relics were enshrined.
Ascetic Life in Her Final Existence
The wandering ascetic passed away and was reborn in Tāvatiṁsa Realm, as a Deva endowed with the special Deva faculty of vision. For the whole period of the interval between the two Buddhas, she fared on in the Deva realm only. During the time of Buddha Gotama, she was reborn into a Brahmin family in Sāvatthī, by the name of Sakulā. When she came of age, she attended a ceremony which celebrated the donations of the Jetavana monastery by Anāthapiṇḍika to the Buddha where she listened to the Buddha’s discourse and she became a lay disciple. Later, she received a discourse from an Arahat which kindled her spiritual urgency and resulted in her becoming a nun. She strove diligently in the noble practice of purity and soon became an Arahat.
Foremost Title Achieved
After becoming an Arahat, Ven. Sakulā, as the result of her past aspiration, was especially devoted to the exercise of the supernormal power of the divine eye (Deva-cakkhu), and was adept at it. On one occasion, when the Buddha was naming outstanding nuns at the Jetavana monastery, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ
dibba-cakkhukānaṁ yad-idaṁ Sakulā.
Monastics, among my female monastic disciples who are proficient in the supernormal power of the divine eye, Sakulā is the foremost (etad-agga).