13. Ven. Siṅgālakamātu
What follows is a synthesis of the account of Siṅgālakamātu in the commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya) and her life story in the Traditions (Apādāna, Thi-ap 34).
Aspiration in the Past
The future Siṅgālakamātu was born as the daughter of a court official, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. She went to the Buddha’s monastery and after listening to his doctrine she became a nun and flawlessly observed the morality consisting in the four kinds of purification. She had an exceptional devotion to the Three Treasures, was very keen to listen to the doctrine, and had an ardent desire to see the Buddha just like Ven. Vakkali had.
One day, she saw a nun being named by the Buddha as the foremost female monastic in faith (saddhā). She aspired to be like that foremost nun and redoubled her effort in the practice of the threefold training. The Buddha gave a discourse to her in three verses beginning with: Yassa saddhā Tathāgate, which in essence says (Thi-ap 34, 7-9, PTS 2.603):
One who has faith in the Three Treasures, morality and right view is not called a poor person, and so a wise person should cultivate devotion to the Buddha, morality, faith in the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, and perception or insight that enables one to see the Dhamma.
On hearing the discourse, the young nun was greatly encouraged and asked the Buddha if her aspiration would come true. Buddha Padumuttara predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled during the time of Buddha Gotama. She was elated by the prediction and served the Buddha respectfully by living up to the Buddha’s teaching.
It should be noted that putting effort into the right practice of the Dhamma with devotion or loving thoughts about the Buddha itself amounts to serving or attending on the Buddha.
Ascetic Life in Her Final Existence
The future Siṅgālakamātu was reborn in the fortunate destinations for 100,000 aeons. Then, during the time of Buddha Gotama, she was reborn as the daughter of a rich man in Rājagaha. When she came of age she was married to a son of another rich man of the same clan and went to live in her husband’s residence. She gave birth to a child named Siṅgālaka, and so she acquired the name Siṅgālakamātu, Siṅgālaka’s mother.
Her son, Siṅgālaka had a wrong view. He worshipped the eight directions daily. One day, as the Buddha was entering the city for alms food, he saw the young Siṅgālaka turning to the eight directions in the act of worshipping. The Buddha stood on the wayside and gave a discourse to the young boy (Siṅgāla-sutta, DN 31).
On that occasion, two billion listeners, both men and woman, realized the four truths. Siṅgālakamātu attained Stream-entry knowledge and joined the Saṅgha of female monastics. Since then, she came to be called Ven. Siṅgālakamātu. Due to her past aspiration, since she became a nun, her faculty of faith was exceptionally strong. Wherever she visited the Buddha’s monastery to listen to the sermons, she could not turn her gaze away from the glorious person of the Buddha. The Buddha, knowing her intense devotion to him, gave discourses to her that tended to enhance her conviction. With faith as her stepping stone or springboard, she meditated on insight and became an Arahat, and became an Arahat who attains Awakening with conviction as the dominant factor.
Foremost Title Achieved
On one occasion, when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery and naming distinguished nuns according to their merits, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ
saddhādhimuttānaṁ yad-idaṁ Siṅgālaka-mātu.
Monastics, among my female monastic disciples who have strong conviction, Siṅgālakamātu is the foremost (etad-agga).