5. Mahānāma, the Sakyan Prince
Aspiration in the Past
The future Mahānāma was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. One day, while he was listening to a discourse by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost lay disciple in offerings of the most delicious and palatable alms food, medicines and medicinal articles. He had a strong wish to become such a distinguished lay disciple in future. After making an extraordinary offering, he made known his aspiration to the Buddha who then predicted that his aspiration would be fulfilled.
Discipleship in His Last Existence
One day, the Buddha, after staying in Verañjā for the Rains Retreat (Vassa) period, made a journey to Kapilavatthu, travelling in stages. Upon arrival, he took up his abode at the Nirodhārāma monastery in Kapilavatthu, together with many monastics.
When Mahānāma, the Sakyan Prince, the elder brother of Ven. Anuruddha, learned of the arrival of the Buddha, he visited him, made his obeisance, and sat in a suitable place. Then he said to the Buddha: “Venerable sir, I have been told that the Saṅgha have had a hard time in gathering alms food in Verañjā. May I be allowed the privilege of offering daily alms food to the Saṅgha for a period of four months, so that I may provide the
Prince Mahānāma, understanding that the Buddha had accepted his invitation, made offerings of five kinds of very delicious foodstuffs and the four sweets (catu-madhu) which have medicinal effects to the Buddha and his Saṅgha from the following day onwards. At the end of the four months, he obtained the Buddha’s consent to make the same kind of offerings for another four months, at the end of which he obtained permission to continue with his offerings for a further four months, thus totalling twelve months in all. At the end of one year, he sought further approval but the Buddha refused.
At the end of the year, Prince Mahānāma sought and obtained the approval of the Buddha to let him have the privilege of offering medicinal requisites to the Saṅgha for life. Yet later, due to circumstances that led to a Vinaya provision in the matter, the Buddha did not extend the period beyond one year. After the Buddha had agreed to let Mahānāma provide medicinal requisites to the Saṅgha for life, the Group-of-Six monastics bullied Prince Mahānāma and caused much annoyance. When the Buddha heard this he rescinded the earlier privilege allowed to the Prince and laid down the rule known as An Invitation for Four Months (Catu-māsappaccaya-pavāraṇā, Vin Pāc 47, PTS 4.101), that no monastic may, without further invitation and a standing invitation, accept medicinal requisites from a supporter. Breach of the rule entails a confession (pācittiya) offence.
Foremost Title Achieved
It became the routine practise of Prince Mahānāma to offer the five kinds of very delicious foodstuffs and the four sweets which have medicinal effects to every monastic who came to his door. This elaborate style of providing alms food and medicinal requisites to the Saṅgha became his hallmark which was recognised throughout Jambūdīpa.
Therefore, on a later occasion, when the Buddha, during his residence at the Jetavana monastery, was designating titles to outstanding lay disciples according to their merit, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ
paṇīta-dāyakānaṁ yad-idaṁ Mahānāmo Sakko.
Monastics, among my lay disciples who are in the habit of making offerings of delicious alms food and medicinal requisites, Mahānāma, the Sakyan Prince, is the foremost.