7. Suppiyā, Who Attended the Sick
Aspiration in the Past
The future Suppiyā was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, while listening to a discourse by the Buddha, she saw a certain female lay disciple being named as the foremost in looking after a sick monastic in an exceptional way. She had a strong desire to become such a disciple in her future existence. After making a great offering, she made her wish in front of the Buddha who predicted that her wish would be fulfilled in her future existence.
Discipleship in Her Last Existence
After faring for 100,000 aeons in the Deva realm or the human realm, she was reborn into the family of a rich householder in the city of Bārāṇasī, during the time of Buddha Gotama, and was named Suppiyā. When she was of marriageable age she
It was then that the Buddha visited Bārāṇasī in the company of many monastics and was staying in the monastery at the Isipatana Deer Park. Suppiyā, the householder’s wife, visited the Buddha and after listening to his discourse on her first visit, she was established in the fruition of Stream-entry.
Suppiyā’s Astounding Zeal in Giving
One day, after listening to the Buddha’s discourse, Suppiyā made a round of the monastic dwellings in the Deer Park to see to the needs of their residents. She came across a wan, enfeebled monastic who had taken some purgative. She asked him what sort of food or medicine would do him good. He replied: “Lay supporter, meat soup would do me good.” Suppiyā said: “So be it, venerable sir, I will send some meat soup to you,” and she left after paying respects to the monastic. The next day, she sent her servant to buy some meat in the bazaar, hoping to get some meat for sale to unspecified buyers. The servant could not find such meat and reported to her.
Suppiyā thought to herself: “I have promised to the sick monk to send meat soup. If I do not make good my word, he would feel ill at ease because he is not likely to get meat soup from anywhere else. So, I must see that he gets the meat soup somehow.” She went into her bedroom and cut a piece of flesh from her thigh, which she gave to her housemaid to cook some soup using the usual ingredients, such as chilli, onion and other condiments, and said: “Take this soup to the sick monk and offer it to him. If he asks about me, tell him that I am taken ill.” The housemaid did as she was told.
The Buddha heard about the matter. The next morning, at the time of making the daily alms round, after being invited by her husband, he went to Suppiyā’s house in the company of many monastics. After having sat at the special seat prepared for him, the Buddha asked the householder: “Where is Suppiyā?”
“She is unwell, venerable sir,” answered the householder.
“Let her come to me, even though she is unwell.”
“She is unable to walk, venerable sir.”
“Then carry her.”
The householder went and carried his wife, Suppiyā, when, to her surprise, at the instant she looked at the Buddha, the big wound on her thigh suddenly disappeared and was restored to its normal flesh with body hair. Thereupon, the householder and his wife, Suppiyā, exclaimed: “Marvellous it is! Astounding it is! Friend, great is the power of the Fortunate One. At the very instant of seeing the Fortunate One, such a deep wound is restored to natural flesh!” Feeling elated, they served the Buddha and his Saṅgha with the choicest food, specially prepared for offering.
After finishing the meal and teaching a discourse to the supporter, the Buddha returned to the monastery. Then, at the congregation of monastics, the Buddha asked: “Monastics, who asked for meat from Suppiyā the householder’s wife?”
“I did, venerable sir,” answered the sick monastic.
“Did she send the meat soup? Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes, venerable sir, I did.”
“Did you ask what meat it is?”
“No, venerable sir, I did not.”
The Buddha reprimanded the monastic showing many reasons and laid this rule of conduct for monastics: “Monastics, lay supporters, who have conviction in the Three Treasures, even give up their own flesh to the Saṅgha. Monastics, human flesh should not be consumed. Any monastic who consumes human flesh is liable to a breach of a heavy offence (thullaccaya). Monastics, it is improper for a monastic to
Foremost Title Achieved
On one occasion, when the Buddha was residing in the Jetavana monastery naming distinguished female lay disciples, he declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvikānaṁ upāsikānaṁ
gilānupaṭṭhākīnaṁ yad-idaṁ Suppiyā upāsikā.
Monastics, among my female lay disciples who look after the sick monastics, Suppiyā is the foremost.