In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

One of the Licchavi chieftains of Vesali during the Buddhas time. He was a nihilist by persuasion.

Once while going through the city he saw a beautiful woman. Wishing to possess her, he commandeered her husbands services and one day ordered him to bring mud and lotuses from a pond three leagues away, his life to be the penalty if he did not return the same evening. Meanwhile Ambasakkhara ordered the guards to shut the city gates earlier than usual. The womans husband returned to the city before nightfall, but finding the gates shut, he asked a thief, who was impaled just outside, to bear witness to his having arrived before sunset.

The thiefs uncle had been a pious merchant in Vesali, but had been beheaded for alleged implication in his nephews theft. He had been reborn as a peta, and because of his good deeds he possessed various powers. By reason, however, of having once hidden, in jest, the clothes of a friend who was bathing in the river, he was born naked. Every night he came to see his nephew and encouraged him to go on living, in spite of his impalement, because the peta knew that suffering in hell awaited the thief after death.

When the man with the lotuses asked the thiefs assistance in proving his innocence, he was advised to await the petas arrival that night and to get his counsel. This the man did, and when, the next day, he was summoned before Ambasakkhara, he cited the peta as witness for his defence. Ambasakkhara agreed to test the truth of the story, and in the night he saw the peta and learnt all that had happened. Greatly marvelling, he offered to help the peta in getting rid of his nudity. He was asked to seek the holy Elder Kappitaka who lived in Kapinaccana in the Vajji country and give him robes in the petas name. This was done, and the peta immediately appeared before them clad in heavenly robes. From that time Ambasakkhara was converted to the Faith, and after having listened to a sermon by Kappitaka became a Sotapanna.

The impaled thief was set free and was cured by the royal physician; he later attained to the state of an arahant. Pv.45-57; PvA.215-44.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

See also (Relevant definitions)

Starts with: Ambasakkharapeta Vatthu.

Full-text: Ambasakkharapeta Vatthu, Kappitaka.

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