The Piglet That Made the Buddha Smile: The Story of Sūkarapotikā, a Rahat Nun in Sri Lanka

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The Piglet That Made the Buddha Smile: The Story of Sūkarapotikā, a Rahat Nun in Sri Lanka

One day, while walking for alms in Rajagaha surrounded by the Mahā Saṅgha, the Supreme Buddha saw a filthy piglet wallowing in a mud puddle along the road and gently smiled. As the Buddha smiled, rays of light emanated from His teeth. Seeing this, Venerable Ānanda, His chief attendant, placed his palms together in reverence and asked:

“Venerable Sir, Blessed One, what is the reason for Your smile in a place like this?”

The Buddha then revealed:

"Ānanda, look at that piglet in the mud puddle. In the time of Kakusandha Buddha, she was a hen ranging near the assembly hall of a great monastery. Hearing the sound of a meditating monk chanting the Dhamma with deep devotion, she passed away from that life and was reborn as a princess named ‘Ubbarī’ in a royal family. Later, seeing a swarm of worms in a toilet, she developed the perception of impermanence (paṇu-saññā) toward them, cultivated insight, and attained the first jhāna (absorption). She preserved that jhāna until the end of her life and was reborn in the Brahma realm. However, Ānanda, due to the terrifying and volatile nature of saṃsāra, she passed away from the Brahma realm and, driven by the force of karma, was ultimately born in this animal realm as a piglet today. Seeing this extremely insecure and transient nature of saṃsāra, I smiled."

Hearing this, the Mahā Saṅgha, led by Venerable Ānanda, felt immense spiritual urgency (saṃvega). To arouse spiritual urgency in the monks and expose the terrifying dangers of craving for existence (bhava-taṇhā), the Blessed One preached this verse right there in that side street: Translation of the Verse:

Just as a tree, though chopped down, will grow again if its roots remain undamaged and firm deep in the soil, so too will this suffering of saṃsāra arise again and again if the underlying tendency of craving (the root of defilements) hidden within the mind is not entirely eradicated through wisdom.

Craving that arises toward pleasing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects is extraordinarily powerful. Ignorant thoughts and unwholesome reflections nurtured by the foolish man's lust grow strong and lead him straight to the four woeful realms (apāya). The rushing waters of craving emerge from the six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and flow everywhere. Recognizing that this terrifying creeper of craving has sprouted and entwined itself through the six sense doors, one must sever its root using the weapon of wisdom. Beings soaked in desire that flows toward sensual objects—seeking joyful feelings—constantly search for worldly pleasures. Such beings repeatedly fall into birth, aging, and death. Encirled and bound by craving, beings tremble in fear like a hare caught in a hunter’s net or trap. Heavily bound by the seven fetters (such as lust) and the ten fetters, beings suffer endlessly in the wilderness of saṃsāra. Therefore, a true monk (a practitioner of meditation) who aspires for eternal peace—the noble bliss of Nibbāna—must completely eradicate all forms of craving that yield suffering. At the end of this Dhamma discourse, thousands of humans and celestial beings (devas) who were gathered there attained stream-entry (sotāpatti) and other noble fruits.

The Journey of the Piglet Across Births

The piglet referred to by the Blessed One passed away from that animal state after some time and continued her journey through saṃsāra as follows:

• Reborn into a royal family in Suvaṇṇabhūmi (present-day Myanmar/Thailand region).
• Passed away and was reborn in the famous city of Varanasi (Benares) in India.
• Passed away and was reborn in the port of Suppāraka (near Mumbai) as the daughter of a horse merchant.
• Passed away and was reborn in the port of Kāavīra (South India) as the daughter of a village chief (Mahāgampati).
• Passed away and was reborn in the capital city of Anuradhapura in a wealthy merchant (seṭṭhi) family.
• Passed away and was conceived in the womb of a wealthy household leader named Sumana in the village of 'Bhokkanta' (Gottanta) in the Dakkhina Region (Southern Province) of Sri Lanka, giving birth to an extremely beautiful daughter named Sumanā. Later, her father left that village for some reason and moved to the Mahāmuni village in the Dighavapi region. During that time, Minister Lakuṇṭaka Akimbaru (Goṭhaimbara)—a wealthy minister of King Dutugemunu who unified Sri Lanka—visited Mahāmuni village on official business. Seeing the remarkably beautiful Sumanā, the minister fell in love with her. After grand wedding festivities, he took her as his wife to the village of Puṇṇa.

The Awakening of Sumanā

One day, the psychic Arahat Mahā Anuruddha from the Koṭipabbata Monastery was walking for alms with a group of monks in that village and stopped in front of Lady Sumanā's house. Seeing her, Venerable Mahā Anuruddha used his knowledge of past lives (atītāṁsa-ñāṇa) to view her past, turned to the monks, and said:

"Brethren, look... the very piglet in Rajagaha that received the smile of the Buddha in a mud puddle has today, by the merit of her deeds, become the chief consort of Minister Goṭhaimbara! Oh, how wondrous and terrifying is saṃsāra!"

Hearing these words uttered by the Arahat at her doorstep, Lady Sumanā was deeply shaken. Moved by intense spiritual urgency (saṃvega), she instantly developed the recollection of past lives (jāti-ssaraṇa-ñāṇa)! Remembering the immense suffering she endured in her past lives as a hen and a piglet, a profound disgust for saṃsāra arose in her heart. She immediately explained everything to her husband, Minister Goṭhaimbara, obtained his permission, renounced her great wealth, went to the local nunnery, and was ordained under the nun Pañcabali. Later, while listening to the preaching of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta at the Tissa Mahā Vihāra, she cultivated insight and first attained the stage of Stream-Entry (Sotāpatti). After King Dutugemunu defeated King Elāra and unified the country, the nun returned to her parents' village of Gottanta. There, while listening to the Mahā Visopama Sutta at the Kalalaka Monastery, she destroyed all inner defilements and attained supreme Arahantship.

The Final Passing Away (Parinibbāna)

As time passed, the day arrived for the Arahat Nun Sumanā to lay down her life force. The gathered assembly of monks and nuns inquired about her journey through saṃsāra. Standing among the gathered Saṅgha, alongside the Mahānikāya Thera (a Dhammapada reciter residing at Maṇḍalārāma), she compared her past lives and shared her journey with the whole fourfold assembly, inspiring deep devotion and reflection:

"Venerable ones, after passing away from a human birth, I was first born as a hen, where I was torn apart by a hawk. Later, I was born in Rajagaha and ordained among the female wandering ascetics (paribbājikā), attaining the first jhāna and being reborn in the Brahma realm. Passing away from there, I was born into a wealthy merchant family, and after that, into the extremely repulsive body of a piglet (sūkarapotikā). Following that, I passed through thirteen lives of mixed pleasure and pain across Suvaṇṇabhūmi, Varanasi, Suppāraka, Kāavīra, Anuradhapura, and the village of Gokannaka. After wandering through saṃsāra for so long, I felt deep disenchantment, ordained in the dispensation of the Buddha, and have today reached supreme Nibbāna. Therefore, noble ones, saṃsāra is terrifying, and craving is extremely dangerous. May everyone work toward their path to Nibbāna without delay!"

Having spoken thus and inspiring vast spiritual urgency (saṃvega) and noble faith toward Nibbāna in the hearts of all living beings present, the Arahat Nun Sumanā attained final liberation (anupādisesa-parinibbāna) that very day. May my humble veneration be to the Arahat Nun Sumanā, who demonstrated the terrifying nature of saṃsāra as she journeyed from a minister’s chief consort to supreme Arahantship! Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!! End of the Sūkarapotikā Vatthu recorded in the Dhammapada Commentary of the Khuddaka Nikāya.