Cunda

Image of Cunda preparing pork, Wat Kasatrathiraj, Thailand.

Cunda (T. skul byed སྐུལ་བྱེད་; C. zhuntuo 準陀) was a lay follower Gautama Buddha best known for serving the Buddha his last meal. Shortly after eating the meal prepared by Cunda, the Buddha became ill with some type of dysentery, and he died shortly afterwards.

Before entering the parinirvāṇa, the Buddha told Ānanda to visit Cunda and tell him that he should feel no blame nor remorse; on the contrary, offering the Tathāgata his last meal before passing away was of equal gain as of offering him his first meal before attaining buddhahood, and thus he should rejoice.

The Cunda Sutta

In the Cunda Sutta, Gautama Buddha visits with the smith Cunda in the city of Pava. Cunda states that he approves of the purification rites of the brahmins, and the Buddha explains that the rites of purification rites of these brahmins and purification within the discipline of the noble ones is quite different. The Buddha then teaches the "ten courses of wholesome action" (kuśalakarmapatha). Cunda praises him for his teachings and declares himself a lay follower from that day on.

The last meal of the Buddha

According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the Buddha and his disciples were invited to a meal by Cunda the metal-worker. Cunda served them sweet rice, cakes, and sūkaramaddava. "The Buddha told Cunda to serve the sūkaramaddava only to him and to bury the rest in the ground because no one other than the Buddha would be able to digest it." Shortly thereafter the Buddha suffered an attack of dysentery. "The Buddha proceeded to Kushinagar, where he instructed Ānanda to visit Cunda and tell him that he should not feel remorse; he had in fact gained great merit by serving the Buddha his last meal."

External links

• Cunda Kammāraputta, Wikipedia