Raṭṭhapāla or Rāṣṭrapāla is one of the figures that stand out with some clearness in the early and mediaeval legend of Buddhism. When the Pāli Vinaya was compiled, and Açvaghoṣa adorned Mahāyāna traditions with memorable verse, Ratthapāla’s story had already been told often enough for the mere mention of his name to serve as an illustration in religions teaching. He was already a typical saint[1].
Raṭṭhapāla is found in an ancient list of those disciples of Gotama who were traditionally « chief » in one province or another of holiness. We refer to the well-known passage in the Pali Anguttaraṅikāya[2], in which the Buddha mentions a series of these, both men and women, with a descriptive word for each one, that recalls either some intellectual gift or the crowning religions experience of a life. Thus, for instance, Sāriputta is chief of the mahāpaññā, « of those who are highly intelligent » Paṭācārā, among the women, is chief as vinayadharā, « an adept in the Vinaya », Raṭṭhapāla is saddhāpabbajita, « gone forth by reason of faith », an ascetic of faith. How Raṭṭhapāla in particular earned this name, which at first sight seems applicable to any pabbajita of the whole legendary company, is a question to answer which we must turn first to the account of the saint given in the Sutta and Vinaya, and afterwards to the commentaries.
- ↑ The Mahāyānasûtra Rāṣṭrapālaparipŗcchā (ed. L. Finot, Bibliotheca Buddhica, 1901) has, as M. Finot observes, nothing but the name in common with the Raṭṭhapālasutta of the Tipiṭaka. See Introduction, p. v, note.
- ↑ A. I, pp. 24, 25. (Edition of Richard Morris continued by Edmund Hardy, for the Pali Text Society, 1885, etc.).
