1. Samiddhi Thera. He belonged to a householder's family of Rájagaha. From the time of his birth his family prospered, and he himself was happy and good, hence his name. He was present at the meeting between the Buddha and Bimbisára, and was so impressed thereby that he joined the Order. Once, while he was at the Tapodáráma musing on his good fortune as a monk, Mára tried to terrify him. Samiddhi told the Buddha of this, but the Buddha asked him to stay on where he was. He obeyed, and soon afterwards won arahantship. He then declared his aññá in a verse (Thag.vs.46), and Mára retired discomfited. This episode is also given at S.i.119 f, but the place mentioned is not the Tapodáráma, but Silávati.
In the past he met Siddhattha Buddha, to whom he gave some flowers with stalks, which he picked with the help of his bow and arrow. Fifty-one kappas ago he was a king named Jutindhara (ThagA.i.117f). He is probably identical with Salalamáliya of the Apadána (Ap.i.206).
Once when Samiddhi was drying himself after bathing in the Tapodá, a Deva approached and questioned him on the Bhaddekaratta Sutta. Samiddhi confessed ignorance, and the Deva asked him to learn it from the Buddha. This he did from a brief sermon preached to him by the Buddha, which Mahá Kaccána later enlarged into the Mahá Kaccána-Bhaddekaratta Sutta (q.v.) (M.iii.192f). A conversation between Potaliputta and Samiddhi, three years after the latter had joined the Order, led to the preaching of the Mahákammavibhanga Sutta (q.v. ) (M.iii.207). In the sutta the Buddha speaks of Samiddhi as moghapurisa, and Samiddhi is also teased by Potaliputta for pretending to expound the Dhamma after being only three years in the Order. According to the Anguttara Commentary (AA.ii.799), Samiddhi was a pupil (saddhivihárika) of Sáriputta, and the Anguttara (A.iv.385f ) contains a record of a lesson given by Sáriputta to Samiddhi regarding sankappavitakkas. See also the Samíddhi Játaka and the Samíddhi Sutta (2).
2. Samiddhi. See Samiddhisumana.
3. Samiddhi. A brahmin of Sávatthi, father of Punnamása Thera. ThagA.i.53.
4. Samiddhi. A brahmin of Nálaka, father of Mahágavaccha Thera. ThagA.i.57.