1. Sirimá Thera. He was born in the family of a householder of Sávatthi and was called Sirimá on account of the unfailing success of his family. His younger brother was Sirivaddha. They were both present when the Buddha accepted Jetavana, and, struck by his majesty, they entered the Order. Sirivaddha, though possessed of no special attainments, received great honour from the laity and recluses, but Sirimá was little honoured. Nevertheless, exercising calm and insight, he soon won arahantship. Ordinary monks and novices continued to disparage him, and the Thera had to blame them for their faulty judgment. Sirivaddha, agitated by this, himself became an arahant.
In the time of Padumuttara Buddha, before the Buddha's appearance in the world, Sirimá was an ascetic, named Devala, with a large following, and, having learnt the power of the Buddha through a study of the science of prognostication, he built a sand thúpa, to which he paid homage in the name of past Buddhas. The Buddha was born in the world, his birth being accompanied by various omens. The ascetic showed these to his pupils, and, having made them eager to see the Buddha, died, and was reborn in the Brahma world. Later, he appeared before them, inspiring them to greater exertions (Thag.vss. 159-60; ThagA.i.279f).
He is evidently identical with Pulinuppádaka Thera of the Apadána. Ap.ii.426.
2. Sirimá. Mother of Sumana Buddha. Her husband was Sudatta. Bu.v.21; J.i.34.
3. Sirimá. Mother of Phussa Buddha and wife of Jayasena. Bu.xix.14; J.i.41.
4. Sirimá. A lay woman, one of the chief patrons of Revata Buddha. Bu.vi.23.
5. Sirimá. Wife of Anomadassí Buddha before his renunciation. Bu.viii.19.
6. Sirimá. One of the chief lay women supporters of Sumedha Buddha. Bu.xii.25.
7. Sirimá. One of the chief lay women supporters of Dipankara Buddha. Bu.ii.215.
8. Sirimá. One of the chief lay women supporters of Vipassí Buddha. Bu.xx.30.
9. Sirimá. One of the chief lay women supporters of Vessabhú Buddha. Bu.xxii.25.
10. Sirimá. One of the palaces occupied by Vipassí Buddha in his last lay life. Bu.xx.24.
11. Sirimá. One of the palaces occupied by Mangala Buddha in his last lay life. BuA.116.
12. Sirimá. A courtesan of Rájagaha and younger sister of Jívaka. She was once employed by Uttará (Nandamátá) to take her place with her husband (Sumana) while Uttará herself went away in order to indulge in acts of piety. During this time Sirimá tried to injure Uttará, on account of a misunderstanding, but on realizing her error, she begged forgiveness both of Uttará, and, at the latter's suggestion, of the Buddha. (The details of this incident are given Uttará Nandamátá.) At the conclusion of a sermon preached by the Buddha in Uttará's house, Sirimá became a sotápanna. From that day onwards she gave alms daily to eight monks in her house.
A monk in a monastery, three leagues away, having heard of the excellence of Sirimá's alms and of her extraordinary beauty from a visiting monk, decided to go and see her. Having obtained a ticket for alms, he went to her house, but Sirimá was ill, and her attendants looked after the monks. When the meal had been served she was brought into the dining hall to pay her respects to the monks. The lustful monk at once fell in love with her and was unable to eat. That same day Sirimá died. The Buddha gave instructions that her body should not be burnt, but laid in the charnel ground, protected from birds and beasts. When putrefaction had set in, the king proclaimed that all citizens, on penalty of a fine, should gaze on Sirimá's body. The Buddha, too, went with the monks, the lustful monk accompanying them. The Buddha made the king proclaim, with beating of the drum, that anyone who would pay a thousand could have Sirimá's body. There was no response. The price was gradually lowered to one eighth of a penny. Yet no one came forward, even when the body was offered for nothing. The Buddha addressed the monks, pointing out how even those who would have paid one thousand to spend a single night with Sirimá would not now take her as a gift. Such was the passing nature of beauty. The lustful monk became a sotápanna (DhA.iii.104f.; VvA.74ff).
Buddhaghosa says (SNA.i.244f, 253f ) that Sirimá was Sálavati's daughter, and succeeded to her mother's position as courtezan. After death, Sirimá was born in the Yáma world as the wife of Suyáma. When the Buddha was speaking to the monks at her cremation, she visited the spot with five hundred chariots. Janapadakalyání Nandá, who at that time was also a nun, was present, and when the Buddha preached the Káyavicchandanika Sutta (q.v.) she became an arahant, while Sirimá became an anágámí.
The Vimánavatthu (pp.78f., 86) gives the same story, adding that Vangísa was also present at the preaching of the sermon, and, having obtained the Buddha's permission, questioned Sirimá and made her reveal her identity. Here Sirimá is said to have been born in the Nimmánarati-world, and no mention is made of her becoming an anágámí; while the lustful monk is said to have become an arahant. Sirimá is mentioned in a list of eminent upásikás (A.iv.347; AA.ii.791). Eighty four thousand persons realized the truth after listening to the Buddha's preaching at the cremation of Sirimá. Mil.350.
Sirimá-vimánavatthu. The story of Sirimá's death and subsequent events. Vv.i.16; VvA.67ff.