1. Sumana. The fourth of the twenty four Buddhas. He was born in Mekhala, his father being the khattiya Sudatta and his mother Sirimá. For nine thousand years he lived as a householder in three palaces - Canda, Sucanda and Vatamsa (BuA.125 calls them Nárivaddhana, Somavaddhana and Iddhivaddhana) - his wife being Vatamsiká and his son Anupama. He left the world on an elephant, practised austerities for ten months, and attained enlightenment under a nága tree, being given a meal of milk rice by Anupamá, daughter of Anupama-setthi of Anoma, and grass for his seat by the Ajívaka Anupama. His first sermon was preached in the Mekhala Park, and among his first disciples were his step brother Sarana and the purohita's son Bhávitatta. His Twin miracle was performed in Sunandavatí. The Bodhisatta was a Nága king Atula. One of the Buddha's chief assemblies was on the occasion of his solving the questions of King Arindama on Nirodha.
Sarana and Bhávitatta were his chief monks and Soná and Upasená his chief nuns. Udena was his personal attendant. Varuna and Sarana were his chief lay supporters among men and Cálá and Upacálá among women. His body was ninety cubits in height, and he died at the age of ninety thousand in Angáráma, where a thúpa of four yojanas was erected over his ashes. Bu.v.1ff.; BuA.125f.; J.i.30,34,35, 40.
2. Sumana. Attendant of Padumuttara Buddha (J.i.37; Bu.xi.24). His eminence prompted Ananda (Sumana in that birth) to resolve to be an attendant of some future Buddha. ThagA.ii.122; see also Ap.i.195.
3. Sumana. Step brother of Padumuttara, Buddha. He obtained, as boon from the king, the privilege of waiting on the Buddha for three months. He built in the park of Sobhana a vihára. The park belonged to the householder Sobhana, and he built the vihára, on land for which he gave one hundred thousand. There he entertained the Buddha and his monks. Sunanda is identified with Ananda. ThagA.ii.122f.; AA.i.160f.; SA.ii.168f.
4. Sumana. A pupil of Anuruddha. He represented the monks from Páveyyaka at the Second Council. Vásabhagámi was his colleague. See also Sumana (8). Mhv.iv.49, 58; Dpv.iv.48; v.24; Vin.ii.305, etc.
5. Sumana. A garland maker, given as an example of one whose acts bore fruit in this very life (Mil.115, 291, 350; cf. DhSA.426; PSA.498). He was Bimbisára's gardener, and provided the king daily with eight measures of jasmine flowers, for which he received eight pieces of money, One day, while on his way to the palace, he saw the Buddha, and threw two handfuls of flowers into the air, where they formed a canopy over the Buddha's head. Two handfuls thrown on the right, two on the left and two behind, all remained likewise in the air and accompanied the Buddha as he walked through the city, a distance of three leagues, that all might see the miracle.
When Sumana returned home with his empty basket and told his wife what he had done, she was fearful lest the king should punish him. Going to the palace, she confessed what he had done, and asked for forgiveness for herself as she had had no part in the deed. Bimbisára visited the Buddha and then sent for Sumana. Sumana confessed that when he offered the flowers to the Buddha he was quite prepared to lose his life. The king gave him the eightfold gift: eight female slaves, eight sets of jewels, eight thousand pieces of money, eight women from the royal harem, and eight villages.
In reply to a question by Ananda, the Buddha said that in the future the garland maker would become a Pacceka Buddha, Sumana. DhA.ii.40f.; KhA.129. According to KhA., the Pacceka Buddha's name will be Sumanissara.
6. Sumana. Chief lay supporter of Kassapa Buddha. DA.ii.424; but see Sumangala (2).
7. Sumana Thera. He belonged to a brahmin family of Kosala. His mother's brother was an arahant, and ordained him as soon as he grew up. Sumana soon acquired the four jhánas and fivefold aññá and, in due course, attained arahantship.
Ninety five kappas ago he gave a harítaka-fruit to a Pacceka Buddha who was ill (Thag.vss.330-4; ThagA.i.411f). He is evidently identical with Harítakadáyaka of the Apadána. Ap.ii.394; cf. Avadánas ii. 67-70.
8. Sumana Thera. See Cúla Sumana (3). He is probably identical with Sumana (4), and may be identical with Sumana (7) if the uncle mentioned in connection with the latter is Anuruddha.
Thirty one kappas ago he was a garland maker and offered jasmine-flowers to Sikhí Buddha. Twenty six kappas ago he was king four times, under the name of Maháyasa. Thagg.vss.429-34; ThagA.i.457f.
9. Sumana Thera. He is mentioned as having lived in Andhavana with Khema. Together they visited the Buddha, and, when Khema had gone away, Sumana talked with the Buddha about arahants (A.iii.348f). He is probably identical with Sumana (7) or (8).
10. Sumana. A setthi in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. He was the employer and, later, the friend of Annabhára (q.v.).
11. Sumana. A householder in the time of Dutthagámaní Abhaya, in the village of Bhokkanta in South Ceylon. Later he lived in the village Mahámuni, in the district of Díghavápi. Ubbirí was born as his daughter and was named Sumaná. Sumaná married Lakuntaka Atimbara. DhA.iv.50f.
12. Sumana. A setthi of Sávatthi. He was the father of Anáthapindika and Subhúti Thera. ThagA.i.23; AA.i.125, 208.
13. Sumana. A Pacceka Buddha of thirty one kappas ago, to whom, in a previous birth, Bhalliya (ThagA.i.49) and Bháradvája Thera (ThagA.i.303; cf. Ap.ii.416) gave vallikára-fruit.
14. Sumana. Eldest son of King Bindusára. He was killed by Asoka. Nigrodha-sámanera was his son and Sumaná his wife. Mhv.v.38, 41; Sp.i.45.
15. Sumana. Son of Sanghamittá and Aggibrahmá (Mhv.v.170). He joined the Order at the age of seven; even as a sámanera he was gifted with the sixfold abhiññá and accompanied Mahinda to Ceylon (Mhv.xiii.4,18). Once when he announced that Mahinda was going to preach his voice was heard all over Ceylon (Mhv.xiv.33). In order to get relics for the cetiyas in Ceylon, he went (by air) to Papphapura (Pátaliputta), and from there to Sakka's abode, for the Buddha's right collar bone. He supervised the placing of the relics in the Thúpáráma-cetiya. Mhv.xvii.7, 21; xix.24, 42; see also Dpv.xii.13, 26, 39; xv.5f., 28, 93.
16. Sumana. Governor of Girijanapada in the time of Kákavannatissa. He was a friend of Velusumana’s father. Mhv.xxiii.69.
17. Sumana. A Yakkha chief, to be invoked in time of need by followers of the Buddha. D.iii.205.
18. Sumana. One of the chief lay patrons of Metteyya Buddha. Anágat.vs.98.
19. Sumana. A Pacceka Buddha of the future. See Sumana (5).
20. Sumana. A gardener of Kosambí. He worked for three setthis: Ghosaka, Kukkuta and Páváriya. With their permission, he entertained the Buddha one day, and it was at his house that Khujjuttará (q.v.) met and heard the Buddha. DhA.i.208f.
21. Sumana. A setthiputta of Rájagaha. Punna (Punnasíha) (q.v.) was his servant, but, later, Punna, as the result of giving alms to Sáriputta, became rich and Sumana married his daughter, Uttará. Sumana was an unbeliever, and Uttará, wishing for leisure in which to practise her religion, obtained for him the services of the courtezan Sirimá, paying her with the money obtained from her father. DhA.iii.104, 302f.
22. Sumana. A deity who lived in the fortified chamber over the gate in Jetavana. DhA.i.41.
23. Sumana. See Samiddhisumana.
24. Sumana. An eminent monk, who was present at the Foundation Ceremony of the Mahá Thúpa. Dpv.xix.8; in MT. (524) he is called Mahá Sumana.
25. Sumana. The guardian deity of Samantakúta (q.v.). See also Cv.lxxxvi.19.
26. Sumana. The personal name of Uggahamána. MA.ii.709.