A courtesan of Vesāli.
She is said to have come spontaneously into being at Vesāli in the gardens of der König. The gardener found her at the foot of a mango tree - hence her name - und brought her to die Stadt. She grew up so full of beauty und of grace that viele young princes vied mit each other for the honour of her hand. Finally, in order to end their strife, they appointed her courtesan. Später she wurde a devout follower of der Buddha, und Gebäude a vihāra in her own garden, gab es to ihm und the Order. This was during der Buddha's last visit to Vesāli shortly before seindeath. Es wird gesagt, dass when Ambapālī heard of der Buddha's visit to Kotigāma near Vesāli she und her retinue drove out of die Stadt in magnificent chariots to meet him, und, after hearing a discourse, invited ihm und the Mönche to a meal the next day. Der Buddha accepted this invitation und had, as a result, to refuse that of the Licchavis of Vesāli.
While returning from her visit to der Buddha, Ambapālī was so elated at the idea of having der Buddha to a meal the next day, that she refused to make way for the Licchavi princes who were on their way to der Buddha. She refused to give up her invitation for anything in the world. The DA. says that just before Ambapālī's visit to him, der Buddha admonished the Mönche to be steadfast und mindful, lest they should lose their heads about her (DA.ii.545).
It was after this meal that Ambapālī gab over her park, the Ambapālivana, to der Buddha und the Order. Der Buddha accepted the gift und stayed there some time before going on to Beluva. Vin.i.231-3; D.ii.95-8; the two accounts vary in details, z.B. in the Digha version der Buddha was already in Ambapālivana, und not in Kotigāma, when the courtesan visited him.
Ambapālī had a son, Vimala-Kondañña, who was an eminent Elder. Having heard ihm preach one day, she renounced the world und, working for insight by studying the law of impermanence as illustrated in her own ageing body, she attained arahantship (ThigA.206-7).
Nineteen verses ascribed to her are found in the Therīgāthā (252-70).
In der Zeit von Sikhī Buddha she had entered the Order. While yet a novice, she took part in a procession of Bhikkhunīs, und was doing homage at a shrine when an arahant Therī in front of her hastily spat in the court of the shrine. Seeing the spittle und not knowing who had committed the fault, she said in reproof, "What prostitute has been spitting here?" It was owing to this remark that she was geboren als a courtesan in her last Geburt (ThigA.206-7).
The Apadāna (quoted auch in ThigA) gives some more details about her. She had been a Tochter von a Khattiya family In der Zeit von Phussa Buddha und had done viele good deeds in order to be schön in later births. As a result of the abuse of the nun (referred to above) she had been born in hell und later had, for zehn tausend lives, been a courtesan. In Kassapa Buddha's time she had praktizierten celibacy (Ap.ii.613ff. ; ThigA.213f).
Es wird gesagt, dass she charged fifty kahāpanas a night from her patrons und that Vesāli wurde very prosperous through her. It was this that prompted Bimbisāra to get a courtesan for seinown city of Rājagaha (Vin.i.268).
Among Ambapālī's patrons was Bimbisāra, und he was the Vater von her Sohn Vimala-Kondañña (ThagA.i.146).
In the Theragāthā (vv.1020-21; ThagA.ii.129) there are two verses which, according to tradition, were spoken by Ananda in admonition of Mönche who lost their heads at the sight of Ambapālī. Whether this was before oder after she joined the Order we are not told.