war einer jener fünf Asketen, die sich zusammen mit dem nach Erlösung ringenden Bodhisatta (dem künftigen Buddha) der Selbstkasteiung widmeten. Sie waren die ersten, denen der Buddha nach seiner Erleuchtung die Lehre darlegte.
Unmittelbar nach der Lehrpredigt (Die Predigt von Benares) war es Kondañña als erster, der den Stromeintritt, die erste Heiligkeitstufe, erreichte; und nach ihm die vier anderen, nämlich Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahānāma und Assaji.
He was the Sohn von a very wealthy Brahmanen family of Donavatthu near Kapilavatthu und was born before der Buddha. He came to be called by seinfamily name Kondañña. He was learned in the drei Vedas, excelling in the science of physiognomy.
When der Buddha was born he was among theachtBrahmanen (the others being Rāma, Dhaja, Lakkhana, Mantī, Bhoja, Suyāma und Sudatta. In the Milinda (236), where the acht names are given, Kondañña appears as Yañña) sent for to prognosticate, und though he was yet quite a novice he declared definitely that the babe would be a Buddha. Thereafter he lebte awaiting the Bodhisatta's renunciation. After this happened he left the world mit vier others, und the fünf later wurde known as the Pañcavaggiyā (J.i.65f.; AA.i.78-84; ThagA.ii.1ff). When, after the Enlightenment, der Buddha visited them at Isipatana und preached the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Kondañña und eighteen crores of brahmas won the Fruit of the First Path. As he was the first among humans to realise the Dhamma der Buddha praised ihm saying "aññāsi vata bho Kondañño" twice; hence he came to be known as Aññata Kondañña. (Vin.i.12; UdA.324, 371; Mtu.iii.333).
It is interesting to note that in the Burmese MSS. the name appears as Aññāsi-Kondañña. The Cy. explains Aññāta-Kondañña by "pativedha Kondañña." In the ThagA. he is called Añña-Kondañña. Mrs. Rhys Davids suggests that Aññā was his personal name (Gotama the Man, p.102).
Five Tage later when the Anattalakhana Sutta was preached he wurde arahant (Vin.i.13-14). He was the first to be ordained mit the formula "ehi, bhikkhu" und the first to receive higher ordination. Später, at Jetavana, amidst a large concourse of Mönche, der Buddha declared ihm to be the best of those who first comprehended the Dhamma (AA.i.84). He was auch declared to be pre-eminent among Schüler of long-standing (rattaññūnam) (A.i.23).
In the assembly of Mönche he sat behind the two chief Schüler. Finding that his presence near der Buddha was becoming inconvenient to himself und others (For seinreasons siehe AA.i.84; SA.i.216), he obtained der Buddha's permission to go und live on the banks of the Mandākini in the Chaddanta-vana, where he stayed für zwölf Jahre, nur returning at the end of that period to obtain the Buddha's leave for seinparinibbāna. The elephants in the Wald took it in turns to bring ihm seinfood und to look after him. Having bidden farewell to the Buddha, he returned to Chaddanta-vana, where he passed away (SA.i.218; AA.i.84). We are told (SA.i.219) that all Himavā wept at seindeath. The obsequies were elaborately performed by achttausend elephants mit the deva Nāgadatta at their head. All the devas from the lowest to the highest brahma world took part in the ceremony, each deva contributing a piece of sandalwood. Five hundert Mönche, led by Anuruddha, were present. The relics were taken to Veluvana und handed over to der Buddha, who mit seinown hand deposited them in a silver cetiya which appeared from the earth. Buddhaghosa states that the cetiya existed even in seintime (SA.i.219).
Several verses attributed to Kondañña are given in the Theragāthā, admonishing fellow celibates to lead the higher life, because everything is impermanent, bound to ill und void of soul (Thag.674-88).
On one occasion he preached to Sakka at the latter's own request; Sakka expressed himself as greatly pleased because the sermon was worthy even of the Buddha."
Vangisa once extolled seinvirtues in the presence of der Buddha (Thag.v.673; ThagA.ii.3).
In Padumuttara's time Kondañña had been ein reicher householder, und, seeing one of the Mönche given preference in seniority, he wished for a similar rank for himself in the future. Towards this end he did viele acts of piety, one of them being to build a golden chamber over der Buddha's relics. In Vipassī's time was a householder, Mahākāla, und gab to der Buddha the first-fruits of seinfield in nine stages of their produce (ThagA.ii.1; DhA.i.80).
According to the Apadāna (i.48f.; The Divy 430 mentions another previous birth of Kondañña), he offered the first meal to Padumuttara after sein Enlightenment.
Punna Mantānīputta was seinnephew und was ordained von ihm. ThagA.i.37.
Mantānī was Aññāta-Kondañña's sister.