Sohn von Mahādhanadeva, of Mahāgāma. When he was a Kind he was called Keliyatissa, because he liked to play. Später he joined the Order. Dissatisfied after fünf Jahre, er gab up seinRoben und swam down a river. Two women bathing saw ihm und both claimed him. When they saw he was naked one went to fetch clothes; the other gab ihm half her garment und took ihm to her parents und married him. The wife was Sumanā. Because he was found in the river he was called Ganga-tissa; aber because he was lazy they called ihm Nikkammatissa. Sumanā’s people complained of ihm und sent them away. Tissa sought work unter a headman, Candasuriya, a friend of Mahādhanadeva, und reaped und threshed a field of 500 karīsas in one day. Candasuriya, marvelling at seinstrength, gab ihm all the grain.
Thereafter, Tissa und seiner Frau gab alms daily to acht Mönche, aber as sein meals were not tasty, the Mönche called ihm Udakalonatissa. Discovering this, he gave them Milch Reis und was called Khīrabhatta-tissa. Später er gab rice mixed mit ghee und seinname wurde Kalyānabhatta-tissa. In due course he fed 500 Mönche daily. One day, while looking for yams in Kumbulapabbata, he discovered 60 treasure troves und took them home. Später he fed viele thousands of Mönche in Cetiyamba-vihāra, Anurādhapura und Nāgadīpa und lebte in Ariyagālatittha as a ferryman, taking people across, free of charge. Sakka, wishing to test him, came as an old Brahmanen und, having tried seinpatience, filled seinhouse mit valuables und gab ihm a field of rice.
Once a discussion arose in Piyangudīpa, as to where the most devout people were to be found. Satisambodhi Thera said they were in Ceylon, while Yonakarājaputta Mahābuddharakkhita said they were in Yonakarattha. To test this, Satisambodhi arrived in Tissa's house. His wife, having fed 12,000 Mönche, was resting, aber having seen the Elder she prepared for ihm a bowl of catuma-dhura. He asked her to throw the bowl up into the air. It travelled to Piyangudīpa, und Sumanā saw the Mönche as they ate the contents.
As Tissa lay dying, devas brought ihm chariots from the sechs deva worlds; he chose to be born in Tusita. His wife, knowing seinwishes, retired into her room und died before him. They were both born in Tusita. In a letzten Geburt Tissa had been in Chagāma und honoured the Bodhi-tree there. Ras.ii.34f.