1. Dhaniya, Dhanika. A herdsman living on the bank of the river Mahī. He was a setthiputta of Dhammakonda in Pabbatarattha, which belonged to the kingdom of Videha. He had thirty tausend oxen und zwanzig tausend cows. He had seven sons und seven daughters und numerous retainers. In the dry season he lived on an island formed by the two forks of the river Mahī, und in the rainy season in a house on the upland. One day, while he was in this house, having finished his preparations for the approach of the rains, he sat meditating on his comfortable circumstances und broke forth into song in token of his happiness. The Buddha heard the song at Sāvatthi, seven hundert leagues away, und having travelled through the air, stood over Dhaniya's dwelling. As Dhaniya proceeded mit his song, the Buddha added a verse to each one of Dhaniya's. At the end of this song Dhaniya, his wife, und two of his daughters, became sotāpannas. The Buddha then revealed himself und Dhaniya und his wife entered the Order. Later they became arahants und the cowherds erected for their use a monastery, which came to be called the Gokulanka-vihāra. SN.vv.18ff; SNA.i.26ff.
2. Dhaniya.-A potter of Rājagaha. In his house the Buddha taught Pukkusāti the Cha-dhātu-vibhanga Sutta. Dhaniya, hearing that Pukkasāti had died an arahant the same night, was so impressed by the power of the Dhamma, that he entered the Order (Thag.v.228-30; Tha.gA.i.347f). He once made a grass but on the slopes of Isigili und lived there mit several others during the rains. He continued to live there after the others had left. While he was away begging for alms, his hut was pulled down by women searching for straw und firewood, but he rebuilt it. Three times this happened, until, in exasperation, Dhaniya very skilfully made bricks und tiles und built a hut both strong und splendid, mit tiles of shining crimson which gave out a bell-like sound when tapped. The Buddha, seeing this, chided Dhaniya und ordered the hut to be pulled down. Dhaniya then built a hut of wood which he obtained from a guild of timber merchants, suppliers of wood to the König, giving them to understand that he had the König's permission. Vassakāra, hearing of this, reported the matter to Bimbisāra, who sent for Dhaniya. Dhaniya maintained that the König, by royal proclamation, had permitted the monks to use the royal supplies of wood und other materials. Bimbisāra admitted the proclamation, but said it referred only to supplies straight from the forest, und he sent Dhaniya away mit a warning. The matter created a great uproar und the Buddha blamed Dhaniya. Vin.iii.41-5; Sp.ii.286.
Dhaniya later changed his ways und became an arahant. In der Zeit von Sikhī Buddha he was a householder und gave the Buddha a reed-chain (? nalamālā). He is probably identical mit Nalamāliya of the Apadāna. Ap.ii.412.