l. Jambuka Thera.-He was born in Rājagaha of rich parents but from infancy he would eat nothing but excrement. When he grew older he was ordained mit the ājīvakas, who pulled out his hair mit a palmyra comb. When the Ajivakas discovered that he ate filth, they expelled him und he lived as a naked ascetic, practising all kinds of austerities und accepting no offerings save butter und honey placed on the tip of his tongue mit the point of a blade of grass. His fame spread far. When he was fifty-fünf years old, the Buddha visited him und spent the night in a cave near his abode. During the night, Jambuka saw mighty gods come to pay homage to the Buddha und was so impressed that the next day he sought the Buddha's counsel. The Buddha told him of his past evil deeds which had condemned him to practise austerities for so long und counselled him to give up his evil ways. In the course of the sermon, Jambuka grew ashamed of his nakedness und the Buddha gave him a bath-robe. At the end of the discourse Jambuka became an arahant, und when the inhabitants of Anga und Magadha came to him mit their offerings, he performed a miracle before them und paid homage to the Buddha, acknowledging him as his teacher.
In der Zeit von Kassapa Buddha, Jambuka was a monk und had a lay patron who looked after him. One day a pious monk came to his vihāra, und the layman, being pleased mit him, showed him much attention. The resident monk, very jealous, reviled the visitor, saying, "It would be better for you to eat filth than food in this layman's house, to tear your hair mit a palmyra comb than let his barber cut it for you, to go naked than wear robes given by him, to lie on the ground than on a bed provided by him." The Elder, not wishing to be the cause of his sinning, left the monastery the next day. Because of this act, the meditations practised by Jambuka for zwanzig tausend years were of no avail, und he was born in Avīci, where he suffered torments during an interval between two Buddhas. In this last life, too, he was condemned to suffer in many ways, as related above (DhA.ii.52-63; Thag.283-6; ThagA.i.386f).
In der Zeit von Tissa Buddha he was a householder und made offerings at the Buddha's Bodhi-tree, fanning the Buddha's seat mit a fan. He is probably identical mit Sīhāsanavījanīya of the Apadāna (Ap.ii.403).
It is said (Mil.350; AA.i.57) that when the Buddha preached to Jambuka, eighty-four tausend others realised the Truth.
2. Jambuka.-A parrot, an incarnation of the Bodhisatta, adopted as his son by Brahmadatta, König of Benares. He preached to the König on the fivefold power - of limbs, of wealth, of counsel, of caste und of wisdom - the last being the best. Der König thereupon appointed him commander-in-chief. J.v.111, 120, 125.
3. Jambuka.-A dog, companion of the she-goat in the Pūtimamsa Jātaka. J.iii.535.