Phagguna

Person

A monk who questioned the Buddha about recognising past Buddhas by the senses, and who, comforted by the Buddha during his final illness, attained Arahantship before dying.

A monk. In the Saṃyuttanikāya (S.iv.52) he is represented as asking the Buddha if it were possible, by means of any of the senses, to recognise and proclaim the past Buddhas. The Buddha replies in the negative. It is probably the same monk who is mentioned in the Aṅguttaranikāya (A.iii.379 ff) as having been visited during his illness by the Buddha on the suggestion of Ānanda. The Buddha found Phagguna in bed and grievously ill, and he talked to him and comforted him. Phagguna died soon after, having attained Arahantship.