He was born in the family of a householder of Suppāraka in Sunāparanta. When he was grown up, he went with a great caravan of merchandise to Sāvatthi where, having heard the Buddha teach, he left the world and joined the Order. He won favour by attention to his duties. One day he asked the Buddha for a short lesson so that, having learnt it, he might go back to dwell in Sunāparanta. The Buddha taught him the Puṇṇovāda Sutta (q.v.) So Puṇṇa departed, and, in Sunāparanta, he became an Arahant. There he won over many disciples, both male and female, and having built for the Buddha a cell out of red sandalwood (candanāsālā), he sent him a flower by way of invitation. The Buddha came with five hundred Arahants, spent a night in the cell, and went away before dawn.

Ninety-one world-cycles ago, when there was no Buddha alive, Puṇṇa was a learned brahmin, and later became a hermit in Himavā. Near his abode a Pacceka Buddha died, and at the moment of his death there appeared a great radiance. The ascetic cremated the body and sprinkled scented water on the pyre to extinguish the flames. A deva, witnessing the event, prophesied his future greatness. His name throughout his many lives was Puṇṇa or Puṇṇaka.¹

In Sunāparanta he first lived at Ambahattha-pabbata, but, on being recognised by his brother, he went to Samuddagiri-vihāra, where was a magnetised walk that none could use. The waves of the sea breaking made great noise, and, in order to help him to concentration, Puṇṇa caused the sea to be quiet. From there he went to Mātulagiri, where the incessant cries of birds disturbed him; he finally went to Makulakagāma. While he was there, his brother Cūḷa Puṇṇa, with five hundred others, sailed in a trading ship, and, before embarking, he visited Puṇṇa, took the precepts from him, and asked for his protection during the voyage. The ship reached an island where red sandalwood grew; with this the merchants filled the ship, and the spirits of the island, angered by this, raised a great storm and appeared before the sailors in fearful forms. Each merchant thought of his guardian deity and Cūḷa Puṇṇa of his brother. Puṇṇa, sensing his brother’s need, travelled through the air to the ship, and, at sight of him, the spirits disappeared. In gratitude for their deliverance, the merchants gave to the elder a share of their sandalwood. It was with this material that the Candanasālā, above referred to, was built.

Kuṇḍadhāna was the first among the Arahants to be chosen to accompany the Buddha to Sunāparanta. Sakka provided five hundred palanquins for the journey, one of which was empty. This was subsequently taken by the ascetic Saccabaddha, whom the Buddha converted and ordained on the way. On his return journey, the Buddha stopped at the river Nammadā, and was entertained there by the Nāga king.²