The only son of Gotama Buddha. He was born on the day on which his father left the household life.¹ When the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu for the first time after his Enlightenment and accepted Suddhodana’s invitation, Rāhula’s mother (Rāhulamātā) sent the boy to the Buddha to ask for his inheritance (dāyajja). The Buddha gave him no answer, and, at the conclusion of the meal, left the palace. Rāhula followed him, reiterating his request until at last the Buddha asked Sāriputta to ordain him.² When Suddhodana heard of this he protested to the Buddha, and asked as a boon that, in future, no child should be ordained without the consent of his parents, and to this the Buddha agreed.³

It is said ⁴ that immediately after Rāhula’s ordination the Buddha taught him constantly (abhinhovādavasena) many suttas for his guidance. Rāhula himself was eager to receive instruction from the Buddha and his teachers and would rise early in the morning and take a handful of sand, saying: “May I have today as many words of counsel from my teachers as there are here grains of sand!” The monks constantly spoke of Rāhula’s amenability, and one day the Buddha, aware of the subject of their talk, went amongst them and related the Tipallatthamiga Jātaka ⁵ and the Tittira Jātaka ⁶ to show them that in past births, too, Rāhula had been known for his obedience. When Rāhula was seven years old, the Buddha taught him the Ambalaṭṭhika Rāhulovāda Sutta (q.v.) as a warning that he should never lie, even in jest. Rāhula used to accompany the Buddha on his begging rounds.⁷ Rāhula noticed that he harboured carnal thoughts fascinated by his own physical beauty and that of his father, the Buddha taught him, at the age of eighteen, the Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (q.v.) Two other suttas, also called Rāhulovāda (q.v.), one included in the Saṃyuttanikāya and the other in the Aṅguttaranikāya, formed the topics for Rāhula’s insight meditation (vipassanā).⁸ Later, the Buddha, knowing that Rāhula’s mind was ripe for final attainment, went with him alone to Andhavana, and taught him the Cūḷarāhulovāda Sutta. At the end of the discourse, Rāhula became an Arahant, together with one trillion listening devas.⁹ Afterwards, in the assembly of monks, the Buddha declared Rāhula foremost among those of his disciples who were anxious for training (sikkhākāmānaṃ).¹⁰

In the time of Padumuttara Buddha, both Rāhula and Raṭṭhapāla were rich householders of Haṃsavatī, who, realising the vanity of riches, gave all away to the poor. One day they entertained two ascetics of great power. The ascetic to whom Rāhula ministered was in the habit of visiting the abode of the Nāga king, Paṭhavindhara, and had been impressed by its magnificence. Therefore, in returning thanks to Rāhula for his hospitality, he wished that his host might resemble Paṭhavindhara. Rāhula remembered this, and after death he was born in the Nāga world as Paṭhavindhara, his friend being born as Sakka. He was, however, dissatisfied with his lot, and one day when, with Virūpakkha, he was on a visit to Sakka, Sakka recognised him, and finding out that he was dissatisfied, suggested to him a remedy. Paṭhavindhara invited the Buddha to his abode. The Buddha, attended by Sumana and one hundred thousand Arahants, came and was entertained by him. In the company of monks was Uparevata, the Buddha’s son, seated next to him, and Paṭhavindhara was so fascinated by him that he could not take his eyes off him. Discovering who he was, Paṭhavindhara expressed a wish that he, too, might be born as the son of a future Buddha. Later, in the time of Kassapa Buddha, Rāhula was born as Paṭhavindhara, the eldest son of King Kiki, later becoming his viceroy. His seven sisters built seven residences for the Buddha, and, at their suggestion, Paṭhavindhara built five hundred residences for the monks.¹¹

Four verses uttered by Rāhula are included in the Theragāthā.¹²

It is said that the news of Rāhula’s birth was brought to the Bodhisatta when he was enjoying himself in his pleasances on the banks of the royal pond after being decked by Vissakamma. As soon as the news was announced, he made up his mind to renounce the world without delay, for he saw, in the birth of a son, a new bond attaching him to household life (“Rāhulajāto, bandhanaṃ jātaṃ” — the word “rāhula” meaning bond).¹³

According to the Dīgha and Saṃyuttanikāya Commentaries,¹⁴ Rāhula predeceased the Buddha and even Sāriputta, and the place of his death is given as Tāvatiṃsa. For twelve years he never lay on a bed.¹⁵

In numerous Jātaka stories, Rāhula is mentioned as having been the Bodhisatta’s son — e.g., in the Uraga, Kapi, Kumbhakāra, Candakumāra, Cūḷa Sutasoma, Daddara, Bandhanāgāra, Makkaṭa, Maghādeva, Mahājanaka, Mahāsudassana, Vidhura, Vessantara, Sīhakotthu, and Sonaka. He was also Yaññadatta, son of Mandavya (Sāriputta) and the young turtle in the Mahā Ukkusa. The Apadāna ¹⁶ says that in many births Uppalavaṇṇā and Rāhula were born of the same parents (ekasmiṃ sambhave) and had similar tendencies (samānacchandamānasā).

Rāhula was known to his friends as Rāhulabhadda (Rāhula, the Fortunate). He himself says ¹⁷ that he deserved the title because he was twice blest in being the son of the Buddha and an Arahant himself. Mention is often made in the books ¹⁸ that, though Rāhula was his own son, the Buddha showed as much love for Devadatta, Aṅgulimāla, and Dhanapāla as he did for Rāhula.

Asoka built a thūpa in honour of Rāhula, to be specially worshipped by novices.¹⁹

Footnotes