A barber of Ātumā. He entered the Order and resented having to observe various rules, great and small. When the Buddha died and the monks stood weeping, Subhadda asked them to rejoice instead, saying: “We are well rid of the Great Recluse; we shall now do just as we like.” Mahā-Kassapa heard this while he was on his way from Pāvā to Kusinārā, and it was this remark that made him decide to hold the First Council after the Buddha’s death (Vin.ii.284 f; D.ii.162; Mhv.iii.6).

Subhadda had been a novice (sāmaṇera) at the time of the Buddha’s visit to Ātumā, and had two sons before he joined the Order. When he heard that the Buddha was coming, he sent for his two sons and gave orders for various foods to be collected to feed the Buddha and the twelve hundred and fifty monks. The Buddha arrived in the evening and took up his residence in Ātumā. All night long Subhadda went about giving instructions regarding the preparation of the food. In the morning of the next day the Buddha went out for alms, and Subhadda approached him and invited him to partake of the food which he had prepared. However, the Buddha questioned him, and, discovering what he had done, refused to accept the meal, forbidding the monks to do so too. This angered Subhadda, and he awaited an opportunity of expressing his disapproval of the Buddha. This opportunity came when he heard of the Buddha’s death. DA.ii.599; cf. Vin.i.249 f.