1. Bhūta Thera. The son of a very wealthy councillor of Sāketa, his last and only child, the others having been devoured by a Yakkha. The child was, therefore, well guarded at his birth, but the Yakkha had meanwhile gone to wait on Vessavana and had not returned. The boy was called Bhūta so that non humans might protect him. He grew up in great luxury, but, like Yasa, having heard the Buddha preach at Sāketa, he entered the Order and dwelt on the banks of the Ajakaranī, where he attained arahantship. Later, when visiting his relations, he stayed in the Añjanavana. They besought him to remain there, but this he refused to do.

In the time of Siddhattha Buddha he was a brahmin and, seeing the Buddha, he sang his praises in four verses. Fourteen kappas ago he became king four times under the name of Uggata. Thag.vs.518 26; ThagA.i.493ff.

He is probably identical with Parappasādaka Thera of the Apadāna. Ap.i.113f.

2. Bhūta. An officer of Parakkamabāhu I. He bore the title Bhandārapotthakī, and later came to be called Adhikāri. Cv.lxxii.196; lxxiv. 72, 119, 136; lxxv. 196.

3. Bhūta. The son of a householder of Sāvatthi, his mother being Tissā and his step mother Mattā. PvA.82.

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G P Malalasekera (1899-1973), which is available as printed version from

bhūta

(Sanskrit) 1. An element, particularly one of the four material elements, earth, water, fire and wind.

2. A kind of vampiric spirit or evil ghost.

A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 2003, 2004 (which is available in electronic version from answer.com)