Cakkana

An upāsaka of Ceylon. While he was a boy, his mother once fell grievously ill and the doctors ordered her hare's flesh. Cakkana was sent by his brother into the field, where he caught a hare which, however, out of compassion he set free. His brother blamed him, but Cakkana cured his mother by a saccakiriyā, saying that, inasmuch as he had never deprived anything of life, by the power of that truth his mother should recover. (SA.ii.112; the story is slightly different in MA.i.165). Cakkana's abstinence is one that was maintained "in spite of opportunity" (sampattivirati) and when he had not under-taken to observe any precept. DhsA., p. 103.

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