Punna Mantānīputta Thera
He belonged to a brahmin family of Donavatthu near Kapilavatthu. His mother was Mantānī, sister of Aññākondañña. While the Buddha was at Rājagaha, whither he had gone after preaching the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Aññākondañña went to Kapilavatthu and ordained Punna. Kondañña then returned to Rājagaha, whence, having taken leave of the Buddha, he retired to live on the banks of the Chaddantadaha. But Punna remained in Kapilavatthu, intent on his practices, and soon after became an arahant. He gathered round him five hundred clansmen who all became monks, and he taught them the ten bases of discourse (dasa kathāvatthūni), which he himself had learnt, and they became arahants. When they wished to visit the Buddha, Punna sent them on in advance to Rājagaha, asking them to pay homage to the Buddha in his name. Later, when the Buddha came from Rājagaha to Sāvatthi, Punna visited him and was taught the Dhamma in the Buddha's own Gandhakuti. Sāriputta, hearing of the fame of Punna, wished to meet him, and went to Andhavana, where Punna was spending his siesta. Sāriputta questioned him on the seven acts of purity, and Punna answered him. The two monks found great joy in each other's words. The interview with Sāriputta is given in the Rathavinīta Sutta (M.i.146 ff.). Buddhaghosa, says (MA.i.362) that the two Elders had many things in common.
Later, the Buddha declared Punna to be pre-eminent among those who preached the Dhamma. (A.i.23; S.ii.156)
In the time of Padumuttara Buddha, Punna was born in a rich brahmin family of Hamsavatī, before the birth of the Buddha. When grown up, he one day visited the Buddha, and as he sat on the edge of a large crowd, hearing him preach, the Buddha declared one of his monks pre eminent among preachers, and Punna, wishing for a like honour under a future Buddha, paid great homage to Padumuttara. (ThagA.i.37 ff )
In the Anguttara Commentary (AA.i.113 ff), however, we are told that in the time of Padumuttara Buddha, Punna was named Gotama and was expert in the Vedas. But he found no solace in the teaching of the Vedas and became an ascetic with a following of eighteen thousand Jatilas, all of whom, under his guidance, developed great iddhi powers. Punna was already old when Padumuttara attained Enlightenment. One day the Buddha visited Gotama's hermitage, and Gotama and his disciples entertained him to a meal. Afterwards the Buddha wished his chief disciple Mahādeva to come to the hermitage with one hundred thousand monks; this he did, and the ascetics provided flowers for their seats. For seven days the Buddha and his monks remained in trance on their seats, at the end of which period the Buddha asked the most pre eminent preacher to render thanks. At the conclusion of the sermon, all except Gotama became arahants. Gotama wished to gain pre eminence in preaching under a future Buddha, and Padumuttara proclaimed that his wish would find fulfilment. The Apadāna (Ap.i.38, quoted at ThagA.i.362) contains yet another version, according to which Punna's name in the time of Padumuttara was Sunanda.
Besides the Rathavinīta Sutta mentioned above (n. 1), which bears testimony to Punna's skill as a preacher, another Sutta, of the Samyutta Nikāya (S.iii.105f.; according to ThagA.ii.124, Ananda became a sotāpanna after hearing a sermon by Punna), represents Ananda as saying to the assembled monks that Punna was of great help to himself and others when they were yet novices; Punna had preached to them on causation, and they were able to understand the Doctrine because of his skilful exposition.
It is, perhaps, this Punna who is identified with the gate keeper (dovārika) of the Kurudhamma Jātaka (J.ii.381) and with one of the seven brothers of the Bhisa Jātaka (J.iv.314).
The Mahāvastu (iii.382) contains twenty verses attributed to Pūrna Maitrayānīputra.
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