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Known Nun Disciples of the Buddha

Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
(October, 2014)

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Pāḷi Suttapiṭaka

This is a list of the nun disciples of the Buddha as found in the Suttapiṭaka and its commentaries. The attempt is made to be comprehensive, but given such a large number it is possible one or two have been overlooked, and I will update when I get additions/corrections, etc. This list for now covers the nuns named in the Pāḷi Suttapiṭaka, I would like to add in names from the Vinaya, and from other traditions, but will need help to get that work done. I will add them in as and when I can.

The references are to the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana edition of the Tipiṭaka as this is still the most easily accessible edition of the texts. The numbering here should be the same in other editions, but there may be small variations occasionally.

The order is based roughly on information levels: first come the thirteen chief disciples, about which we have a lot of information in various canonical sources and commentaries; next come the Apadāna stories in the order that they appear in that collection; then the Therīgāthā in the order they appear. There are then a couple of references to nuns named seperately in the Dhammapadaṭṭhakatha.

Some of the important works concerning the nuns here I have translated, and they have been linked to in the table below. The header row giving the location soon goes out of range, but all the cells in the table have title attributes so hovering will let you see where the text is located.

Key and References

AN (e.g. 1.14.5.1) = Aṅguttaranikāya and Commentary (e.g. Book of the Ones, Section 14, Chapter 5, First Sutta.)
Ap (e.g. 2.7) = Therī-Apadāna and Therī-Apadānadīpanī (e.g. Book Two, Section Seven.)
Thī (e.g. 6.6) = Therīgāthā and Commentary (e.g. Book of Six Verses, Sixth Section.)
DhpA (e.g. 391) = Dhammapada Commentary (e.g. to verse 391.)
JA = Jātaka Commentary by Jātaka number (numbering differs in the last ten [538-547] from PTS).
 JNid p.15 = Jātakanidāna page 15.
 IDs = identified with a character in the story
 cf. here means compare the story as it is similar in many respects to a story about this nun.
Other = Materials not found in the preceding (e.g. MN 142) = Majjhimanikāya and Commentary (e.g. to Sutta 142.)
 DN = Dīgha; MN = Majjhima; SN = Saṁyutta; AN = Aṅguttara; Sn = Suttanipāta; Bv = Buddhavaṁsa

in 2023 I have added the information and table about the seven princesses at the time of Buddha Kassapa.

Ānandajoti Bhikkhu
July 2023

Seven Princesses at the time of Buddha Kassapa

At the time of Buddha Kassapa seven princesses were born to King Kikī, they all chose to remain spinsters, and lived for 20,000 years doing good works. All seven had already made their aspirations to greatness under Buddha Padumuttara, 100,000 aeons previously.

Full List of Female Monastics

last updated: April 2021