Bhadra Kundalakesa was a former Jain ascetic who was converted to Buddhism by Sariputra, one of the two chief disciples of Gautama Buddha.
18 Facts About Bhadda Kundalakesa
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Bhadda Kundalakesa attained arahantship faster than any other nun and lived in the 6th century BCE in what is Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa was born "Bhadda" in Rajagaha, the capital city of the kingdom of Magadha of King Bimbisara.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa was the son of a Brahmin, but had a long history of theft.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa was able to convince her father that she could not live without him, and so he bribed the jail wardens who let the condemned man break out of the prison.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa told Bhadda that he had vowed to make offerings to a certain mountain deity if he could avoid the death penalty.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa managed to get Bhadda away from his home using this pretext.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa wanted to push her over a high cliff to steal her valuable ornaments.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa entered the order of Jains as an ascetic.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa's hair grew again and it was very curly, giving her the name Kundalakesa.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa was not satisfied by the Jain doctrine, so she became a solitary wandering ascetic.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa heard of Bhadda's arrival, and as a sign of his willingness to debate, he sent several children to trample on the sand-pile.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa then went to Jetavana, Anathapindika's monastery, followed by a large throng of spectators.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa was supremely confident of victory, since she had become accustomed to winning all debates as a matter of course.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa answered all of them until she could not think of any more questions.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa chose Sariputra as her teacher, but he referred her to Gautama Buddha.
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Bhadda Kundalakesa expounded the dharma to her at Mount Vulture Peak and finished with the following verses:.
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Just as the wanderer Bahiya was the bhikkhu who attained arahantship faster than anyone else, Bhadda Kundalakesa was the fastest among the bhikkhunis.