1. Mahātissa. A thera who lived in Bhaggari in
Ceylon. He was an arahant, and is mentioned as being among the last of those
who took part in various assemblies that followed the departure of the
Bodhisatta during different births, such as the Kuddālaka Samāgama, Mūgapakkha,
etc. J.vi.30.
2. Mahātissa. Called Vanavāsī Mahātissa. He was
a colleague of Alindakavāsī Mahāphussadeva of Ceylon, and witnessed
Sakka and other deities waiting on the latter in recognition of his holiness.
Mahātissa perceived only the radiance of the devas and questioned Phussadeva,
who did not, however, give a direct answer. SNA.i.55f.; Vibhā.352.
3. Mahātissa Thera. Called Ambakhādaka-Mahātissa.
He lived at Ciragumba, and is mentioned as an example of a monk who refused to
eat food which came to him as a result of signifying in words that he desired
it. Vsm.43.
4. Mahātissa Thera. He lived in Cetiyagiri, and
one day, while on his way to Anurādhapura, saw a woman who was leaving her
husband, having quarrelled with him. She was beautifully dressed, and seeing
the Elder, smiled at him, in order to show her perfect teeth. The Elder looked
at her, and acquiring the perception of "the foul" through thinking of the
bones of her teeth, became an arahant. The husband followed his wife and asked
the Elder if he had seen her. The Elder replied, "I know not if it was man or
woman, but I saw a lump of bones." Vsm.20f., 194.
5. Mahātissa Thera. Of Punnavallika. One full
moon day, at evening, he went to the courtyard of the Mahā Thūpa, saw the
moonlight, and turning towards the shrine, entered into rapture, the Buddha
being his object of thought. He habitually recalled this experience
thenceforth until, one day, he was able to travel through the air to the Mahā
Thūpa. Vsm.143; DhSA.116.
6. Mahātissa. An Elder of the Mahākarañjiya
Vihāra. He became an arahant by developing ānāpānasati, and was thus able to
limit his life term. Vsm.292.
7. Mahātissa Thera. While begging for alms in
Kalyānigāma his mind was defiled by the sight of an "uncommon" form (visabhāgarūpa,
naked woman?). SNA.i.6f.
8. Mahātissa Thera. An incumbent of the
Mandalārāma near Bhokkantagāma. He was a reciter of the Dhammapada. Sumanā,
wife of Lakuntaka Atimbara, related the story of her past in the assembly of
monks in association with this Thera. DhA.iv.51.
9. Mahātissa. A man of the Okkāka race, father
of Dappula I. His wife was Sanghasivā, and they had two other sons, Aggabodhi
and Maniakkhika, and one daughter. Cv.xlv.38.
10. Mahātissa Thera. Incumbent of Kotapabbata
Viharā and teacher of Asubhakammika Tissa. He was an arahant, and
heard, with his divine ear, the description given in the Lohapāsāda by
Cittagutta Thera of the marvels of the Mahā Thūpa. Mahātissa told Cittagutta
that the description was not full enough. MT. 552f.
11. Mahātissa Thera. Incumbent of Kambugallaka
Vihāra. He was a colleague of Kupikkala Mahātissa, and interceded on behalf of
Vattagāmanī when that king's ministers wished to leave him. Later, the
ministers appointed him to look after all the monasteries built by them.
Mhv.xxxiii.76, 89ff.; MT. 619, 622.
12. Mahātissa Thera. Incumbent of Kupikkala
Vihāra. When Vattagāmanī was in hiding in the forest of Vessagiri, the Elder
once provided him with a meal, and the king, out of gratitude, made him a
grant of land (Mhv.xxxiii.49). Later, the ministers wanted to revolt against
the king on account of his cruelty to Tanasīva, but the Elder and his
colleague Mahātissa from Kambugallaka, prevented them from doing so
(Mhv.xxxiii.76). When Vattagāmanī built the Abhayagiri Vihāra, he gave it into
the charge of Mahātissa. Mhv.xxxiii.83.
13. Mahātissa Thera. An incumbent of the
Mahāvihāra. He was expelled by reason of his association with families. His
pupil Bahalamassutissa thereupon seceded from the Mahāvihāra and established a
new sect in Abhayagiri. Mhv.xxxiii.95ff.
14. Mahātissa Thera. Incumbent of Anurārāma.
Vohārīka Tissa was so pleased with him that he ordered alms to be regularly
given to him in the Mucelapattana. Mhv.xxxvi.30.
15. Mahātissa Thera.
Even when sixty years old he did not realize that he was a puthujjana. Then,
one day, his pupil Dhammadinna of Talangara came to him, asking for his
company in a journey to Tissamahā-vihāra, where he had been asked to preach.
Mahātissa greeted him, and in the course of conversation, Dhammadinna
discovered that his teacher was under the false impression that he was an
arahant. Wishing to show him his error, he persuaded Mahātissa, by his iddhi
power, to create a pond, and in the pond a lotus, which a young girl was
picking. At the sight of the girl, Mahātissa was possessed by lust, and
realized that he was no arahant. Dhammadinna withdrew, and that same day
Mahātissa put forth effort and attained arahantship. AA.i.25.
16. Mahātissa. An incumbent of Cittalapabbata.
He was troubled by lustful thoughts and consulted his teacher. The Thera asked
him to prepare a cell for him, which he did with great care. The Thera then
asked him to occupy it for one night, since he had taken so much trouble over
it. That night Mahātissa put forth effort and became an arahant. AA.i.26.
