THE STORY OF KHANU KONDAÑÑA (DHAMMAPADA)

[Goedert]

(Khanu Kondaññatthera Vatthu)

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (111) of this book, with reference to Khanu Kondañña.

Thera Kondañña, after taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, went into the jungle to practise meditation and there attained arahatship. Coming back to pay homage to the Buddha, he stopped on the way because he was very tired. He sat on a large stone-slab, his mind fixed in jhana concentration. At that moment five hundred robbers after looting a large village came to the place where the thera was.
Taking him for a tree stump they put their bundles of loot all over and around the body of the thera. When day broke they realized that what they took to be a tree stump was, in fact, a living being. Then again, they thought it was an ogre and ran away in fright.
The thera revealed to them that he was only a bhikkhu and not an ogre and told them not to get frightened. The robbers were awed by his words, and asked his pardon for having wronged him. Soon afterwards, all the robbers requested the thera to admit them into the Order. From that time, Thera Kondañña came to be known as Khanu Kondañña (tree-stump Kondañña).
The thera accompanied by the new bhikkhus went to the Buddha and told him all that had happened. To them the Buddha said, "To live for a hundred years in ignorance, doing foolish things, is useless; now that you have seen the Truth and have become wise, your life of one day as a wise man is much more worthwhile."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Yo ca vassasata½ j²ve,
duppañño asam±hito.
Ek±ha½ j²vita½ seyyo,
paññavantassa jh±yino.

One day's life of him who is wise and contemplative is better than a life of a hundred years of one who is unwise and of uncontrolled mind.

[beeblebrox]

From that time, Thera Kondañña came to be known as Khanu Kondañña (tree-stump Kondañña).

Is this the same Venerable in Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta? (Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion.)

SN 56:11

The Buddha said:

"[ ... ] as soon as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & priests, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: 'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'"

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.

[ ... ]

Then the Blessed One exclaimed: "So you really know, Kondañña? So you really know?" And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña — Kondañña who knows.

[mikenz66]

There are lots of Kondanna's:
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=LEn9 ... na&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/annaa_kondanna.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.aimwell.org/DPPN/khaanu_kondanna.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Mike