“Mahāsudassana Sutta (DN 17)” has several interesting pieces of information:
1. @ marker 1.2.2: When the Buddha prepared for his Parinibbana in the small city of Kusinara, Ven. Ananda asked him to change his mind and select a large city.
- The Buddha told Ven. Ananda the following: Once upon a time, there was a king named Mahāsudassana. His capital was this Kusinārā, which at that time was named Kusāvatī.
- Then, the Buddha described various aspects of that kingdom in great detail.
2. Information relevant to the current topic is in Section “5. Jhānasampatti” @ marker 2.1.1.
- It describes how King Mahāsudassana cultivated jhanas. They were anariya jhanas, as we see below.
- The interesting point is that the description of the jhana is the same as for Ariya jhana descriptions in other suttas.
- @2.3.1 marker: “Atha kho, ānanda, rājā mahāsudassano mahāviyūhaṁ kūṭāgāraṁ pavisitvā sovaṇṇamaye pallaṅke nisinno vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsi.”
- He had cultivated all four jhanas.
- @ marker 2.13.3: “Upon passing away, King Mahāsudassana was reborn in a good place, a Brahmā realm.”
- @ 2.14.3: ” I myself was King Mahāsudassana at that time.”
