Anāthapiṇḍika

Anāthapiṇḍika, in Buddhist tradition, a banker of Sāvatthi (modern Śrāvāsti) and early follower of the Buddha Gotama. Tradition states that Anāthapiṇḍika met the Buddha at Rājagaha and became deeply devoted to him. He invited the Buddha to his city, where he built for him a famous monastery at Jetavana, where the Buddha spent most of his time and delivered most of his sermons. He is depicted as an ideal layman within the Buddhist tradition.