<p>Yes. For the Theravada tradition's stories of the elder monks and nuns, please see the following books of the <a href="https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Khuddaka Nikaya</a> (the minor collection):</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thag" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Theragatha</a> (Verses of the Elder Monks) or <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thig" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Therigatha</a> (Verses of the Elder Nuns) or <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/tha-ap" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Thera Apadana</a> (Past Life Legends of the Elder Monks)</li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thi-ap" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Theri Apadana</a> (Past Life Legends of the Elder Nuns)</li>
</ul>
<p>For e.g. you can read the story of <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.12.02.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sunita the Outcaste</a> who became an arhat elder.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T20:01:45.823Z
https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn describes the latter two as "legends of" not "biographies of", I quote -- The “Legends of the Senior Monks” contains 563 stories in verse telling the past life deeds of various senior monks. It is a much later counterpart to the Theragāthā, referring to many of the same monks. But whereas the Theragāthā verses relate the monks’ practice of meditation and mindfulness in this life, the Legends typically relate how they became awakened in this life by making an offering a Buddha in the distant past...
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T20:03:04.320Z
...  and making a dedication to be reborn so as to become awakened in the future. The “Legends of the Senior Monks” has as companion the “Legends of the Senior Nuns”. Both these are late texts, and lack counterparts in the northern canons.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-26T03:15:45.053Z
@ChrisW Updated to "Past Life Legends".
ruben2020
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T14:46:44.260Z
2021-10-26T03:15:26.497Z
2021-10-26T03:15:26.497Z
ruben2020
<p>If I'm getting this right it is/was customary to utter a poem shortly after realizing enlightenment. Are these verses and/or maybe stories and accounts surrounding these beings collected somewhere?</p>

<enlightenment><books>
Is there a compendium of enlightenment stories (about Arhats and/or Bodhisattvas)?
# Is there a compendium of enlightenment stories (about Arhats and/or Bodhisattvas)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-25)

If I'm getting this right it is/was customary to utter a poem shortly after realizing enlightenment. Are these verses and/or maybe stories and accounts surrounding these beings collected somewhere?

**Tags:** enlightenment, books


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Yes. For the Theravada tradition's stories of the elder monks and nuns, please see the following books of the [Khuddaka Nikaya](https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn) (the minor collection):

* [Theragatha](https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thag) (Verses of the Elder Monks) or [here](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/index.html)
* [Therigatha](https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thig) (Verses of the Elder Nuns) or [here](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/index.html)
* [Thera Apadana](https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/tha-ap) (Past Life Legends of the Elder Monks)
* [Theri Apadana](https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn/thi-ap) (Past Life Legends of the Elder Nuns)

For e.g. you can read the story of [Sunita the Outcaste](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thag/thag.12.02.than.html) who became an arhat elder.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/sutta/minor/kn describes the latter two as "legends of" not "biographies of", I quote -- The “Legends of the Senior Monks” contains 563 stories in verse telling the past life deeds of various senior monks. It is a much later counterpart to the Theragāthā, referring to many of the same monks. But whereas the Theragāthā verses relate the monks’ practice of meditation and mindfulness in this life, the Legends typically relate how they became awakened in this life by making an offering a Buddha in the distant past...  
> **username_2**: ...  and making a dedication to be reborn so as to become awakened in the future. The “Legends of the Senior Monks” has as companion the “Legends of the Senior Nuns”. Both these are late texts, and lack counterparts in the northern canons.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Updated to "Past Life Legends".  

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