This is the first time I read the story of Sona Kotikanna, the Buddha granted him 5 boons !!!!!
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Sona Kotikanna:MahaKaccana's Novice [Presented by Dr.Han Tun@ SariputtaDhamma/Mult/JTN]
He was a Thera, who was declared chief of those possessing clear utterance. He
was the son of Kali Kuraragharika. A little while before the birth of the child, Kali went
to her parents' house in Rajagaha, and one day, as she was cooling herself, she
heard a conversation between two Yakkhas, Satagira and Hemavata. As she
listened to their talk, her mind was filled with thoughts of the virtues of the
Buddha, and she became a sotapanna. That same night the child was born and was
called Sona. His mother later returned to Kuraraghara. At that time Maha
Kaccana lived near by and often visited her home. Sona was very attached to
him, and was later ordained by him. Three years later he received the
upasampada, and, with Maha Kaccana's leave, visited the, Buddha. Kali gave
him a large carpet to spread in the Buddha's Gandhakuti.
When Sona arrived at the Gandhakuti, he worshipped the Buddha, who asked Ananda
to find him a lodging. Ananda, reading the Buddha's thoughts, spread a rug in
the Buddha's chamber. Late at night Sona went to bed, and, very early the next
morning, the Buddha woke him and asked him to recite the Dhamma. Sona recited
the whole of the Atthakavagga, which he had learnt from Maha Kaccana. At the
end of the recital the Buddha applauded him and gave him a boon. Sona asked for
the "Vinaya-dharapa~ncamaganena upasampadaa, which Kaccana had asked him to
choose. (This means permission to admit a monk into the Order with a chapter of
only five monks), one of whom was versed in the Vinaya. Later, he returned to
Kuraraghara and visited his mother's house. She had heard of the Buddha's
applause from the devas, and wished Sona to recite the Dhamma just as he had
done before the Buddha, and this he did.
The Dhammapada Commentary says that, on the day when Sona recited the Dhamma in
Kuraraghara, Kali went to listen to him, leaving only one female slave in the
house. Her house had seven walls and fortified gates and savage dogs on leash.
Molten lead flowed round the walls at night, and in the night it proved a
slippery surface, difficult to walk on. Nine hundred thieves had been awaiting a
chance of breaking into the house, and this day they saw their opportunity. They
stationed one of their number to watch Kali going to the monastery, and to
kill her if she started homewards after the thieves entered her house. When they
came her female servant ran to the monastery to tell her about it. But she would
not be disturbed and sent her back. Again the servant went, and again she was
sent back. When the thief, stationed near Kali, saw her extraordinary piety,
he was filled with remorse, and, at the end of the sermon, begged her forgiveness.
All the nine hundred thieves joined the Order under Sona Kutikanna, and on the day
they became arahants the Buddha appeared before them in a ray of light to encourage
them.
The Vinaya says (Vin.i.195f) that when Kaccana wished to confer the higher
ordination on Sona, it was three years before he could get together the
necessary chapter of ten monks. This was because there were but few monks in
Avanti and in the Southern Country; hence Sona's request to the Buddha that he
should allow five monks to officiate in Avanti. Other boons asked for by Sona
and allowed by the Buddha were:
(1) Permission to use, in Avanti, shoes with thick linings, because the soil of
Avanti was black and always muddy;
(2) permission to bath constantly;
(3) to use skins for coverlets;
(4) to accept robes set apart for absent monks even after the lapse of ten days.
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Love Buddha's dhamma,yawares/sirikanya