Subhuti was born in a Brahman family in the state of Sravasti. When he was born, the family furniture and possessions suddenly disappeared, leaving the house bare. His parents were shocked by this extraordinary phenomenon, so they asked a numerologist why this had happened. The numerologist told them that it was a good sign, so there was no need to worry. When the Buddha went to their village to deliver lectures, Subhuti and his parents were moved by the Buddha's wise teaching and they all converted to Buddhism. Subhuti was noted for his thorough understanding of the Buddhist concept of "emptiness."

Once the Buddha went up to heaven to preach to his mother and all the other celestials. Three months later, he returned to the sangha. Realizing that their beloved Buddha had returned, all the disciples rushed to greet him. At that time, Subhuti was in a cave on Vulture Peak Mountain, weaving his robe. When he heard the news, he too was exultant and immediately put down his work. Just as he was leaving to greet the Buddha, a thought suddenly came across his mind. "The real body of the Buddha cannot be seen with ordinary eyes. If I go to greet the Buddha now, it will means that I am treating his real existence as a combination of the four major elements of water, fire, wind and earth. Actually, this combination is empty and impermanent. My going to greet him will indicate that I do not understand the concept of "emptiness", which is the truth of the universe. I won't be able to see the real existence of the Buddha. His real existence is emptiness, which is everywhere. Therefore, the Buddha is everywhere. "So, Subhuti sat down and continued to weave his robe.

 
Among all the disciples who went to greet the Buddha, Utpalavarna, who was renowned for being the nun with the greatest supernatural powers, greeted the Buddha first. When she saw the Buddha, she prostrated herself before him and said, "Buddha, I, Utpalavarna, am the first disciple to greet you this time."

The Buddha smiled."Utpalavarna, you are not the first. Subhuti is, because he has seen the selflessness of everything and has comprehended the emptiness of everthing. He also understands that he sees me whenever he hears my teachings, so he was the first to see and greet me."