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Theten principal disciples were the main disciples ofGautama Buddha.[1] Depending on the scripture, the disciples included in this group vary. In manyMahāyāna discourses, these ten disciples are mentioned, but in differing order.[2][3][1] The ten disciples can be found as an iconographic group in notable places in theMogao Caves. They are mentioned in Chinese texts from the fourth century BCE until the twelfth century CE, and are the most honored of the groups of disciples, especially so in China andCentral Asia.[1] The ten disciples are mentioned in the Mahāyāna textVimalakīrti-nideśa, among others. In this text, they are called the "Ten Wise Ones" (pinyin:shih-che), a term which is normally used for thedisciples of Confucius.[4]
Śāriputra (Sanskrit:शारिपुत्र,romanized: Śāriputra; Tibetan: ཤཱ་རིའི་བུ་,Pali:Sāriputta, Khmer: សិរីបុត្រ) (lit. 'the son of Śāri'); born Upatiṣya (Pali:Upatissa); was one of the top disciples ofthe Buddha.[5] He is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief disciples, together withMaudgalyāyana (Pali:Moggallāna).[6] Śāriputra had a key leadership role in the ministry of the Buddha and is considered in many Buddhist schools to have been important in the development of the BuddhistAbhidharma.[7][8] He appears in severalMahayana sutras, and in some sutras, is used as a counterpoint to represent theHinayana school of Buddhism.[9][10] For example, theHeart Sutra, widely considered to be of utmost centrality to theMahayana worldview and practice, is framed as an extended discourse delivered to Śāriputra. The sutra consists of radical reinterpretation of early Buddhist thought in the light ofemptiness.
Buddhist texts relate that Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana were childhood friends who became spiritual wanderers in their youth.[11] After having searched for spiritual truth for a while, they came into contact with the teachings of the Buddha and ordained as monks under him, after which the Buddha declared the friends his two chief disciples.[12][13][14] Śāriputra was said to have attained enlightenment as anarhat two weeks after ordaining.[15][14] As chief disciple Śāriputra assumed a leadership role in theSangha, doing tasks like looking after monks, giving them objects of meditation, and clarifying points of doctrine.[16][7][17] He was the first disciple the Buddha allowed to ordain other monks.[18] Śāriputra died shortly before the Buddha in his hometown and was cremated.[19][20] According to Buddhist texts, his relics were then enshrined atJetavana Monastery.[21] Archaeological findings from the 1800s suggest his relics may have been redistributed across the Indian subcontinent by subsequent kings.[22][23]
Śāriputra is regarded as an important and wise disciple of the Buddha, particularly inTheravada Buddhism where he is given a status close to a second Buddha.[24] InBuddhist art, he is often depicted alongside the Buddha, usually to his right.[5] He was known for his strict adherence to the Buddhistmonastic rules, as well as for his wisdom and teaching ability, giving him the title "General of the Dharma" (Sanskrit:Dharmasenapati; Pali:Dhammasenāpati).[25][7][14] Śāriputra is considered the disciple of the Buddha who was foremost inwisdom.[26] His female counterpart wasKhema.[27]
Moggallāna, also known as Mahā Moggallāna or by his birth name Kolita, was one of the Buddha's closest disciples. He is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost male disciples, together withŚāriputra.[25] Traditional accounts relate that Maudgalyāyana and Śāriputra become spiritual wanderers in their youth.[28] After having searched for spiritual truth for a while, they come into contact with the Buddhist teaching through verses that have become widely known in the Buddhist world.[29][30] Eventually they meet the Buddha himself andordain as monks under him. Maudgalyāyana attainsenlightenment shortly after that.[31]
Maudgalyayana and Śāriputra have a deep spiritual friendship.[32] They are depicted inBuddhist art as the two disciples that accompany the Buddha,[33] and they have complementing roles as teachers.[25] As a teacher, Maudgalyayana is known for his psychic powers, and he is often depicted using these in his teaching methods.[34] In many early Buddhist canons, Maudgalyāyana is instrumental in re-uniting themonastic community afterDevadatta causes a schism.[35] Furthermore, Maudgalyāyana is connected with accounts about the making of the first Buddha image.[36] Maudgalyāyana dies at the age of eighty-four, killed through the efforts of a rival sect.[25] This violent death is described in Buddhist scriptures as a result of Maudgalyāyana'skarma of having killed his own parents in a previous life.[31]
Through post-canonical texts, Maudgalyāyana became known for hisfilial piety through a popular account of him transferring hismerits to his mother.[35] This led to a tradition in many Buddhist countries known as theghost festival, during which peoplededicate their merits to their ancestors.[37] Maudgalyāyana has also traditionally been associated withmeditation[38] and sometimesAbhidharma texts, as well as theDharmaguptaka school.[39] In the nineteenth century,relics were found attributed to him, which have been widely venerated.[40]
Mahā Kāśyapa or Mahākāśyapa (Pali:Mahākassapa) is regarded in Buddhism as anenlightened disciple, beingforemost inascetic practice. Mahākāśyapa assumed leadership of themonastic community following theparanirvāṇa (death) of the Buddha, presiding over theFirst Buddhist Council. He was considered to be the firstpatriarch in a number ofearly Buddhist schools and continued to have an important role as patriarch in theChan andZen tradition. In Buddhist texts, he assumed many identities, that of a renunciant saint, a lawgiver, an anti-establishment figure, but also a "guarantor of future justice" in the time of Maitreya[41]—he has been described as "both the anchorite and the friend of mankind, even of the outcast".[42]
In canonical Buddhist texts in several traditions, Mahākāśyapa was born as Pippali in abrahmin family,[43] and entered an arranged marriage with a woman namedBhadda Kapilani. Both of them aspired to lead a celibate life, however, and they decided not to consummate their marriage. Having grown weary of the agricultural profession and the damage it did, they both left the lay life behind to become mendicants.[44] Pippali later met the Buddha, under whom he wasordained as a monk, namedKāśyapa,[45] but later calledMahākāśyapa to distinguish him from other disciples.[46] Mahākāśyapa became an important disciple of the Buddha, to the extent that the Buddha exchanged hisrobe with him, which was a symbol of the transmittance of theBuddhist teaching.[47] He became foremost inascetic practices[48] and attainedenlightenment shortly after meeting the Buddha.[49] He often had disputes withĀnanda, the attendant of the Buddha, due to their different dispositions and views.[50] Despite his ascetic, strict and stern reputation, he paid an interest in community matters and teaching,[51] and was known for his compassion for the poor,[52] which sometimes caused him to be depicted as an anti-establishment figure.[53] He had a prominent role in the cremation of the Buddha, acting as a sort of eldest son of the Buddha, as well as being the leader in the subsequent First Council.[54] He is depicted as hesitatingly allowing Ānanda to participate in the council,[55] and chastising him afterwards for a number of offenses the latter was regarded to have committed.[56]
Mahākāśyapa's life as described in the early Buddhist texts has been considerably studied by scholars, who have been skeptical about his role in the cremation,[57] his role toward Ānanda[58] and the historical validity of the council itself.[59] A number of scholars have hypothesized that the accounts have later been embellished to emphasize the values of the Buddhist establishment Mahākāśyapa stood for, emphasizingmonastic discipline,brahmin and ascetic values, as opposed to the values of Ānanda and other disciples.[60][61] Regardless, it is clear that Mahākāśyapa had an important role in the early days of the Buddhist community after the Buddha'sparinirvāṇa, to help establish a stable monastic tradition.[62] He effectively became the leader for the first twenty years after the Buddha,[63] as he had become the most influential figure in the monastic community.[64] For this reason, he was regarded by many early Buddhist schools as a sort of first patriarch, and was seen to have started alineage of patriarchs of Buddhism.[65] This further amplified the idea of him being the primary heir and elder son of the Buddha, which came to be symbolized by the robe Mahākāśyapa had received.[66][67]
In many post-canonical texts, Mahākāśyapa decided at the end of his life to enter a state ofmeditation and suspended animation, which was believed to cause his physical remains to stay intact in a cave under a mountain calledKukkuṭapāda, until the coming ofMaitreya Buddha in a next age.[68] This story has led to severalcults and practices,[69] and affected some Buddhist countries up until early modern times.[70] It has been interpreted by scholars as a narrative to physically connect Gautama Buddha with the next Buddha Maitreya, through the body of Mahākāśyapa and Gautama Buddha's robe, which covered Mahākāśyapa's remains.[71] In Chan Buddhism, this account was less emphasized,[72] but Mahākāśyapa was seen to have received a special mind-to-mind transmission from Gautama Buddha outside of orthodox scripture, which became essential to the identity of Chan.[73] Again, the robe was an important symbol in this transmission.[72] Apart from having a role in texts and lineage, Mahākāśyapa has often been depicted in Buddhist art as a symbol of reassurance and hope for the future of Buddhism.[74]
Subhūti (Pali: Subhūti;Chinese:須菩提/须菩提;pinyin:Xūpútí) was one of the ten principal disciples ofthe Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism he is considered the disciple who was foremost in being "worthy of gifts" (Pali:dakkhiṇeyyānaṃ) and "living remote and in peace" (Pali:araṇavihārīnaṃaggo).[75][76][77] InMahayana Buddhism, he is considered foremost in understandingemptiness (Sanskrit:Śūnyatā).[78][79]
Subhūti was born into a wealthy family and was a relative ofAnāthapiṇḍika, the Buddha's chief patron. In the Theravada tradition he is Anāthapiṇḍika's younger brother.[78][79] In the northern Buddhist tradition he is Anāthapiṇḍika's nephew.[80] Subhūti became a monk after hearing the Buddha teach at the dedication ceremony ofJetavana Monastery. After being ordained Subhūti went into the forest and became anarahant meditating onloving-kindness (Pali:mettā). It is said that due to his mastery of loving-kindness meditation, any gift offered to him bore the greatestmerit for the donor, thus earning him the title of foremost in being "worthy of gifts".[75][80] Subhūti is a major figure in Mahayana Buddhism and is one of the central figures inPrajñāpāramitā sutras.[78][79] For instance, theDiamond Sutra is framed as a question-and-answer between the Buddha and Subhūti, resulting in the latter's deepened insight intoemptiness, a core philosophical component underlying the entireMahayana worldview.
Pūrṇa Maitrāyaniputra (Sk.) or Puṇṇa Mantānīputta (Pl.). He was also called Purna for short. He was the greatest teacher of the Law out of all the disciples. He was the top master of preaching.
Kātyāyana or Mahākātyāyana (Sk.) or Mahākaccāna (Pl.). He understood Shakyamuni Buddha's lecture the best. Although he had only five master in the rural areas, he was permitted to learnVinaya by the Buddha.
Anuruddha (Pl.) or Aniruddha (Sk.) was a top master of clairvoyance and the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana). Aniruddha was a cousin of Shakyamuni Buddha. He and Ananda became monks at the same time. He was foremost in divine insight. He lost his sight because he swore not to sleep after getting criticized byLord Buddha. And later he got another pair of eyes that is believed to have the power to see the truth.
Upāli (Sanskrit andPāli) was, according toearly Buddhist texts, mainly responsible for the reciting and reviewingmonastic discipline (Pāli andSanskrit:vinaya) on theFirst Buddhist Council.[81] Upāli was born as a low-caste barber.[82] He met the Buddha when still a child,[83] and later, when theSakya princes receivedordination, he did so as well. He was, in fact, ordained before the princes, putting humility before caste.[84] Having been ordained, Upāli learnt both Buddhist doctrine (Pali:Dhamma;Sanskrit:Dharma) andvinaya.[85] Hispreceptor was Kappitaka.[86] Upāli became known for his mastery and strictness ofvinaya, and was consulted often aboutvinaya matters.[87][88] A notable case he decided about was that of the monk Ajjuka, who was accused of partisanship in a conflict about real estate.[89] During the First Council, Upāli received the important role of reciting thevinaya, for which he is mostly known.[81]
Scholars have analyzed Upāli's role and that of other disciples in the early texts, and it has been suggested that his role in the texts was emphasized during a period of compiling that stressed monastic discipline, during whichMahākassapa (Sanskrit:Mahākāśyapa) and Upāli became the most important disciples.[90][60] Later, Upāli and his pupils became known asvinayadharas (Pāli; 'custodians of the vinaya'), who preserved the monastic discipline after the Buddha'sparinibbāna (Sanskrit:parinirvāṇa; passing into final Nirvana). This lineage became an important part of the identity ofCeylonese and Burmese Buddhism.[91] In China, the 7th-century Vinaya school referred to Upāli as their patriarch and it was believed that one of their founders was a reincarnation of him.[92][93] The technical conversations aboutvinaya between the Buddha and Upāli were recorded in the Pāli andSarvāstivāda traditions,[94] and have been suggested as an important subject of study for modern-day ethics inAmerican Buddhism.[95]
Rāhula (Pāli and Sanskrit) was the only son of Siddhārtha Gautama, and his wife, princess Yaśodharā. He is mentioned in numerous Buddhist texts, from theearly period onward.[96] Accounts about Rāhula indicate a mutual impact between Prince Siddhārtha's life and those of his family members.[97] According to thePāli tradition, Rāhula is born on the day of Prince Siddhārta'srenunciation, and is therefore namedRāhula, meaning a fetter on the path toenlightenment.[98][99] According to theMūlasarvāstivāda tradition, and numerous otherlater sources, however, Rāhula is onlyconceived on the day of Prince Siddhārtha, and is born six years later, when Prince Siddhārtha becomes enlightened as theBuddha.[100] This long gestation period is explained by badkarma from previous lives of both Yaśodharā and of Rāhula himself, although morenaturalistic reasons are also given.[101] As a result of the late birth, Yaśodharā needs to prove that Rāhula is really Prince Siddhārtha's son, which she eventually does successfully by anact of truth.[102] HistorianWolfgang Schumann [de] has argued that Prince Siddhārtha conceived Rāhula and waited for his birth, to be able to leave the palace with the king and queen's permission,[103] but OrientalistNoël Péri considered it more likely that Rāhula was born after Prince Siddhārtha left his palace.[104]
Between seven[99] and fifteen[105] years after Rāhula is born, the Buddha returns to Kapilavastu, where Yaśodharā has Rāhula ask the Buddha for the throne of the Śākya clan. The Buddha responds by having Rāhulaordain as the first Buddhistnovice monk.[98] He teaches the young novice abouttruth, self-reflection,[99] andnot-self,[106] eventually leading to Rāhula's enlightenment.[107][108] Although early accounts state that Rāhula dies before the Buddha does,[98] later tradition has it that Rāhula is one of the disciples that outlives the Buddha, guarding theBuddha's Dispensation until the rising of thenext Buddha.[109] Rāhula is known in Buddhist texts for his eagerness for learning,[110] and was honored by novice monks andnuns throughout Buddhist history.[111] His accounts have led to a perspective in Buddhism of seeing children as hindrances to the spiritual life on the one hand, and as people with potential for enlightenment on the other hand.[112]
Ānanda was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of histen principal disciples.[113] Among the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda stood out for having the best memory.[114] Most of thetexts of the early BuddhistSutta-Piṭaka (Pāli;Sanskrit:Sūtra-Piṭaka) are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during theFirst Buddhist Council.[115] For that reason, he is known as the "Treasurer of the Dhamma", withDhamma (Sanskrit:Dharma) referring to the Buddha's teaching.[116] InEarly Buddhist Texts, Ānanda is the first cousin of the Buddha.[115] Although the texts do not agree on most things about Ānanda's early life, they do agree that Ānanda is ordained as a monk and thatPuṇṇa Mantānīputta (Sanskrit:Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra) becomes his teacher.[117] Twenty years in the Buddha's ministry, Ānanda becomes the attendant of the Buddha, when the Buddha selects him for this job.[118] Ānanda performs his duties with great devotion and care, and acts as an intermediary between the Buddha and the laypeople, as well as theSaṅgha (monastic community).[119][120] He accompanies the Buddha for the rest of his life, acting not only as an assistant, but also a secretary and a mouthpiece.[121]
Scholars are skeptical about the historicity of many events in Ānanda's life, especially the First Council, and consensus about this has yet to be established.[122][123] A traditional account can be drawn from early texts,commentaries, andpost-canonical chronicles. Ānanda has an important role in establishing the order ofbhikkhunis, when he requests the Buddha on behalf of the latter's foster-motherMahāpajāpati Gotamī (Sanskrit:Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī) to allow her to be ordained.[124] Ānanda also accompanies the Buddha in the last year of his life, and therefore is witness to many tenets and principles that the Buddha conveys and establishes before his death, including the well-known principle that the Buddhist community should take his teaching and discipline as their refuge, and that the Buddha will not appoint a new leader.[125][126] The final period of the Buddha's life also shows that Ānanda is still very much attached to the Buddha's person, and he witnesses the Buddha's passing with great sorrow.[127]
Shortly after the Buddha's death, the First Council is convened, and Ānanda manages to attainenlightenment just before the council starts, which is a requirement.[128] He has a historical role during the council as the living memory of the Buddha, reciting many of the Buddha's discourses and checking them for accuracy.[129] During the same council, however, he is chastised byMahākassapa (Sanskrit:Mahākāśyapa) and the rest of the Saṅgha for allowing women to be ordained and failing to understand or respect the Buddha at several crucial moments.[130] Ānanda continues to teach until the end of his life, passing on his spiritual heritage to his pupilsSāṇavāsī (Sanskrit:Śāṇakavāsī) and Majjhantika (Sanskrit:Madhyāntika),[131] among others, who later assume a leading role in theSecond[132] andThird Councils.[133] Ānanda dies in 463 BCE, andstūpas (monuments) are erected at the river where he dies.[134]
Ānanda is one of the most loved figures in Buddhism. Ānanda is known for his memory, erudition and compassion, and is often praised by the Buddha for these matters.[135][136] He functions as afoil to the Buddha, however, in that he still has worldly attachments and is not yet enlightened, as opposed to the Buddha.[137] In theSanskrit textual traditions, Ānanda is widely considered the patriarch of the Dhamma, who stands in a spiritual lineage, receiving the teaching from Mahākassapa and passing them on to his own pupils.[138] Ānanda has been honored bybhikkhunis since early medieval times for his merits in establishing the nun's order.[139] In recent times, the composerRichard Wagner wrote a draft for alibretto about Ānanda, which was made into the operaWagner Dream byJonathan Harvey in 2007.[140]
In thePāli textUdāna, a similar list is mentioned, but these are eleven not ten disciples, and five in the list are different.[141] Although in the early Sanskrit and Chinese texts, there are only four enlightened disciples, in later tradition there areeight enlightened disciples (found in theMañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa;[142] there still are in the Burmese tradition[143]),sixteen (in Chinese and Tibetan texts) and theneighteen disciples (in Chinese texts).[144] There is also a Chinese tradition with five hundred disciples.[143][145]
| No. | Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa[142] | Mahāyāna discourses[2][1] | Pāli discourses[141] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Śāriputra | Śāriputra | Śāriputra |
| 2. | Maudgalyāyana | Maudgalyāyana | Maudgalyāyana |
| 3. | Mahākāśyapa/Gavāṃpati | Mahākāśyapa | Mahākāśyapa |
| 4. | Subhūti/Piṇḍolabhāradvāja | Subhūti | Mahākātyāyana |
| 5. | Rāhula/Pilindavatsa | Pūrṇa Maitrāyaniputra | Mahākoṭṭhita |
| 6. | Nanda/Rāhula | Aniruddha | Kaphiṇa |
| 7. | Bhadrika/Mahākāśyapa | Mahākātyāyana | Mahācunda |
| 8. | Kaphiṇa/Ānanda | Upāli | Aniruddha |
| 9. | N/A | Rāhula | Revata |
| 10. | N/A | Ānanda | Devadatta |
| 11. | N/A | N/A | Ānanda |
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Rhys Davids, Thomas William (1911). "Ānanda". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 913..svg)
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