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The Disciples
of the Buddha│1│2│ |
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Venerable Mahakasyapa,
foremost in ascetic practices |
◎The
Disciples of the Buddha
Who are the disciples of the Buddha? They are
the monastic and lay practitioners of the Dharma. When the Buddha teaches,
they listen attentively and carefully to the Buddha's every word. Like
the illustrations below show, there is always a sense of harmony between
the Buddha and his disciples.
Since the beginning of Buddhism more than 2,500 years ago, Buddhists
have spread to every corner of the world, in countries like India, China,
Korea, and Japan. During the Buddha's time, there were the Venerables
Mahakasyapa, Ananda, and Suddhipanthaka. As Buddhism spread east to China,
there were the distinguished Masters such as Xuanzhuang and Jianzhen of
the Tang Dynasty. Of the Buddha's disciples, some were very eloquent or
had extraordinary memory, while others were very good at translating the
Buddha's teachings into local dialects. Since every one of the Buddha's
disciples was quite special in his/her own talent, it is impossible to
list them here one by one. The best that one can do is to carefully read
some of their accomplishments and follow their footsteps in developing
one's own ability.
◎The Happiest Ascetic
Venerable Mahakasyapa of India was born
into a wealthy family, but after having renounced home life to follow
the Buddha, he was very adamant in his practice of asceticism (a life
of contentment with very few desires) and nobody could convince him otherwise.
One day, the Buddha told him, “You should not be so harsh on yourself
in your practice of ascetic austerities since you are old now.” But Mahakasyapa
replied, “To me, the practice of asceticism is the happiest thing in the
world. I am without desires in my heart for anything material or worldly.
Therefore, I am truly happy in my mind.” Accordingly, Mahakasyapa was
praised by the Buddha for setting such a good example and was later given
the title, “Foremost in Ascetic Practice.”
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Venerable Ananda, who had a photographic
memory and was foremost in hearing the most teachings. |
◎Who
Has the Most Extraordinary Memory?
Venerable Ananda was the Buddha's cousin and of all the Buddha's disciples,
he had the most dignified appearance and an amazing memory. After leaving
home to follow the Buddha, he became the Buddha's attendant and could
recite from memory every word of the Buddha's teachings. Thus, he earned
the title “the Foremost in Hearing Many Teachings.”
After the Buddha passed away, a council was held by his disciples to
collect and establish his teachings. It was Ananda who recited the Dharma
as spoken by the Buddha to compile the Sutra-Pitaka. He had contributed
greatly to the transmission of the Dharma to the present day to benefit
countless sentient beings.
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Venerable Suddhipanthaka
who had attained enlightenment by sweeping the floor attentively. |
◎The
Venerable Who Is Most Attentive in Sweeping the Floor
Before he had successfully cultivated his wisdom for realizing and understanding
the truth of all phenomena, Venerable Suddhipanthaka, one of the Buddha's
Ten Chief Disciples, could not even remember the simplest teaching. Because
of this shortcoming, he often cried the tears of sorrow. In an effort
to comfort him, the Buddha taught him to recite the phrase “wipe off dust
and wash away dirt,” but he still could not remember it.
Then, the Buddha told him that he could repeatedly recite the phrase
while sweeping the floor. Day after day, Venerable Suddhipanthaka followed
the Buddha's instruction. Gradually, he understood the significance of
it. Just as dust could be swept away with a broom, defilement could be
eradicated by wisdom. Therefore, it is possible to cultivate and elevate
one's wisdom and knowledge by means of attentively sweeping the floor.
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Vimalakirti, a lay Buddhist practitioner of great
wisdom. |
◎Why
Did the Flowers Adhere to the Body?
Although Vimalakirti was a very wealthy man during the Buddha's time,
he did not care to compare, dispute or discriminate regarding worldly
or material matters. He was known as a person of wisdom for his achievements
in practicing the Buddha's teachings.
One day, Vimalakirti was ill and the Buddha asked Manjusri Bodhisattva
to pay the elder a visit. Many of the Buddha's disciples also followed
Manjusri Bodhisattva to Vimalakirti's house. As the Bodhisattva and the
lay practitioner engaged in an insightful discussion of the Dharma, a
celestial maiden listened to their discussion and was filled with joy.
Moved by their wisdom, she scattered heavenly flowers over the assembly
as offering to the Bodhisattvas and great disciples. However, something
strange happened. As the flowers fell on Manjusri Bodhisattva and Vimalakirti,
they immediately dropped off to the ground, but when they reached the
great disciples, they did not fall off. No matter how hard they tried,
the disciples were unable to remove the flowers from their bodies.
Do you know why the flowers adhere to the other disciples and not Vimalakirti
or the Manjusri Bodhisattva? It is because the Bodhisattvas have realized
the immeasurable state of equanimity and the disciples have yet to do
so. They still have differentiations and comparisons, which caused the
flowers to adhere closely to their bodies. Therefore, it is very important
for us to have equanimity in all of our interpersonal relationships by
not making any distinction between beauty and ugliness or rich and poor.
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Chan Master Bodhidharma,
who sat facing a wall in meditation. |
◎The Chan Master Who Sat Facing the Wall in Meditation for the Longest
Time
Chan Master Bodhidharma came to China from southern
India by sea to transmit the Buddha's teachings on meditation (its methods
and purposes). After a period of traveling around China, he came to Shaolin
Temple on Mt. Song in Henan province. For nine years, he sat in meditation,
facing the rock wall of a cave, contemplating the truth and waiting for
the arrival of a person who can understand the essence of the Chan tradition.
During this period, five attempts were made on the Chan Master's life,
but he was not deterred. He refused to abandon his resolve to spread the
teachings of the Buddha. It was not until the arrival of Chan Master Hui
Ke, who came from a faraway place in search of the right Dharma that Bodhidharma
decided to transmit the teachings to him and started the sinification
process of Chan Buddhism. Therefore, Chan Master Bodhidharma is revered
as the first patriarch of the Chinese Chan School for his role in transmitting
the teachings from India to China.
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