The Life of the Buddha: Conversion of Sariputta and Moggallana.

And now the Buddha, attended by the thousand Arahats of whom the chief was Uruvela Kassapa, repaired to the Palm Grove near by Rajagaha, to redeem the promise that was made to Bimbisara the king. When it was reported to the king: "The Master is come," he hastened to the grove, and fell at the Buddha's feet, and when he had thus offered homage he and all his retinue sat down. Now the king was not able to know whether the Buddha had become the disciple of Uruvela Kassapa, or Uruvela Kassapa of the Buddha, and to resolve the doubt Uruvela Kassapa bowed down to the Master's feet, saying: "The Blessed Lord is my master, and I am the disciple." All the people cried out at the great power of the Buddha, exclaiming: "Even Uruvela Kassapa has broken through the net of delusion and has yielded to the follower of the Buddhas of the past!" To show that this was not the first time that Kassapa the Great had yielded to him the Blessed One recited the Maha Narada Kassapa Jataka; and he proclaimed the Four Noble Truths. The king of Magadha, with nearly all his retinue entered into the First Path, and those who did not do so, became lay disciples. The king gave a great endowment to the Order, with Buddha at their head, and confirmed it by the pouring out of water. And when the Master had thus received the Bambu-grove Monastery, he returned thanks, and rose from his seat, and repaired thither.

Now at this time there dwelt two Brahmanical ascetics near to Rajagaha, by name Sariputta and Moggallana. Now Sariputta observed the venerable Arahat Assaji on his begging round, and remarked the dignity and grave of his demeanour; and when the Elder had obtained alms, and was departing from the city, Sariputta found occasion to speak with him, and enquired who was his teacher, and what was the accepted doctrine. Assaji replied, "Brother, there is a great Sakya monk, to follow whom I left the world and this Blessed One is my teacher, and the doctrine I approve is his." Then Sariputta enquired: "What then, venerable, sir is your teacher's doctrine?" "Brother," replied Assaji, "I am a novice and a beginner, and it is not long that I have retired from the world to adopt the discipline and Doctrine. Therefore I may only set forth to you the doctrine in brief, and give the substance of it in a few words." Then the venerable Assaji repeated to Sariputta the Wanderer, the following verse:

What things soever are produced from causes,
Of these the Buddha hath revealed the cause,
And likewise how they cease to be;
"Tis this the great adept proclaims.

And hearing this exposition of the Doctrine, Sariputta the Wanderer attained to a clear and distinct perception of the Truth that whatever is subject to origination is subject also to cessation. And thus Sariputta attained to the First Path. Then returning to Moggalan, he repeated to him the same verse, and he too attained to the First Path. And these two, leaving their former teacher, entered the order established by the Buddha, and within a short time both attained to Arahatta, and the Master made them his Chief Disciples.

place  time  topic  people  language

India - Ancient - Religion/philosophy - Indians/Buddhists - English