Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c12.s2.3

v1.c12.s2.3

The character and personality of Buddha's immediate disciples such as Yaśa, Uruvela-Kassapa, Sāriputta, Moggallāna, Mahākassapa, Mahākaccāyana, Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, Ānanda were equally powerful forces for the propagation of religion. Their excellences are mentioned sometimes by Buddha himself and sometimes by their brother monks. Sāriputta is described as excelling all in wisdom, self-control, and virtue, well-composed in his inner self, dwelling in the highest planes of thought, expert in the knowledge of doctrines and possessing capacity for preaching persuasively.² Moggallāna was valiant, self-controlled and possessed of super-normal powers and able to raise the disciples to the highest stages of moral and spiritual progress;¹ Mahākassapa was the foremost ascetic, self-sacrificing and loving to dwell remote from men; Mahākaccāyana was a great expositor of dhamma² while Puṇṇa Mantāniputta was an appealing preacher; Ānanda was the foremost of bhikkhus in erudition, morally watchful, steadfast, versed in the sacred lore, and eloquent.³ The qualities mentioned were present in more than ordinary degree in the character of the monks, besides the qualities requisite for a monk. The monks were all at one in their zeal for the propagation of the religion, in the strength of which they had unswerving belief. The earnestness with which the first generation of Buddha's disciples performed their duties can be best described by comparing it to the zeal with which the Christian apostles did their share of work by practising and spreading the doctrines promulgated by Christ.