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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t4: Lay-Devotees of Magadha

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t4

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Lay-Devotees of Magadha

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The brāhmaṇas and the paribbājakas dealt with above became mostly lay-devotees and rarely ordained bhikkhus. The largest enlistment of lay-devotees took place when Buddha visited Rājagaha in the second year of his missionary career. At the instance of Bimbisāra, the chiefs of the eighteen Śreṇis of his dominion and his officials expressed their faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. The names of only a few lay-devotees of Magadha have come down to us through the discourses in the Nikāyas. They may be classified thus:

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1. Gāmaṇis—Talapuṭa naṭagāmaṇi (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 306); Yodhājivagāmaṇi (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 308); Assārohagāmaṇi (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 310); Maṇicūlakagāmaṇi (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 325); Rāsi yagāmaṇi (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 340); etc.

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2. Seṭṭhis & Gahapatis—Joṭikā (*Saṃ.* v, p. 344); Māna-diṇṇa (*Saṃ.* v, 178); Sirivaḍḍha (*Saṃ.* v, pp. 176-7); Saṇagahapatiputta (*Saṃ.* iv, p. 113; *Aṅg.* iii, 48; iv, 113); Dārukamika gahapati of Nāḍika (*Aṅg.* iii, p. 391); Belaṭṭha Kaccāna, a sugar merchant of Andhakavinda (*Vin.* i, p. 224); Pukkusāti kulaputta (*Majjh.* iii, p. 237); Dīghāvu upāsaka (*Saṃ.* v, p. 244); Jīvaka; Anāthapiṇḍika and his seṭṭhi friend; etc.

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3. Jaina disciples—Asibandhakaputta gāmaṇi, Upāli, Abhayarājakumāra (see *ante*, p. 143).

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4. Brāhmaṇas—Kasibharadvāja brāhmaṇa of Ekanālā; Dhānañjani brāhmaṇa (see *ante*, p. 141).

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5. Ladies—Sārī brāhmaṇī and paribbājikā, mother of Sāriputta of Nālakagāma; Dhānañjanī a brāhmaṇī (*Saṃ.* i, p. 160); Velukaṇṭakī Nandamātā of Dakkhiṇāgirī (*Aṅg.* ii, p. 236; iv, p. 63); Cundī rājakumārī (*Aṅg.* iii, p. 35); etc.

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6. Kings & Princes—Bimbisāra, Ajātasattu, Muṇḍa (*Aṅg.* ii, p. 57), Jayasena-rājakumāra (*Majjhima.* iii, pp. 128, 138), later on he became a bhikkhu (see *Psalms of the Brethren*, p. 369).

Cites (22)