Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s3.t2.7

v1.c14.s3.t2.7

Buddha by his power of disputation and knowledge of the brāhmanic lore brought home to the brāhmaṇas the truths that he was preaching. As soon as they saw the hollowness of their beliefs or the unsoundness of their philosophy, they with their characteristic love of truth embraced the religion which was placed before their eyes with all its charm. Some of them continued as laymen declaring their faith in Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha while others went further and became bhikkhus. Rich and influential brāhmaṇa householders like Jānussoṇi,⁴ Aggika-Bharadvāja,¹ and Dhānañjani² professed themselves as life-long upāsakas of Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha. Intelligent and learned as they were, they naturally presented difficulty to Buddha in having them converted but once convinced of the truth of Buddha's doctrines, they proved to be his staunch adherents.