Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c29.s1.12

v2.c29.s1.12

The crystallization of bodies happened not only for the preservation of literature but also for the grouping of monks around a noted teacher. Buddha awarded prominence to some of his disciples by extolling them for their attainment of proficiency in certain branches of the Buddhist dhamma.² Of them the following may be mentioned:—(i) Sāriputta, the foremost of the highly wise (*mahāpaññānam*); (ii) Mahāmoggallāna, the foremost of the possessors of miraculous powers (*iddhimantānam*); (iii) Anuruddha, the foremost of the possessors of divine eyes (*dibba-cakkhukānam*); (iv) Mahākassapa, the foremost of the followers of *dhūta* precepts (*dhūtavādānam*); (v) Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, the foremost of the preachers of dhamma (*dhammakathikānam*); (vi) Mahākaccāyana, the foremost of the expositors (*saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena attham vibhajantānam*); (vii) Rāhula, the foremost of the students (*sikkhākāmānam*); (viii) Revata Khadiravaniya, the foremost of the forest-recluses (*āraññikānam*); (ix) Ānanda, the foremost of the vastly learned (*bahussutānam*), and (x) Upāli, the foremost of the masters of Vinaya (*vinayadharānam*).