Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c38.s5.3

v2.c38.s5.3

Out of this body of lay-supporters appeared a group of persons who were more earnest in their devotion to Buddhism, and naturally tried to follow the principles of Buddhism as far as compatible with their life as a householder. In order to distinguish this body, Mahānāma the Sākyan raised the question as to what should be the marks of an upāsaka.¹ Buddha’s answer, however, was not very helpful for he simply said that anyone taking the Tisaraṇa was an upāsaka. In another context, however, it is stated that an upāsaka must have not only faith in the Triratna, observe moral precepts, and do good to people in return but also not resort to auspicious rites, and offer gifts to persons outside the Buddhist Saṅgha.² There are instances to show that some householders eschewed their old teacher and became an upāsaka of Buddha. Pukkusa Mallaputta, a disciple of Āḷāra Kālāma,³ Upāli Gahapati and Abhaya Rājakumāra, a rich upāsaka of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta,⁴ a gahapati-devotee of an Ājīvaka⁵ changed their teachers and became upāsakas of Buddha. There are evidences to show that a number of householders was distinguished as devout upāsakas, and that their number was large in certain localities.⁶ The stereo-typed remark found in the Nikāyas that Buddhist upāsakas do not like noisy discussions shows that some householders were distinguished as Buddhist upāsakas. Then passages like “yavatā kho pana samaṇassa Gotamassa sāvakā gihi odātavasanā Sāvatthiyaṃ paṭivasanti, ayaṃ tesaṃ aññataro Pañcakaṅgo thapati” (Pañcakaṅgo the architect is one of the distinguished white-dressed householder disciples of Gotama residing at Sāvatthī)⁷ leave no room for doubt that some persons were marked out as Buddhist upāsakas.