Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c11.s2.80

c11.s2.80

As regards the historical trustworthiness of the traditions, which relate to the period intervening between Buddha’s flight from his home and the commencement of his public career, I am inclined to recognize in the leading points therein mentioned real facts. The names of Âlâra Kâlâma and Uddaka Râmaputta are as trustworthy as possible; if there had here been an intention to invent, more famous names would have been preferably furnished, names of teachers, who have adopted later on a pronounced attitude, whether friendly or hostile, to Buddha’s own public operations. Âlâra, as far as I know, besides being named in this connection, is elsewhere mentioned only in the “Mahâparinibb. Sutta,” p. 44; of Uddaka also we hear but little.*