Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c8.219

c8.219

When Buddha finishes his discourse, there rises from earth through all the worlds of gods the cry, that at Benares the Holy One has set in motion the wheel of the law. The five ascetics, headed by Kondañña, who has hence obtained the name of Kondañña, the Knower, beg Buddha to initiate them as students of his doctrine, and he does so in these words: "Come near, O monks; well preached is the doctrine: walk in purity to make an end of all suffering." Thus is founded the Church of Buddha's followers: the five are its first, as yet its only, members. A fresh discourse of Buddha’s, on the instability and impermanence of everything earthly, causes the souls of the five disciples to obtain the condition of sinless purity. “At this time,” thus ends this narrative, “there were six holy persons in the world”—Buddha himself and these five disciples.