Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c8.t1.6

c8.t1.6

Tradition informs us that on that occasion at Râjagaha Buddha also gained as disciples those two men, Sâriputta and Moggallâna, who came later on to be honoured as the first in rank after their master in the circles of the Church. These two young men, bound to each other by close ties of friendship, sons of a Brahman family, were at that time residing at Râjagaha as pupils of Sanjaya, one of the itinerant medicants and teachers so numerous in that age. In their common pursuit of spiritual possessions, they had, as is related, given each other this promise, that he who would first obtain the deliverance from death, should tell the other. One day Sâriputta saw one of Buddha's disciples, Assaji, walking the streets of Râjagaha to collect alms, peaceful and dignified, with downcast look. "When he saw him," our narrative* here informs us, "he thought: 'truly this is one of those monks who are already sanctified in this world, or have attained the path of purity. I shall go up to this monk and I shall ask him: "Friend, in whose name hast thou renounced the world? and who is thy master? and whose doctrine dost thou recognize?"' But then Sâriputta, the mendicant, reflected: 'Now is not the time to ask this monk. He is going from house to house and is collecting alms. I shall approach this monk, as one approaches a person from whom he desires something.' But when the venerable Assaji had collected alms at Râjagaha, he took the contributions he had received and turned back. Thereupon the mendicant, Sâriputta, approached the venerable Assaji: arrived near him, he saluted the venerable Assaji. After he had exchanged words of friendly salutation with him, he placed himself near him. Standing near him, the mendicant, Sâriputta, addressed the venerable Assaji, saying: ‘Thy visage, friend, is luminous, thy colour is pure and clear. In whose name, friend, hast thou renounced the world? and who is thy master? and whose doctrine dost thou recognize?’ ‘It is the great Samana, my friend, the Sakya’s son, who comes from the Sakya’s house and has renounced the world. In his name, the Exalted One’s, I have renounced the world, and he, the Exalted One, is my master, and his law, the Exalted One’s, I recognize.’ ‘And what, friend, does thy master say, and what does he teach?’ ‘Friend, I am but a novice; it is not long since I left the world; I have only recently conformed to this doctrine and this order. I cannot expound the doctrine to thee in its fulness, but I can tell thee its spirit briefly.’ Then the mendicant, Sâriputta, said to the venerable Assaji: ‘Be it so, friend. Tell me little or much, but tell me its spirit: I have a longing to know the spirit only: what great care canst thou have for the letter?’ Then the venerable Assaji addressed to the mendicant, Sâriputta, this statement of the doctrine: