Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c21.s1.2

c21.s1.2

Some of the most important of the Buddha's converts came naturally from the Brahmans. The legends tell us that the Buddha was anxious to impart his gospel first to his two old Brahman teachers who were unfortunately dead by that time. His first sermon at Benares was heard by the group of five Brahman ascetics headed by Kondañña, the quondam partners of his earlier spiritual struggles, whom he himself seeks out to make his first converts and the original members of his church. Next follow the thousand Brahman hermits of Uruvelā under their leaders, the three Kassapa brothers, all devoted to the Vedic cult and performance of sacrifices, till the Buddha converts them. Soon after, at Rājagaha, the Buddha gained as his disciples the two young Brahmans, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, who ranked next to their master in the circles of the church. They were among the 250 disciples of a renowned teacher, Sañjaya, and their conversion led to the dissolution of the entire sect and following of Sañjaya who in vain tried to keep them together under him. This event is stated to have produced a great sensation in the city of Rājagaha where the populace became temporarily agitated over the success of the Buddha’s cult as causing ‘childlessness’, ‘widowhood’, and ‘subversion of families’ in the country through its youths ‘betaking themselves to the ascetic Gotama to lead a religious life’.