[Buddha-l] Re: Disciple Count

[Piya Tan]

Lance, your explanation fits closely with those of K¨­gen MIZUNO, The
Beginnings of Buddhism (1980:87) and Hajime NAKAMURA Gotama Buddha
(2000:306).

The references I have found (I think there are others) for
A.d.dha,te.lasehi bhikkhu,satehi: V 1:220, 243; D 1:47, 2:6, S 1:192, Sn
p102 f; a.d.dha,te.lasaani bhikkhu,sataani: SnA p104; MA 2:209. Besides,
the Kandhaka, we also find mention of 1250 monks in Diigha, Sa.myutta and
Sutta Nipaata (beside MA).

It is also interesting to note that the Majjhima Commentary (MA 3:209),
in its closing remarks, mentions the conclusion of the Diighanakha Sutta
as the occasion for Maagha Puuja or Sangha Day (?). After this discourse
to Diigha,nakha and his attainment of stream-winning, the Buddha descends
from Mt Vulture's Peak and goes to the Bamboo Grove (near Raajagaha)
where there is the gathering of the disciples known as "the fourfold
assembly" (catur-a.nga,samannaagato), so called because:

(1) It is the full moon observance day of the month of Maagha (Jan-Feb),
(usually coinciding with Chinese New Year day!);
(2) 1250 monks  have assembled spontaneously (dhammataaya), unprompted
(anaamantitaani);
(3) They are all arhats of the sixfold superknowledges
(cha-.l-abhi~n~naa); and
(4) They are all personally admitted by the Buddha with the formula
"Come, O monk!" (ehi,bhikkhu). (MA 3:209)

Your explanation of the lay followers is new to me, and interesting.

Sukhi

Piya
 

"L.S. Cousins" wrote:

> My guess would be that all references to 1,250 monks derive
> ultimately from the account of the spread of the teaching in the
> Mahaavagga (Skandhaka). According to this account, the growth is in
> stages:
>
> 1. in the Benares region
> Eventually there are 60 arahat disciples (made up of the original
> five plus Yasa plus four of his friends plus 50 associates of Yasa).
> These are sent in all directions, but bring back disciples
> (unnumbered) to the Buddha for ordination. Just as he is leaving this
> area, the 30 Bhaddavaggiyas join but do not seem to become arahats.
>
> 2. in the Gayaa region
> The Buddha journeyed back to the area of his Awakening. There he wins
> over the three Kassapa brothers together with their followings of
> 500, 300 and 200 respectively. This gives a total of 1,000, either as
> a round number or assuming that the three brothers are included in
> the count. All became arahats after the Fire Sermon. Unlike in the
> case
>
> 3. in Raajagaha (Rajgir)
> The Buddha now journeyed on the the capital city of Magadha where the
> first 'monastery' is established. It is at this point that Saariputta
> and Moggallaana and the 250 other disciples of Sanjaya join the
> Buddha's following. Presumably they all became arahats fairly soon
> afterwards, but there is no mention of them being sent away by the
> Buddha.
>
> This then is the source for the figure of 1,250 monks: 500 + 300 +
> 200 + 250. Probably we should not take this quite literally. In oral
> traditions of this kind 500 is simply a literary convention meaning
> 'a large number'. So this is the number of disciples of the senior
> Kassapa brother. His two brothers are given the same number shared
> between them. Sanjaya as a lesser figure is given half the number of
> the senior Kassapa.
>
>  From this point of view, 1,250 is then a way of saying that four
> large followings have joined the Buddha and are present.
>   I do not know anything that would suggest any further symbolic
> significance here.
>
> There is also nothing here to indicate any figure for the ultimate
> number of disciples taught by the Buddha.  The duration of the
> Buddha's stay in these three places is not spelt out very explicitly
> in the Mahaavagga, but presumably the above events cannot have taken
> more than a few years. Nothing indicates how many monks were taught
> by him during the rest of his life.
>
> If we ask the question about lay people, then we can only follow the
> indication given in the same account. King Bimbisaara approaches the
> Buddha with 12 myriads (nahuta) of brahmins and householders. The
> figure is obviously intended to correspond to the twelve and a half
> hundreds usually translated as 1,250 - presumably half a myriad would
> have sounded odd. What is not said is that the twelve myriads become
> disciples. Rather a single myriad declare themselves disciples. I
> would agree that this is a hint that in the earlier Buddhist period
> Buddhist followers considered themselves to constitute a twelfth of
> the population in Eastern India. I don't think we have any better
> figure than that.
>
> Lance Cousins
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