Sariputra (Sanskrit) or Sariputta (Pāli)
was one of two principal disciples of the Buddha. He
became an Arhat renowned for his wisdom and is depicted in the Theravada tradition as one of the most important disciples of the Buddha.
Sariputra came from a Brahmin family and had already embarked on life as a spiritual
ascetic when he encountered the teachings of the Buddha. Śāriputra had a close friend
Mahamaudgalyayana (Pāli: Mahāmoggallāna), another wandering
ascetic. They both renounced the world on the same day and became disciples of the sceptic Sanjaya Belatthiputta before converting to Buddhism.
After hearing of the Buddha's teachings from a monk named Assaji (Sanskrit: Asvajit),
Sariputra sought out the Buddha and became an adherent to his teachings. These two are often depicted together with the Buddha,
and several sutras regard interactions between Sariputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana (who became renowned among the early Buddhists for
his mastery of supernatural powers).
The
stupa of Sariputta at
Nalanda - where he was born and
died.
In one somewhat comical scene involving the two friends, a mischievous yaksa (Pāli:
yakkha) decides that it will attempt to irritate Sariputra by striking him on the head. Mahamaudgalyayana sees this
occurring with his 'divine eye' (a clairvoyant-like faculty
often attributed to powerful Buddhist monks, as well as other South Asian ascetics), and unsuccessfully attempts to warn
Sariputra. However, due to his great spiritual mastery, Sariputra perceives the terrible blow that the yakkha delivers as only a
light breeze. Mahamaudgalyayana approaches and expresses his amazement that Sariputra barely noticed the terrible blow; Sariputra
replies in kind, amazed at the fact that Mahamaudgalyayana was able to perceive the invisible creature that dealt the blow.
Śāriputra was older than the Buddha and died shortly before him, an event that apparently caused great distress to
Ananda, the Buddha's cousin and personal attendant. The Buddha gave a eulogy. He was noted for
his compassion, patience and humility.
Sariputra often preached with the Buddha's approval and was awarded the title of 'General of the Dharma' (Pāli:
Dhammasenāpati) for his propagation of the faith and is regarded as the founder of the Abhidharma tradition. Sariputra was one of the most highly praised disciples and in the Anupada Sutta, the
Buddha declared him to be a true spiritual son and His chief assistant in "turning the Wheel of the Dhamma":
- If one could ever say rightly of one that he is the Blessed One’s true son, born of His speech, born of the Dhamma, formed of
the Dhamma, heir to the Dhamma (not heir to worldly benefit), it is of Sariputta that one could thus rightly declare.
- After me, O monks, Sariputta rightly turns the Supreme Wheel of the Dhamma even as I have turned it."
Sariputta in Mahayana
While depictions of Sariputra in the Pali Canon are uniformly positive, showing Sariputra
as a wise and powerful arhat, second only to the Buddha, his depiction in Mahayana sources has
often been much less flattering. In the Vimalakirtinirdesa-sutra and the
Lotus Sutra, Sariputra is depicted as the voice of the Hinayana or sravaka tradition, which is presented in those Mahayana sutras as a 'less sophisticated' teaching. In these sutras, Sariputta is unable to readily
grasp the Mahayana doctrines presented by Vimalakirti and others, and is rebuked or defeated
in debate by a number of interlocutors, including a female deity (deva) who frustrates
Sariputra's 'Hinayana' assumptions regarding gender and form.
A dialogue between Śāriputra and Avalokitesvara is the context of the Heart Sutra, a brief but essential text in the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition
as practiced in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea, and Japan.
See also
External links
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