Conversion of Sariputta and Moggallana

Not far from Rajagaha in the village Upatissa, also known as Nalaka, there lived a very intelligent youth, named Sariputta (Son of Sari). Since he belonged to the leading family of the village, he was also called Upatissa. He had three sisters - Cala, Upacala and Sisupacala - and three brothers Upasena, Cunda and Revata.

Though nurtured in Brahmanism, his broad outlook on life and mature wisdom compelled him to renounce his ancestral religion for the more tolerant and scientific teachings of the Buddha Gotama. His brothers and sisters followed his noble example. His father, Vanganta, apparently adhered to the Brahmin faith. His mother, on the contrary, was converted to Buddhism by herself at the moment of her death.

Upatissa was brought up in the lap of luxury. He found a very intimate friend in Kolita, also known as Moggallana, with whom he was closely associated from an infinite past. One day as both of them were enjoying a hilltop festival called the Giragga Samajja, they realized how vain, how transient, were all sensual pleasures. Instantly they decided to leave the world and seek the Path of Release.

Dismissing their attendants and without even informing their parents, they wandered from place to place in quest of Peace.

The two young seekers went at first to Sanjaya, who had a following of five hundred disciples, and sought ordination under him. Before long they acquired the meager knowledge which their master could impart to them: but unsatisfied with his teaching they left him, and meeting disappointment everywhere, returned to their own village. Ultimately they agreed between them that whosoever first discovers the Path should teach the other.

It was at this time that Venerable Assaji, one of the first five disciples, went in the direction of Rajagaha.

With body well composed, robes neatly arranged, this venerable figure passed with measured steps from door to door, accepting the morsels of food which the charitable placed in his bowl. The saintly deportment of this dignified person at once arrested the attention of Upatissa, who was wandering in the city of Rajagaha.

"Never before have I seen," thought Upatissa to himself, an ascetic like this. Surely he must be one of those who have attained Arahantship or one who is treading the path leading to Arahantship. What if I were to approach him and ask:- "For whose sake Sir, have you retired from the world? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine do you profess?"

Upatissa, however, refrained from questioning him, as he thought he would thereby interfere with his silent begging tour. The Arahant Assaji, having begged what little he needed, was seeking a suitable place to take his meal. Upatissa, seeing this, gladly availed himself of the opportunity to offer him his own stool and water from his own pot. Fulfilling thus the preliminary duties of a pupil, he exchanged pleasant greetings with him and reverently inquired:-

"Calm and serene, Reverend Sir, are your organs of sense; clean and clear is the hue of your skin. For whose sake did you retire from the world? Who is your teacher? Whose doctrine do you profess?"

The unassuming Arahant Assaji modestly replied:-"I am still a novice in the Order, brother; I am not able to expound the Dhamma to you at length."

I am Upatissa, Reverend Sir. Say much or little according to your ability, and it is left to me to understand it in a hundred or a thousand ways." "Say little or much," Upatissa continued.

"Tell me just the substance. The substance only do I require. A mere jumble of words is of no avail."

The Venerable Assaji uttered a four-line stanza, skillfully summing up the profound philosophy of the Master, in the scientific truth of the law of cause and effect.

Ye dhamma hetuppabhava - tesam hetum tathagato Aha

tesan ca yo nirodho - evam vadi Maha-Samano

"Of things that proceed from a cause

Their cause the Tathágata has told,

And also their cessation:

Thus teaches the Great Ascetic."

So well did the Venerable Assaji guide him on his upward path that, immediately on hearing the first two lines, he attained the first stage of Sainthood.

Now, in accordance with the agreement, he returned to his companion Kolita to inform him of the joyful tidings. Kolita, who was as enlightened as his friend, also attained to the same state on hearing the whole stanza. Overwhelmed with joy at the successful conclusion of their search after Peace, they went, as in duty bound, to meet their teacher Sanjaya with the object of converting him to their new faith. Frustrated in their attempt, Upatissa and Kolita, accompanied by 250 of the followers of Sanjaya who readily joined them, repaired to the Veluvana monastery to see their illustrious Teacher, the Buddha.

In compliance with their request, the Buddha admitted both of them into the Order by the mere utterance of the words:-"Etha Bhikkhave! Come, O Bhikkhus!"

A fortnight later, the Venerable Sariputta attained Arahantship on hearing the Buddha expound the Vedana Pariggaha Sutta to the wandering ascetic Dighanakha. On the very same day in the evening the Buddha summoned all His disciples to His presence and conferred the exalted positions of the first and second disciples in the Sangsa respectively on the Venerable Sariputta and Monggallana, who also had attained Arahanship a week earlier.