Discussion
Ask a question about 'Sravaka' Start a new discussion about 'Sravaka' Answer questions from other users |
Shravaka or
Śrāvaka (
SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
) or
Sāvaka (
Pāli
) means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple".
This term is used by both Buddhists and Jains. In
JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, a shravaka is any lay Jain. Thus the term shravaka has been used for the Jain community itself (for example see
SarakThe Saraks is a community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times, however were isolated and separated from the main body of the Jain community in western, northern and southern India.-History:There are remains of many historical Jain temples...
and Saraogi).
In Buddhism, the term is sometimes reserved for distinguished disciples of the Buddha.
Buddhist references
In
Nikaya BuddhismThe term Nikāya Buddhism was coined by Dr. Masatoshi Nagatomi, in order to find a more acceptable term than Hinayana to refer to the early Buddhist schools. Examples of these schools are pre-sectarian Buddhism and the early Buddhist schools...
,
sāvaka (m.) or
sāvikā (f.) is a disciple who accepts:
- the Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
as their teacher,
- the Buddha's teaching (the Dhamma),
- the Buddha's rules of conduct (Five Precepts for laypersons, Patimokkha
In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks and 311 for nuns . It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka.- Parajika :...
for monastics).
In
MahayanaMahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
texts,
śrāvakas (or arhats) are sometimes contrasted with
bodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
s (Sanskrit; Pāli: bodhisatta).
Who's a "disciple"?
In the
Pali canonThe Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":
- monks (Pāli: bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
)
- nuns (Pāli:
{{DisplayTranslations |
title=Translations of
Śrāvaka |
borderwidth=2px |
headertextcolor=DarkBlue |
rowtextcolor=black |
disciple,
hearer |
sāvaka |
{{IAST|śrāvaka}}
({{Unicode|श्रावक}}) |
声聞 |
nyan.thos |
{{my|သာဝက}} (θàwəka̰)
}} |
Shravaka or Śrāvaka (SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
) or Sāvaka (Pāli
) means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple".
This term is used by both Buddhists and Jains. In JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, a shravaka is any lay Jain. Thus the term shravaka has been used for the Jain community itself (for example see SarakThe Saraks is a community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times, however were isolated and separated from the main body of the Jain community in western, northern and southern India.-History:There are remains of many historical Jain temples...
and Saraogi).
In Buddhism, the term is sometimes reserved for distinguished disciples of the Buddha.
Buddhist references
In Nikaya BuddhismThe term Nikāya Buddhism was coined by Dr. Masatoshi Nagatomi, in order to find a more acceptable term than Hinayana to refer to the early Buddhist schools. Examples of these schools are pre-sectarian Buddhism and the early Buddhist schools...
, sāvaka (m.) or sāvikā (f.) is a disciple who accepts:
- the Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
as their teacher,
- the Buddha's teaching (the Dhamma),
- the Buddha's rules of conduct (Five Precepts for laypersons, Patimokkha
In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks and 311 for nuns . It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka.- Parajika :...
for monastics).
In MahayanaMahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
texts, śrāvakas (or arhats) are sometimes contrasted with bodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
s (Sanskrit; Pāli: bodhisatta).
Who's a "disciple"?
{{peoplepalicanon}}
In the Pali canonThe Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":
- monks (Pāli: bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
)
- nuns (Pāli:
{{DisplayTranslations |
title=Translations of
Śrāvaka |
borderwidth=2px |
headertextcolor=DarkBlue |
rowtextcolor=black |
disciple,
hearer |
sāvaka |
{{IAST|śrāvaka}}
({{Unicode|श्रावक}}) |
声聞 |
nyan.thos |
{{my|သာဝက}} (θàwəka̰)
}} |
Shravaka or Śrāvaka (SanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
) or Sāvaka (Pāli
) means "hearer" or, more generally, "disciple".
This term is used by both Buddhists and Jains. In JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, a shravaka is any lay Jain. Thus the term shravaka has been used for the Jain community itself (for example see SarakThe Saraks is a community in Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand. They have been followers of Jainism since ancient times, however were isolated and separated from the main body of the Jain community in western, northern and southern India.-History:There are remains of many historical Jain temples...
and Saraogi).
In Buddhism, the term is sometimes reserved for distinguished disciples of the Buddha.
Buddhist references
In Nikaya BuddhismThe term Nikāya Buddhism was coined by Dr. Masatoshi Nagatomi, in order to find a more acceptable term than Hinayana to refer to the early Buddhist schools. Examples of these schools are pre-sectarian Buddhism and the early Buddhist schools...
, sāvaka (m.) or sāvikā (f.) is a disciple who accepts:
- the Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
as their teacher,
- the Buddha's teaching (the Dhamma),
- the Buddha's rules of conduct (Five Precepts for laypersons, Patimokkha
In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks and 311 for nuns . It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka.- Parajika :...
for monastics).
In MahayanaMahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
texts, śrāvakas (or arhats) are sometimes contrasted with bodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
s (Sanskrit; Pāli: bodhisatta).
Who's a "disciple"?
{{peoplepalicanon}}
In the Pali canonThe Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":
- monks (Pāli: bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
)
- nuns (Pāli: {{IAST
A bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya...
)
- laymen (Pāli: upāsaka
Upāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
)
- laywomen (Pāli: upāsikā)
Buddhist textsBuddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways. The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in inconsistent ways by Western scholars: for example, one authority refers to "scriptures and other canonical texts", while another says that scriptures can be categorized...
further mention three types of disciples based on spiritual accomplishment:
- Chief Disciple (Pāli: aggasāvaka; Sanskrit: agraśrāvaka):
- In the Pali canon, the Chief Disciples are Sāriputta
Śāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha along with Maudgalyayana , counterparts to the nuns Khema and Uppalavanna, named the two chief female disciples...
(Pāli; Sanskrit: Śāriputra) and MahāmoggallānaMaudgalyāyana , , also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or Mahāmoggallāna, was one of the Śākyamuni Buddha's closest disciples. A contemporary of famous arhats such as Subhūti, Śāriputra, and Mahākāśyapa, he is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost disciples , together with Śāriputra...
(Pāli; Sanskrit: Maudgalyāyana).
- Great Disciple (Pāli: mahāsāvaka; Sanskrit: mahā-śrāvaka):
- Examples of Great Disciples are Mahākassapa
Mahākāśyapa or Kāśyapa was a brahman of Magadha, who became one of the principal disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha and who convened and directed the first council. Mahākāśyapa is one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples, foremost in ascetic practices...
(Pāli; Sanskrit: Mahākāśyapa), ĀnandaĀnanda was one of the principal disciples and a devout attendant of the Buddha. Amongst the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda had the most retentive memory and most of the suttas in the Sutta Pitaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council...
, AnuruddhaAnuruddha was one of the five head disciples and a cousin of Gautama Buddha.-Early years:Anuruddha was the son of Sukkhodana and brother to Mahanama. Since Sukkhodana was the brother of Suddhodana, king of the Sakyas in Kapilavastu, Anuruddha was cousin to Siddhartha, . He was a kshatriya by...
and Mahākaccāna.
- Ordinary Disciple (Pāli: pakatisāvaka; Sanskrit: {{IAST|prakṛtiśrāvaka}}):
- Ordinary disciples, who constitute the majority of disciples, while devoted to the Buddha and his teaching and while having planted seeds for future liberation, have not yet irreversibly entered the path to emancipation and are still subject to infinite rebirths.
"Ariya-sāvaka"
In the traditional Pali commentaries, the Pali term "ariya-sāvaka" is explained as "the disciple of the Noble One (i.e. Buddha)". Accordingly Soma Thera and Thanissaro Bhikkhu translate this term as "The disciple of the Noble Ones"
However Bhikkhu Bodhi interprets this term as "noble disciple", and according to him, in the Pali suttas, this term is used in two ways:
- broadly: any lay disciple (Pāli: upasaka, upasika) of the Buddha;
- narrowly: one who is at least on the path to enlightenment
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
(Pāli: sotāpatti maggattha). In this sense, "ordinary people" (puthujjana) can be contrasted with this narrow definition of "noble disciple" (ariya-sāvaka).
The canon occasionally references the "four pairs" and "eight types" of disciples. This refers to disciples who have achieved one of the four stages of enlightenmentThe four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four progressive stages culminating in full enlightenment as an Arahat, which an average, instructed person can attain in this life...
:
- stream-enterer
In Buddhism, a Sotāpanna , Srotāpanna , or "stream-winner" is a person who has eradicated the first three fetters of the mind. Sotapanna literally means "one who entered the stream ", after a metaphor which calls the Noble Eightfold Path, 'a stream'...
(Pāli: sotāpatti)
- once-returner
In Buddhism, the Sakadagami , "returning once" or "once-returner," is a partially-enlightened person, who has cut off the first three chains with which the ordinary mind is bound, and significantly weakened the fourth and fifth...
(Pāli: sakadāgāmitā)
- non-returner
In Buddhism, an anāgāmi is a partially enlightened person who has cut off the first five chains that bind the ordinary mind. Anagami-ship is the third of the four stages of enlightenment....
(Pāli: anāgāmitā)
- arahant (Pāli: arahatta)
For each of these stages, there is a "pair" of possible disciples: one who is on the stage's path (Pāli: magga); the other who has achieved its fruit (Pāli: phala). Thus, each stage represents a "pair" of individuals: the path traveler (Pāli: maggattha) and the fruit achiever (Pāli: phalattha). Hence, the community of disciples is said to be composed of four pairs or eight types of individuals (Pāli: cattāri purisayugāni attha purisapuggalā).
In the Pali canon, the Buddha often contrasts the "instructed disciple of the Noble Ones" (Pāli: sutavā ariya-sāvaka) with the "uninstructed worlding" (Pāli: assutavā puthujjana). For instance, in the "Sabbasava Sutta," the Buddha states:
- The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
– who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for men of integritySangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma – discerns what ideas are fit for attention and what ideas are unfit for attention.
"Foremost" disciples
In the "Etadaggavagga" ("These are the Foremost Chapter," ANThe Anguttara Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that comprise the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
1.14), the Buddha identifies 80 different categories for his "foremost" (Pāli: agga) disciples: 47 categories for monks, 13 for nuns, ten for laymen and ten for laywomen. Some of these categories and the associated disciples are identified in the table below.
|
The Buddha's Foremost Disciples
(Based on ANThe Anguttara Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the fourth of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that comprise the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism...
1.14)
|
CATEGORY
| MONKSA Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
| NUNS A bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya...
| LAYMEN Upāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
| LAYWOMEN
|
First
| Kondañña
| Mahapajāpati Mahāpajābatī Gotamī was the first woman to request ordination from the Buddha and to join the Saṅgha...
| —
| —
|
Great / High Wisdom
| SāriputtaŚāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha along with Maudgalyayana , counterparts to the nuns Khema and Uppalavanna, named the two chief female disciples...
| Khemā Khema was one of the two chief female disciples of Buddha .The name Khema means well-composed and she was quite beautiful. The nun belonged to the royal family of Magadha and was one of the chief queens of King Bimbisara....
,
Bhadda KaccānāPrincess Yasodharā was the wife of Prince Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.She later entered the order of Buddhist nuns and is considered an Arahant.-Life:...
| —
| —
|
Psychic Powers
| MahāmoggallānaMaudgalyāyana , , also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or Mahāmoggallāna, was one of the Śākyamuni Buddha's closest disciples. A contemporary of famous arhats such as Subhūti, Śāriputra, and Mahākāśyapa, he is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost disciples , together with Śāriputra...
| Uppalavannā Uppalavannā was considered to be amongst the two chief female disciples of the Buddha, the other being Khema.She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and was known for her great beauty. Her name means "one with the hue of the blue lotus"....
| —
| —
|
Discipline
| MahakassapaMahākāśyapa or Kāśyapa was a brahman of Magadha, who became one of the principal disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha and who convened and directed the first council. Mahākāśyapa is one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples, foremost in ascetic practices...
| Patacarā
| —
| —
|
Heavenly Eye
| Anuruddha Anuruddha was one of the five head disciples and a cousin of Gautama Buddha.-Early years:Anuruddha was the son of Sukkhodana and brother to Mahanama. Since Sukkhodana was the brother of Suddhodana, king of the Sakyas in Kapilavastu, Anuruddha was cousin to Siddhartha, . He was a kshatriya by...
| Bakulā
| —
| —
|
Teaching / Knowledge
| Mahakaccana,
Punna Mantaniputta,
Vangisa
| Dhammadinnā
| Citta (Macchikasandika)
| Kujjuttarā Khujjuttarā was one of the Buddha's foremost female lay disciples .According to commentaries to the Pali canon, Khujjuttara was a servant to one of the queens of King Udena of Kosambi named Samavati...
|
Foremost Layperson
| —
| —
| Sudatta
| Visakhā Viśākhā, also referred to as Migara's mother , was one of the chief female lay disciples of the Buddha. She became a stream-enterer and died at the age of 120....
|
First Taking Refuge Buddhists "take refuge" in, or to "go for refuge" to, the Three Jewels . This can be done formally in lay and monastic ordination ceremonies.The Three Jewels general signification is: * the Buddha;* the Dharma, the teachings;...
| —
| —
| Tapassu,
Balluka
| Sujāta Sujātā is a Sanskrit word meaning "from a good family origin". Su means 'good' and jātā implies jāti or 'caste'. Thus the implied and correct meaning of the word Sujata means 'of good caste' or 'the well born'. It has to be noted here that the caste-system is the spine of social Hinduism...
|
In addition, in SN 17.23, SN 17.24 and AN 4.18.6, the Buddha identifies four pairs of disciples "who have no compare" and who should thus be emulated. These four pairs are a subset of the 80 foremost disciples identified in the aforementioned sutta AN 1.14. These four pairs of disciples to be most emulated are:
- monks: Sāriputta
Śāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha along with Maudgalyayana , counterparts to the nuns Khema and Uppalavanna, named the two chief female disciples...
and MahāmoggallānaMaudgalyāyana , , also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or Mahāmoggallāna, was one of the Śākyamuni Buddha's closest disciples. A contemporary of famous arhats such as Subhūti, Śāriputra, and Mahākāśyapa, he is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost disciples , together with Śāriputra...
- nuns: Khemā
Khema was one of the two chief female disciples of Buddha .The name Khema means well-composed and she was quite beautiful. The nun belonged to the royal family of Magadha and was one of the chief queens of King Bimbisara....
and UppalavannāUppalavannā was considered to be amongst the two chief female disciples of the Buddha, the other being Khema.She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and was known for her great beauty. Her name means "one with the hue of the blue lotus"....
- laymen: Citta (Macchikasandika) the householder and Hatthaka of Alavaka
Hatthaka of Alavi was one of the foremost lay male disciples of the Buddha, mentioned in text along with Citta in the Buddhavamsa xxvi.19 and considered the foremost in gathering a following using the "four bases of sympathy" which he describes as being:He was an Anagamin or a non-returner and...
- laywomen: Kujjuttara
Khujjuttarā was one of the Buddha's foremost female lay disciples .According to commentaries to the Pali canon, Khujjuttara was a servant to one of the queens of King Udena of Kosambi named Samavati...
and Velukandaki the mother of NandaVelukandakiya is considered one of the two standard-bearer lay female disciples of the Buddha, the other being Khujjuttara. She is known as the mother of Nanda . She is praised as the standard bearer lay female disciple in Samyutta Nikaya17.24, Only daughter....
(also known as Uttaranandamātā)
"Community of disciples"
In Buddhism, there are two traditional communities (Pāli: sangha):
- The "community of monks" (Pāli: bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
-sangha or sammati-sangha) refers to a community of four or more monks. (See the article on "SanghaSangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
" for more information.)
- The "community of disciples" (Pāli: sāvaka-sangha or ariya-sangha) refers to the community of monks
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
, nunsA bhikkhuni or bhikṣuṇī is a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic. Male monastics are called bhikkhus. Both bhikkhunis and bhikkhus live by the vinaya...
, and maleUpāsaka or Upāsikā are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for "attendant". This is the title of followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns, or novice monastics in a Buddhist order, and who undertake certain vows...
and female layfollowers, especially those who are on the path to enlightenment.
For an example of a traditional stock reference to the sāvaka-sangha in the Pali canon, in "The Crest of the Standard" discourse (SNThe Samyutta Nikaya is a Buddhist scripture, the third of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism. Because of the abbreviated way parts of the text are written, the total number of suttas is...
11.3), the Buddha advises his monks that, if they experience fear, they can recollectAnussati means "recollection," "contemplation," "remembrance," "meditation" and "mindfulness." In Buddhism, anussati refers to either:...
the Buddha or the Dhamma or the Sangha; and, in recollecting the Sangha they should recall:
- 'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples [sāvaka-sangha] is practising the good way, practising the straight way, practising the true way, practising the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals....'
A similar phrase can also be found in the lay disciple's daily chantA Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to Hindu, Christian or Jewish religious recitations. They exist in just about every part of the Buddhist world, from the Wats in Thailand to the Tibetan Buddhist temples in India and Tibet...
, "Sangha Vandanā" ("Salutation to the Sangha").
Mahāyāna view
In the 4th century abhidharmaAbhidharma or Abhidhamma are ancient Buddhist texts which contain detailed scholastic and scientific reworkings of doctrinal material appearing in the Buddhist Sutras, according to schematic classifications...
work Abhidharmasamuccaya, AsaṅgaAsaṅga was a major exponent of the Yogācāra tradition in India, also called Vijñānavāda. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the founders of this school...
describes those who follow the Śrāvaka Vehicle (Skt. śrāvakayanika). These people are described as having weak faculties, following the Śrāvaka Dharma, utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, being set on their own liberation, and cultivating detachment in order to attain liberation. While those in the PratyekabuddhaA Pratyekabuddha or Paccekabuddha , literally "a lone buddha" , "a buddha on their own" or "a private buddha", is one of three types of enlightened beings according to some schools of Buddhism. The other two types are the Śrāvakabuddhas and Samyaksambuddhas...
Vehicle (Skt. pratyekabuddhayānika) are portrayed as also utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, they are said to have medium faculties, to follow the Pratyekabuddha Dharma, and to be set on their own personal enlightenment. Finally, those in the MahāyānaMahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
(Skt. mahāyānika) are protrayed as utilizing the BodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
Piṭaka, as having sharp faculties, following the Bodhisattva Dharma, and set on the perfection and liberation of all beings, and the attainment of complete enlightenment.
According to Je TsongkhapaTsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...
(founder of the Tibetan Gelug School):
"The Sutra on the Ten Levels (Daśabhūmika Sūtra) says that those who have cultivated these ten [virtuous practices, i.e. not killing, not stealing, not lying etc.] through fear of cyclic existence and without [great] compassion, but following the words of others, will achieve the fruit of a Śrāvaka."
Jain references
Sravaka (श्रावक) in JainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
is a lay Jain. He is the hearer of JinavaniAgamas are canonical texts of Jainism based on Mahavira’s teachings. Mahavira’s preaching were orally compiled by his disciples into various Sutras which were collectively called Jain canonical or Agamic literature. Traditionally these sutras were orally passed on from teachers to the disciples...
i.e. discourses of Jain muniJain Muni or simply Muni is the term often used for monks and nuns in Jainism.. They are often called sadhus and sadhvis, respectively, in the Svetambara traditions.-Monastic ranks:...
s and scholars.
The Jain chaturvidha sanghaIn Jainism, Sangha can mean the assembly of monks, nuns, lay men and women of a region. It can also mean an order of monks and nuns, along with its branches...
includes monks, nuns, lay men and women.
External links
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sravaka}}