Sravaka

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Śrāvaka (Sanskrit) or Sāvaka (Pāli) (Tibetan nyan.thos) means "a hearer" or, more generally, "disciple."[1] This term is used in both Buddhist and Jain texts.

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[edit] Buddhist references

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Community of Buddhist Disciples
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Upāsaka, Upāsikā
Gahattha, Gahapati
Agārika, Agāriya

Lay devotee (m., f.)
Householder
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In Nikaya Buddhism, sāvaka (m.) or sāvikā (f.) is a disciple who accepts:

In Mahayana texts, śrāvakas (or arhats) are sometimes contrasted with bodhisattvas (Sanskrit; Pali: bodhisatta).[5]

[edit] Who's a "disciple"?

In the Pali canon, the term "disciple" transcends monastic-lay divisions and can refer to anyone from the following "four assemblies":[6]

Buddhist texts further mention three types of disciples based on spiritual accomplishment:[7]

  • Chief Disciple (Pali: aggasāvaka; Sanskrit: agraśrāvaka):
In the Pali canon, the Chief Disciples are Sāriputta (Pali; Sanskrit: Śāriputra) and Mahāmoggallāna (Pali; Sanskrit: Maudgalyāyana).
  • Great Disciple (Pali: mahāsāvaka; Sanskrit: mahā-śrāvaka):
Examples of Great Disciples are Mahākassapa (Pali; Sanskrit: Mahākāśyapa), Ānanda, Anuruddha and Mahākaccāna.[8]
  • Ordinary Disciple (Pali: pakatisāvaka; Sanskrit: 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.[9]

[edit] "Noble disciple"

In the Pali Canon, the term "noble disciple" (Pali: ariya-sāvaka) is used in two ways:[10]

  1. broadly: any lay disciple (Pali: upasaka, upasika) of the Buddha;
  2. narrowly: one who is at least on the path to enlightenment (Pali: sotāpatti maggattha). In this sense, "ordinary disciple" (pakatisāvaka) can be contrasted with this narrow definition of "noble disciple" (ariya-sāvaka).[11]

The canon occasionally references the "four pairs" and "eight types" of noble disciples.[12] This refers to disciples (in the aforementioned narrow sense) who have achieved one of the four stages of enlightenment:

For each of these stages, there is a "pair" of possible disciples: one who is on the stage's path (Pali: magga); the other who has achieved its fruit (Pali: phala). Thus, each stage represents a "pair" of individuals: the path traveler (Pali: maggattha) and the fruit achiever (Pali: phalattha). Hence, the community of disciples is said to be composed of four pairs or eight types of individuals (Pali: cattāri purisayugāni attha purisapuggalā).[14][15]

In the Pali canon, the Buddha often contrasts the "instructed noble disciple" (Pali: sutavā ariya-sāvaka) with the "uninstructed worlding" (Pali: assutavā puthujjana).[16] For instance, in the "Sabbasava Sutta," the Buddha states:

The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones — who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for men of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma — discerns what ideas are fit for attention and what ideas are unfit for attention.[17]

[edit] "Foremost" disciples

In the "Etadaggavagga" ("These are the Foremost Chapter," AN 1.14), the Buddha identifies 80 different categories for his "foremost" (Pali: agga) disciples: 47 categories for monks, 13 for nuns, ten for laymen and ten for laywomen.[18] Some of these categories and the associated disciples are identified in the table below.[19]

 

The Buddha's Foremost Disciples
(Based on AN 1.14)
CATEGORY MONKS NUNS LAYMEN LAYWOMEN
First Arahant Kondanna Mahapajāpati — —
Great / High Wisdom Sāriputta Khemā,
Baddha Kaccānā		 — —
Psychic Powers Mahāmoggallāna Uppalavannā — —
Discipline Mahakassapa Patacarā — —
Heavenly Eye Anuruddha Bakulā — —
Teaching / Knowledge Mahakaccana,
Punna Mantaniputta,
Vangisa		 Dhammadinnā Citta Macchikasandika Kujjuttarā
Foremost Layperson — — Sudatta Visakhā
First Taking Refuge — — Tapassu,
Balluka		 Sujāta

In addition, in SN 17.23,[20] SN 17.24[21] and AN 4.18.6,[22] 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:

[edit] "Community of disciples"

In Buddhism, there are two traditional communities (Pali: sangha):

  • The "community of monks" (Pali: bhikkhu-sangha or sammati-sangha) refers to a community of four or more monks. (See the article on "Sangha" for more information.)
  • The "community of disciples" (Pali: sāvaka-sangha or ariya-sangha) refers to the community of monks, nuns, and male 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 (SN 11.3), the Buddha advises his monks that, if they experience fear, they can recollect 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....'[25]

A similar phrase can also be found in the lay disciple's daily chant, "Sangha Vandanā" ("Salutation to the Sangha").[26]


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[edit] Jain references

Sravaka (श्रावक) in Jainism is a lay Jain. He is the hearer of Jinavani i.e. discourses of Jain Munis (Jain monks) and scholars. The Jain chaturvidha sangha includes monks, nuns, lay men and women.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ See, for instance, PTS (1921-25), p. 707, entry for "Sāvaka."[1], which identifies the etymological root of "sāvaka" to be śru. In Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), p. xvii, Bhikkhu Bodhi provides a seemingly different derivation, stating that "sāvaka" comes from sāveti, meaning "to declare," and refers either to one declaring the Buddha as their teacher or to one to whom the Dhamma has been declared.
  2. ^ At times, in the Nikayas, depending on the context, sāvaka can also refer to a disciple of a teacher other than the Buddha (Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi, 2003, p. xvii).
  3. ^ Following the Buddha's teaching includes understanding the Four Noble Truths, ridding oneself of the unreality of the phenomenal, and pursuing nibbana. See, for instance, the Anguttara Nikaya's second "Metta Sutta" (AN 4.126) (Thanissaro, 2006b) when, taken in consideration of the first "Metta Sutta" (AN 4.125) (Thanissaro, 2006a), a disciple is described as one who "regards whatever phenomena there that are connected with form, feeling, perception, fabrications, & consciousness [see Skandha], as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a disintegration, an emptiness, not-self [compare Three marks of existence]."
  4. ^ Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), p. xvi.
  5. ^ Ibid., p. xvii.
  6. ^ Ibid., pp. xvi-xvii.
  7. ^ Acharya (2002), pp. 100-101. (On-line, see the "Glossary" entry for āriya.[2].) Also see Webu & Bischoff (1995); and, Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), pp. xxi-xxiii.
  8. ^ See, for example, Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), passim.
  9. ^ Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), pp. xviii-xix.
  10. ^ Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), p. 379, n. 4.
  11. ^ Ibid., pp. xviii-xix. Also see, Nyanaponika (1980)'s entry for "sāvaka"[3] where he states:
    "sāvaka: ... refers, in a restricted sense (then mostly ariya-sāvaka, 'noble disciple'), only to the 8 kinds of noble disciples (ariya-puggala, q.v.)." [Italics added.]
  12. ^ See, for instance, "The Crest of the Standard" discourse (SN 11.3) (Bodhi, 2000, p. 320) as well as Nyanatiloka (1980), entries for "ariya-puggala" ("noble ones")[4] and "sāvaka"[5].
  13. ^ In regards to disciples achieving arahantship, Bodhi (2005), p. 226, states:
    In principle the entire practice of the Noble Eightfold Path is open to people from any mode of life, monastic or lay, and the Buddha confirms that many among his lay followers were accomplished in the Dhamma and had attained the first three of the four stages of awakening, up to nonreturning (anāgāmi; Theravāda commentators say that lay followers can also attain the fourth stage, arahantship, but they do so either on the verge of death or after attainment immediately seek the going forth [that is, homelessness, associated with becoming a monastic]).
  14. ^ Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), pp. xix-xxi; and, Prayudh (1986).
  15. ^ Nyanatiloka (1980), in his entry for "ariya-puggala,"[6] further references the Visuddhimagga, Ch. XXI, verse 73, for a "sevenfold grouping" of noble disciples who have achieved stream-entry as follows: the faith-devotee (Pali: saddhānusārī); the faith-liberated one (Pali: saddhā-vimutta); the body-witness (Pali: kāya-sakkhī); the both-ways-liberated one (Pali: ubhato-bhāga-vimutta); the Dhamma-devotee (Pali: dhammānusārī); the vision-attainer (Pali: ditthippatta); and, the wisdom-liberated one (Pali: paññā-vimutta). For more detailed information, see Buddhaghosa & Nanamoli (1999), pp. 680 (§ 66), 682-83 (§§ 74-78).
  16. ^ See, for instance, Bodhi (2005), pp. 21ff. See also Thanissaro (1997).[7]
  17. ^ Thanissaro (1997).
  18. ^ The number of foremost disciple categories is evident from scanning www.metta.lk (undated-a) as well as mentioned in Nyanaponika, Hecker & Bodhi (2003), p. xxiii.

    While the disciples identified with these categories are declared to be the Buddha's "foremost" or "chief" (Pali: agga), this is different than his "Foremost" or "Chief Disciples" (Pali: aggasavaka) who are consistently identified solely as Sariputta and Mahamoggallana. In this article, in order to avoid confusion regarding this use of the Pali word agga, the aggasavakas will be referred to as "Chief Disciples" while those disciples simply referred to as being agga will be called "foremost" disciples.

  19. ^ Based on www.metta.lk (undated-a).
  20. ^ Bodhi (2000), p. 688.
  21. ^ Bodhi (2000), p. 689.
  22. ^ www.metta.lk (undated-b).
  23. ^ According to AN 1.14, Hatthaka of Alavaka is foremost "to establish liberality, kind speech, leading an useful life and a state of equality among the others" (www.metta.lk, undated-a).
  24. ^ According to AN 1.14, Velukandakiya is foremost in jhanic meditation (Bodhi, 2000, p. 812, n. 329; and, www.metta.lk, undated-a).
  25. ^ Bodhi (2000), p. 320.
  26. ^ Indaratana (2002), pp. 7-8.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-331-1.
  • Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (2005). In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pāli Canon.Boston: Wisdom Pubs. ISBN 0-86171-491-1.
  • Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya & Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli (trans.) (1999). The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1-928706-00-2.
  • Nyanaponika Thera, Hellmuth Hecker & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2003). Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their lives, their works, their legacy. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-381-8.
  • Prayudh Payutto (1986). Sangha: The Ideal World Community. A lecture delivered in January 2529/1986 at the Fourth International Congress of the World Buddhist Sangha Council, held at Buddha's Light Vihara, Bangkok. Available on-line at: http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/ebdha062.htm.

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