PKSSSS CY2010 Level: J4 Lesson 10: Growth of the Buddhist Community (Chapter 13)

Growth of the Buddhist Community - Conversion of Yasha Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 1 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching Yasha (Son of rich merchant) Find life boring and meaningless One night, saw his courtesan, musicians lying like dead people Ran to Deer Park and met the Buddha Buddha calm him down and teach him the Four Noble Truths Realized life is suffering and he asked to become a monk He became Arhat later Yasha’s father invite Buddha to his house for dinner Yasha’s father became the Buddha’s first lay follower Yasha’s mother and former wife became Buddha’s first two woman lay followers 45 friends of Yasha also asked to be monk 1 st 60 monks was formed at Deer Park

Growth of the Buddhist Community - Conversion of Yasha Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 2 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching Arhat One who has overcome desire, ill will and ignorance. Ordained To become a monk, the Buddha’s disciple. Buddha’s lay follower One who take the Threefold Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Growth of the Buddhist Community - Instruction to the First Missionaries Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 3 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching When the first sixty disciples became Arhats Buddha told them to go in all different direction to spread His Teaching This is done out of compassion for the world, for the benefit, welfare and happiness of men, During Buddha time, everyone have to be ordained by Him to become a monk Inconvenient for his disciples since they are all in 60 places Buddha made a rule that all monks could ordain their novices. This rule still apply today. Buddha Go to Uruvilva to teach the Dharma

Growth of the Buddhist Community - The Thirty Young Men Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 4 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching Buddha left Deer Park to Uruvilva after rainy season He was resting under a tree in a grove Thirty young men travel with their wife except one One man brought along a courtesan The courtesan stolen all their belongings All the men started to look for her and met the Buddha Buddha asked them Looking for the woman or oneself, which is important? All of them become monk after listened to the Buddha’s Teaching

Growth of the Buddhist Community - The Kashyapa Brothers Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 5 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching Buddha arrived at Uruvilva where there are three matted-hair ascetics They were the Kashyapa and his brothers Kashyapa have 1000 disciples who practiced fire worship Buddha explained to him that their practices will not lead to enlightenment With the permission of his disciples, all of them become Buddha’s disciples - monk After ordained, they cut their hair and threw their belongings into the river The 2 brothers saw it at the river bank Together with 500 disciples, they became the Buddha’s disciples

Growth of the Buddhist Community - The “Fire Sermon” Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 6 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching Buddha preached His “Fire Sermon” after the conversion of the fire- worshippers Buddha’s sermon stated that all experiences of the senses are the burning with the “fires” of greed, anger and delusion Only through extinguishing these “fires” One can attain the peace of Nirvana

Summary Learn. Practice. Realise. Share. Page 7 BIRTH Final Nirvana Enlightenment RenunciationGrowing Up & Four Encounters Search for Truth Teaching The expansion of the Order began with the conversion of Yasha. Yasha’s father was the first layman to take the Threefold Refuge. Yasha’s wife and mother were the first woman lay followers of the Buddha. With friends and relatives, the Order of the first 60 monks was formed. Buddha explained the “fires” of greed, anger and delusion during the “Fire Sermon” and need to put out in order to end suffering and attain Enlightenment. Due to the rapid expansion of the order, Buddha allowed monks to ordain their own disciples which is what happen today.