5. The Most Excellent Pair of Disciples
In the 14th text of the "Longer Discourses" (Digha Nikaya: Mahapadana Sutta), the Awakened One speaks of six Buddhas of the past and says that each of them had two chief disciples and one attendant; and elsewhere (Samy. 47, 14) he says that all the Buddhas of the past and future had or will have one pre-eminent pair of disciples. When a Perfectly Awakened One is going to appear these three are as necessary to him just as the ministers of war, of the interior and of finance are necessary to a king. The Buddha himself uses this comparison with a state's administration. He spoke of Ananda who could remember all discourses of the Buddha, as the Treasurer of the Teaching (minister of finance), of Sariputta as its general in command, and of Moggallana as child's nurse (minister of the interior). Of these four (including the Buddha), two groups of two had certain things in common: the Buddha and Ananda belonged to the warrior caste (khattiya) and were born on the same day; Sariputta and Moggallana, however, were Brahmans, and likewise born on the same day. This affinity showed itself also in their lives. Ananda was always with the Buddha; since the time when he started to be his attendant, he followed him like a shadow; whereas Moggallana was almost inseparable from Sariputta and nearly always together with him. Whenever the Buddha, in advancing years, felt physically tired, these three men were the only ones whom he asked to expound the Teaching on his behalf. This happened, for instance, at Kapilavatthu when Moggallana have a long discourse on sense-control as remedy against being submerged in the flood of the six sense impressions (Samy. 35, 202).
After Sariputta and Maha-Moggallana had attained Sainthood, the Buddha announced to the Order that they were his chief disciples. Some of the monks were surprised and began to grumble why the Master did not treat with such distinction those ordained first, the "men of the first hour," as for instance, the Group of Five, or Yasa or the three Kassapas. Why did he overlook them and give prominence to those who had entered the Order last and were young in seniority? To this the Awakened One replied that each reaps according to his merit. For aeons Sariputta and Moggallana had been progressing towards this state, by gradually cultivating the necessary faculties. Others, however, had developed on different lines. Although both chief disciples were of another caste and from another region than the Buddha's, their special position within the community of saints was an outcome of the Law of Karma.
In many ways the Buddha had spoken in praise of this noble pair of disciples:
"Outstanding they are among my disciples, exceptional they are among my disciples. They truly acted upon the Master's instructions and followed his advice. How dear and amiable are they to the fourfold assembly,8 worthy of their respect and reverence!"
— Samyutta Nikaya 47, 14
"If a devout lay woman should admonish her only son whom she dearly loves, she would rightly do so by saying: 'My dear son, you should be like Citta the householder or Hatthaka of Alavi!' — because these two are model and exemplar for my lay devotees. (And she should further say:) 'But if, my dear, you should go forth from home into the homeless life (of a monk), you should be like Sariputta and Moggallana!' — because they are model and exemplar for bhikkhu disciples."
— Samyutta Nikaya 17, 23
"Seek and cultivate, O monks, (the company of) Sariputta and Moggallana! They are wise and are helpful to their fellows in the Holy Life. Sariputta is like a mother, and Moggallana is like a nurse. Sariputta trains (the monks) for the Fruit of stream-entry, and Moggallana for the supreme goal."
— Majjhima Nikaya, No. 141
The characterization of the two in the last text may be interpreted as follows. Sariputta urges his pupils to cut through the first and basic fetters and thus helps them to attain stream-entry. In this way he "converts" men by vigorously diverting them from the futility of the round of existence, and guides them into the zone of safety. Sariputta, like a mother, watches and guides the first steps on the path of emancipation; or it may be said, he causes, or at least assists, the birth of final emancipation in the pupil. Moggallana, however, leads on those who thus far have been saved, guiding them along their way upwards; he supports them in their practice of meditation up to sainthood, in the same way as he himself was helped by the master; he is like a wet-nurse, nourishing the strength and sustaining the growth of the pupil.
Both aspects are found perfectly united in a Fully Awakened One; but in Sariputta and Moggallana they were separate qualifications. Though both were "liberated in both ways," yet with Sariputta the major emphasis was on wisdom, and with Moggallana on the meditative "Liberation of the Mind" (cetovimutti).
This fact found perfect expression when these two spiritual sons of the Buddha had to look after Rahula, the Buddha's own son. As every newly ordained monk, Rahula had two teachers, one in knowledge and one in conduct. Sariputta was appointed as his teacher in knowledge, and Moggallana as his teacher in conduct and spiritual practice.
Once Sariputta said to his friend that, compared with Moggallana's great supernormal powers he was like a small splinter of rock set against the mighty Himalayas. Moggallana, however, replied that, compared with Sariputta's power of wisdom, he was like a tiny grain of salt set against a big salt barrel. (S. 21,3).
About the differing range of wisdom, the Buddha once said that there are questions which only he could conceive and answer, but not Sariputta; there are other questions which only Sariputta could clarify, but not Moggallana' and there are those which only Moggallana could solve, but not the other disciples (J. 483). Thus the two chief disciples were like a bridge between the supreme qualities of the Buddha and the capacities of the other disciples.
When Devadatta voiced his claim to lead the Order, the Buddha said that he would not entrust anybody with the leadership of the Sangha, not even his two chief disciples, let alone Devadatta (C. V. VII, 3). Between the high-point of discipleship, Sariputta and Moggallana, on one end of the scale, and at the other Devadatta, the most depraved of the disciples, there is a long and varied line of others with different degrees of accomplishments and virtues. It is characteristic that the only slander uttered against the chief disciples came from a follower of Devadatta. The monk Kokalika, wishing to malign them, told the Buddha that the two had evil intentions, which, in fact, was the case with Devadatta. The Buddha, however, replied: "Don't say so, Kokalika, don't speak like that! Let your heart have glad confidence in Sariputta and Moggallana! They are capable monks." (S. 6, 10). But Kokalika, in spite of this emphatic admonition, persisted in his slander. According to the old texts, Devadatta and Kokalika were reborn in a state of utter suffering, in the deepest hellish abode, while Sariputta and Moggallana won the highest bliss, Nibbana.
