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Sāriputta
was one of the Buddha's two chief disciples. He and his childhood
friend Moggallāna both became monks together under the
teacher Saṭjaya. Eventually they became disillusioned with him and
his philosophy and then split up and went their separate ways looking
for a better teacher. One day Sāriputta heard about the Buddha's
Dhamma, converted and straight away went in search of his
friend to tell him of the wonderful teaching he had discovered. When
they met and Moggallāna heard the Dhamma, he too converted and then
the two young men went to find the Buddha so they could be
ordained as monks by him. In time the Buddha came to look upon
Sāriputta and Moggallāna as his chief disciples and heirs.
Sāriputta's forte was his ability to understand the most abstruse
aspects of the Dhamma and expound it in a clear and comprehensible
manner, so much so that the Buddha gave him the title of 'General of
the Dhamma.' In one of his discourses he spoke of the qualities
needed to be a good Dhamma teacher, qualities he himself possessed:
'When one teaches another he should first establish five things
within himself and then teach. What five? Let him think: ssI will
speak at the right time, not at the wrong time. I will speak about
what is, not about what is not. I will speak with gentleness, not
harshness. I will speak about the goal, not about what is not the
goal. I will speak with a mind filled with love, not with a mind
filled with ill-willss. First establish these five things and then
teach another' (A.III,195). This is one of a number of discourses by
Sāriputta preserved in the Tipiṭaka. In Sri Lankan
and Thai temples the main statue of the Buddha is often flanked by
two smaller statues, one of Sāriputta and the other of Moggallāna.
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